So the roof on my bay around the crown where my old high top used to sit is mostly suffering from rot, having removed the high top fibre glass and discovering this, the next job is addressing this ballache. Has anyone else done a job like this and do you have photos of before during and after your fix? I dont want to cut out at the pillars as there is too much good metal to warrant such an undertaking. It wont be until it gets warmer that im going to tackle this so im looking for examples to get an idea of the world im going to get myself stuck into. It might just be body cuts but I want to see what the worst im going to encounter first. any help would be appreciated guys!! What do I look out for , and is there any hints or tips in this attempt that would be of any use, even if it is common sense, that kind of sense we are not all gifted in... cheers!
Indeed Someone mentions roof rot and im inclined to run a mile but without pics its hard to give advice
ok sorry for this being so late - I ask for help and then get a load of chores dumped on me!!! Here are 2 photos either side of my van that show the crown of the roof rusted, these are pictures of the roof straight after I removed the fibre glass, so the rust is still damp. It is standing in a garage to dry out (as best it can) so I can get a better look at what level i need to attack the rust issue. Generally it isnt too bad - however... the worst parts are sections above the sliding door and the opposite side behind the cab.. Im also torn as to what route to go, whether tin top or scribe in a new section of the roof that has been what looks like a tin opener, and return it to the westy front lifter it once was.. cheers guys.
If you look along the gutter on the roof side you may be able to see a series of spot welds - by grinding these away the roof can be removed. Have a search on prototype bay as its been done by several over there, you just need to find a good donor roof
Get along it with a hammer and see if it has gone through or is soft anywhere first, if its generally solid I would be tempted to give it a clean up first to see what ur left with.
It doesn't look that bad to be honest. A couple of minutes with an angle grinder and wire wheel will also tell how bad it is.
As the others have said Clean it up and see if its rotten through you may be very lucky and its just the outer skin that corroded on the surface
my next investment then is a makita angle grinder (battery) with flap'n'wire wheels - no power in my garage. and i shall post the result.
Has others have said, you need to get it cleaned up with a wire wheel to see the true extent of the rust, my roof was in a similar condition on top but on mine the box section beneath the roof skin had also been attacked In the end i did a complete roof transplant, it was a right nightmare to do and something i wouldn't do again in a hurry
See if you can find someone local to media blast it. That way only the rust will go and u will know where you stand. The wire wheel things are ok but tend to polish the rust and leave some behind. If it was blasted you would see if there are any holes, if not prime and paint it instantly and the rust will be gone
A wire wheel on an angle grinder will do it if you get a heavy duty knotted wire one, but it may take a few charges with a battery grinder!
I'd go with blasting aswell, you'll know where you stand straight away and you'll know the rust has then gone if its worth saving.
