Grifter

iTrader: (12)

Glad to see that people are enjoying the thread. I am thinking of changing the title; any thoughts?

shippershack

My body guy is suggesting to grind out the sail panel, along all the glue lines, down to the base. Lay in some fiberglass filler/primer, etc...and then prime and paint. My question to him was, yes, you can see some of the glue lines, but he can't possibly ensure that he got all of the glue....so I wonder if it would actually work? Then he said it would be 16 hours of work x $70....$1120. May be cheaper and more predictable to get a new panel in.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

lol bad idea.

1) The glue already got into the fiberglass. Unless you plan to grind all the way through it you probably won't get it all.

2) You can get a brand new sail panel for half that!

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

For that price you are much better off going with the sure thing....get the new 6LE panel and paint/install it. No guessing whether or not it will come back that way.

Or if you feel like looking for a used panel, that's the cheapest option.

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

God bless you guys that go with used roofs. We spent 4 hours in the junkyard going through TEN batteries JUST to get the entire metal roof off with top attached. I can't imagine what you guys go through trying to remove the roof cover in one piece!

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Thanks . We have three spots left...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-bod...un-states.html

Grifter

iTrader: (12)

Did you read this entire thread? You will be spending $1120 and have the same problem within the week. The sail panel MUST be replaced. Granted this is warranty labor time but it only pays 2 hours for a hardtop and 1.5 for a sail panel replacement. Add prep and paint, but 16 hours....?

Don't be like me; fix it right the first time.

3stgstocker

iTrader: (18)

maybe I missed it but is there a certain part# for the urethane to use when replacing the panel and do u need to prime or coat the under side of the new panel before installing it? ive got the same problem my local yards got 7 lt1 hardtop cars they said I can get the roof for 59.00 but I gota pull it so the cordless sawzall and me are about to go on a date!

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

On the top of the Paint and Body Section in the Stickies it has the thread:

Bubbling Sail Panel Issue for Dummies

and in the very first post at the bottom it lists the glue that is approved for use:

As for the prep, I'm having my roof worked on now. I'm having the shop sand the underside of the panel and prime it for me and I'm going to run it like that.

chrysler kid

iTrader: (14)

Damn. Thought only pontiac got those. My 98 camaros must just have had them missing.

I had 3 98 camaros at one point, all of them had the fender bulge but they all had the brace. They all got them from the crappy lifts that you drive over that lift the body. Consensus seems to be they were just re using the old supply for lt1 cars and when they changed plastic suppliers they did not renew the part because it never really worked anyways

Another annoying 1998 fbody fact, only year with the specific designed gas cap. Why they changed the design at the end of 97 and then again in 99 I just don't get.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

At least the 98 gas cap had a long enough tether to hang on the door. The tether on the 99+ is too short.

Auto Recon

Ok, so thankfully I found this forum about a month ago.
Back in Nov '14 I paint the roof on a 2002 Firebird not knowing that there were issues with the roofs on these cars. In Feb the customer brought it back to me saying the paint was still bubbling. I proceeded to sand down below the bubbles when I realized the roof was fiberglass. I had previously assumed that it was metal since magnets stuck to it. So once I did a search for fiberglass Firebird roofs I came across this forum and found out why the paint bubbled. After about 2 weeks of trying several different ways to remove the donor roof without breaking it I finally removed it from the roof frame where the junk yard cut it off. On the customers roof I just went to town with a linoleum knife and 3" cutoff wheel and cut around the inside of the glue. Figured it will be easier to cut through the urethane with majority of the roof gone.

Now to my question. Does the windshield molding have to be removed to cut the front urethane off? I have read that some say there is no need to remove unless it is already damaged or dry rotted. Thanks

Grifter

iTrader: (12)

A little late but I'll chime in. The windshield molding doesn't have to be removed. You can see from the one picture I posted that the front edge of the roof is slid underneath the molding and then laid down. I got a new molding for like $20 from the windshield guy.

markyf

iTrader: (6)

I searched and can't find much info on how exactly to get the full hardtop roof off of a donor car without damage. Post #23 and #28 in this thread have a little information, but not enough for an amateur like me.
1. I have a hardtop donor car. Is it easier to get the plastic top off the car, or should I cut the whole metal clip off like this thread so I can work from top-side and underneath?
2. My local GM Body Shop suggested I talk to a windshield shop. This post mentions a windshield guy. I guess that's because of the piano wire with handles. Also mentioned is an air tool. Where can I get these tools?
3. How do you get all the old urethane off the donor plastic top and car frame?
4. Are those triangular side pcs at the bottom glued on? How do you get them off?
Thanks for any help, guys.
Great thread, by the way.

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

You can do it either way, but neither would be "easier" imo. With both methods you need to take your time and be careful. If you just use the wire saw method then you need to take your time and make sure you are cutting the old adhesive and not digging in to the composite roof panel. If you're using an electric or air powered cutoff wheel, you want to make sure you aren't cutting too deep and gouging the roof panel. I've done it with a cutoff wheel once and then started using the wire saw method for every other time I've done it (probably close to a dozen times now).

You can find wire saws at any Home Depot or Lowes. They are commonly used in PVC pipe installations and can usually be found in that section.

I've used a razor blade scraper to get the bulk off of the old roof, then some sand paper to get the rest off. Just make sure you get the underside of the roof prepped before you reinstall it and you'll be golden.

They are put on with double sided tape. They can be a pain to get off though, so if it's in your budget I would just order some new ones. The reason they are a pain is because they are usually sun baked and brittle. I was able to reuse mine, but it was mostly garage kept and I was extremely careful when I pulled them off.

markyf

iTrader: (6)

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. I'll attempt this soon, not looking forward to it.

Grifter

iTrader: (12)

It was much easier to have the entire donor roof off the car and on a stand, there's not the rest of the car in the way when you're trying to take off the roof.

Just take your time, it is doable it just takes patience. The best tool I used was the wire with the help from the windshield guy. Basically just two wooden handles and a piece of wire and we slowly saw'd back and forth. We also used an air tool with a sort of cutting bit, hard to describe it and I'm not sure what it's called. Ended up not making the job much easier but we were learning as we went. If he comes around any time soon I'll try and take some pictures of it.

fastsspr

iTrader: (49)

Hello guys. I have a 02 Camaro Hard top. Now the top started to have bobbles everywhere and to find a donor car in my area is not to easy. My car is a average 02 Camaro that I not want to invest 1k in the a new top.
Now if i strip all the paint out and prep the top and them wrap the top with vinyl paper, the bubble problem can stop?

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

No, wrapping the roof in vinyl will not stop the bubbles from resurfacing. The only way to stop the bubbling for good is to replace the panel.

fastsspr

iTrader: (49)

Thanks so for the answer. That was exactly what not wanted to heard !