Roof grafting

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

ranger

ranger

Joined
Jan 18, 2003
Threads
37
Messages
1,165
Location
Mountain Hole, Idaho
Has anyone attempted to graft a good roof from one pig to another that rotted out? Never doing a feat like this, I can't really see it being too difficult. However, how to cut will be the tricky part. Would it be easier to cut all the post at the base of the posts, or somewhere in between, or at the base of the roof.
Which would be the easiest so all the door opening and window slots are sized?
I don't have access to a factory service manual that would show how the roof is attached, maybe getting a scan of that portion would be a great help?
 
When you cut the rear to posts next to the tailgate and slide up window there is a second pillar inside the first. When I cut that part of my roof through those two posts so I thought. Turned out I hadnt ended up having to bed back the pillar which crunched the rear brake lights to get to the pillar on the inside.
 
I've done that exact thing on my daughters FJ55! It's a big job. We ended up drilling out the spot welds on the lip on the firewall and around the "A" pillar as it starts to angle backwards, at the "B" pillar base, at the top of the "C" pillar where it ties into the roof (part of that goes too high to cut), and removed the small cover on the inside of the "D" pillar as well as drill out spot welds at the rain gutter on the outside of the "D" pillar. If I remember right the spot welds on the inner pillar that "clemson55" alludes to are right behind the inner panel on the "D" pillar.
Measure up all the dimensions before cutting so you know what it needs to be when it goes back together (especially the "B" pillar which tends to move alot.
Was it worth it? I think so, if only for the experience. Now she has a basically rust free FJ55!
 
You'll need to wait till I'm back in Canada this summer. My daughter has the bragging album! Those were taken before I had a digital camera. I scanned and posted some about a year or two ago but they vanished with a software upgrade on 'mud. We had a truck from the midwest that was rusted from the bottom up and a California truck rusted from the top down and put them together! Got them both for FREE as neither one was worth anything on their own!!!
 
cruiserbrett said:
cruiser_guy...post up some pics!
Click to expand...
I thought the same thing when dave told me," it was the cleanest 55 I have ever seen".When she got her seat.
 
1FE pig said:
I thought the same thing when dave told me," it was the cleanest 55 I have ever seen".When she got her seat.
Click to expand...

That would be her's!! Did you see it or not? It wasn't running when we left for Central America last summer so I have been out of the loop since then. I didn't have time to finish it totally before we had to leave! I hear it's a little loud though with the turbo'd 3B and no muffler. I'll be working on it again this summer for a few days when we're up for a visit.

Looks like we have the same collection of 'Cruisers in the family!
 
Thanks for the info! Pics would be awesome too. I plan on tackling mine either later summer or fall time.
Does the Factory Service manual for body and chassis break down how the panels were joined from the factory? I know that body shops have access to this type of data. Sure would take the guess work and possible FUBAR of component during dissassembly.
I have read a few how tos on chopping tops, and it seems there are many different approaches to this, easy enough as long as you take your time and do the measurements and bracing. It would be awesome if you could drill out spot welds and reomove the entire roof, pillars and all as one assembly. Time consuming, but a heck of alot cleaner.
 
The OEM manual does NOT detail this at all! It's not part of "normal" service or repair. After summer, when we've visited our daughter, I'll try to post up some pictures.
Maybe woody can allow them to be part of a sticky that doesn't take up my photo space (I'm here on about $1000/month so extra fees don't work).
 
cruiser_guy said:
The OEM manual does NOT detail this at all! It's not part of "normal" service or repair. After summer, when we've visited our daughter, I'll try to post up some pictures.
Maybe woody can allow them to be part of a sticky that doesn't take up my photo space (I'm here on about $1000/month so extra fees don't work).
Click to expand...

BTT

cruiser_guy, did you have time to track the pics out yet ? I'd host them if you need.
I'm gathering ideas and infos for my newly acquired long-term project :)

:beer:,
 
I've got the pics of her '55. I'd like to keep the little space I have for photos for questions on the FJ45LV project and there are sure to be lots of questions. If you want to host them I can e-mail them to you. She still has a few things to finish up like the OEM front fender lights than need to go on but it looks sharp.
 
Pic's coming your way. I have some photos of the work in progress that are not in digital format. If you want those I'll need to see if I can scan them somehow here. Unfortunately the actual roof photos are missing but the photos of us cutting off the old roof and the wreckage of the old roof/old lower section are there.

The PTO winch head is currently here in Guatemala so I can rebuild it so don't everyone tell me it's not there, I already know that!
 
Looks awesome! My original plan to graft another roof went south. After many hours with a grinder, screwdriver, putty knife and a hammer, the extent of rust on the roof and pillars on mine was so extensive it was to far gone. I chopped it off.
I have never seen so much bondo, expanding foam and fiberglass on any one body part as the roof on my 55.
The top part of the roof was held on by about a 2 foot stretch of good steel behind the windshield. Needless to say even with the roof out of the equation, I still have many hours of rust repair to get the topless pig worthly.
For those that like patching over rusty holes with bondo, fiberglass and expanding foam, I say "get a rope"!! WHat a mess!!
 
Lucy_FJ55 said:
cruiser_guy-

I remember that thread. You guys did an excellent job. Top notch! I have a rotted out roof and got inspired by your thread. Thought maybe I good do it-since someone else had. We should post those pics as a sticky, its such a common pig problem.
Click to expand...

If someone knows how to make it a sticky that's fine with me. My daughter probably has copies of the photos of the actual roof swap underway but she'd need to look for them so if it's going to be a sticky let me know and I'll get all the photos together.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Roastchestnuts
Roof racks for 55s
Replies
1
Views
281
LCMoneyPit
L

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom