24 replies to this topic

[Badger]

Hi Adam, just seen this on ebay. Probably not an option but worth a look.

Cheers,

Nick

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...2481130532&rd=1

[adam c]

Good idea bluebottle, doing that should add some strengthening too :grin:

Cheers nick, thats just what i've got off my mayfair so i should be ok unless i *male chicken* it up!!

Thanks for all the advice people - still don't know if you can by etch primer to spray from a gun rather than an aerosol???

[Woody]

Hi , difficult without actualy seeing it but ,
First option : if the roof as a whole is sound but a few holes around the edge you could remove the inner streanthening , cut the hole back to good metal , make a patch from the inside and weld in and then weld from the outside as well , if the hole is across the corner you could use a section of the spare roof as a patch , then replace the inner streanthening , the benifit of patching from the inside is that the welds dont show and you are left with a dent to fill (with lead of filler ) not a lump .
second option :
tranplant the whole roof from the trailored car , this is easier than it sounds but you have to be sure of your welding skills and the patience to do the job properly, it involves a lot of measuring and carefull cutting and the use of at least 10 pairs of VISE GRIPS :grin:you have to be sure the "new" roof is sound before starting . If you are interested in this option let me know and i will write about it in greater detail ,
there are of course many ways to skin a cat and the same goes for any job , you could just do a tempory repair with "fiberglass repair paste"and do a proper job at a later date (provided the holes are cosmetic and not structural) or even replace the roof with a GRP skin as the bike engined nutters are doing (nutters in the nicest possable way )
You can get etch primer for use in a spray gun but the supliers are only allowed to suply to profesional users (as it says on the tins)

[Dom]

theres pics on the first page of this post

[adam c]

Cheers woody :grin:
I thought of chopping the strengthening out but then thought it might be a *Female doggy* to weld back in but since i'm thinking of welding the entire roof it should be easier to do this and it doesn't have to look amazing as long as its sound. Only problem being the top of the pillar has gone on the OS (i can get my thumb in it) and this would be difficult to patch i would think.

I'm very tempted by the whole roof thing but the mayfair roof has a slightly different gutter (the mk3 has a 'seam' going downwards) and also if the pillar was a few mm out then the car would look awful, the glass wouldn't fit and may leak etc. etc. However I would have to sort the gutter thing out however i did it..

There is about 4 inches of metal in the middle thats actually sound and this is all thats holding the front of my roof on and with the pillar gone as well filling is out of the question.

Theres no problem with getting the paint, according to the signs i'm not even sposed to be in the place that sells it but they are fine about selling it to me so I'll get some next time i'm there (and feeling flush!).

Don't like the idea of anything in GRP but thats just personal preference.

Just out of interest would you ever do a repair like this at your place? Any chance of rough prices for cutting the entire roof off and welding the other one on??

Thanks very much....

[Woody]

Ok ,the biggest part of a job like this is the labour ,so the way to make it cheaper for you would be if you did the prep work for the job ,the striping , remove the interior and all the glass and then refitt it all afterwards , can you do filler ?
If you like you could come to my workshop , strip it , I fit the new roof , you do the filler, we prime it , you fit it up , how does that sound ?
If you are interested it would be better if we disscused it , call me :
workshop 01286 677155 7am-10pm
home 01286 870189 when i am sleeping !
mobile 07796763024 whenever you like

[bluebottle]

crikey woody, 7am-10pm, like your opening hours!....you run a corner stores as well?

[Al*]

godamn!!! If i lived in the UK I'd do the roof transplant for cheap....it would just be for the joy of working on a mini!! Oh well good luck with whatever you decide.

Al

[adam c]

hmmmm..

I like the idea of someone else doing it since theres no chance of ruining my lovely old car and at the moment i've got that many jobs on that i'm short of time and have got the money to pay someone to do it. But shes off the road at the min and although i could easily get her back on the road to take her somewhere there'd be no way of taking the mayfair roof with me aswell. I also have the problem that your about 100 miles away woody and i don't know any local people that i'd trust with her...

I really don't think i could pull off a job like this, as theres just too many things to get right, it has to be aligned, straight, strong, neat etc. etc...

Now i have a problem.....

[Woody]

100 miles isnt far , if you are serious about it i could colect with a trailer and the new roof could go on a roof rack