Roof Restoration - Tar Baby

[middlecalf]

Sehlob

Not much to report in the last couple of days, filling, drying, sanding, goes kind of slow. Decided to pull the fiberglass top off of the sides, will "improve" the seal there, hoping that the existing rubber is still useable maybe with some butyl added. Also will be able to clean up the inside easier without the sides on. But I now also have a few broken off bolts to drill out!

Found this little lady hanging around my barn (my workshop, I don't get to use the dining room like some mudders) so I encapsulated her in some left over epoxy. Kind of like Amber but not as valuable (yet). She does have an "hour glass" body, if you know what I mean.

Thinking about renaming the rig Shelob. If I went with a black roof, obviously it would be the black widow.

 

[primer7]

Nice work, interested to see the finished product.

 

[middlecalf]

Moved to underside

Seperated the top from the side panels & removed the metal gutter from figerglass roof. Some rust, mostly surface. The rubber seals are in pretty good shape (soaking right now), they were attached to the gutters with some sort of double sided sticky fiber tape almost the same width of the rubber seals (original?). The part of the seal that goes around the bend part of the side panels has the middle cut out I guess to facilitate the bend but not sure what to do in the part that's cut out (original trimming?).

Not sure if interior paint/surface is original - kind of grey with white flecks, or white with grey flecks, rough to the touch (pic doesn't show it too well). Original? Anyone know that was used on the interior of these domes originally?

Finishing inside of patched holes, treating rust, then prime, paint, put back together.

 

[middlecalf]

About to start putting it back together...

... but fighting fires in the mean time. Maybe I need to put a 300-gal tank in the back of the cruiser, ala Rat Patrol (but with a real Jeep).

Got the windshield bow off, will be able to seal underneath better. Can't quite figure out how this seals onto the windshield, the earlier models don't have the extra metal piece that attaches to the bow and the windshield. I recall a fair gap between the bow and the windshield, but I think the windshield should nestle into the groove (left hand side of last pic) with some sort of rubber seal. Any ideas, anyone worked on an earlier windshield/hardtop combo?

Almost done with prep, time to start putting on finish coat(s) and putting it back together. JIT for snow

 

[Combat Chuck]

=
Thinking about renaming the rig Shelob. =

Nice LOTR reference! I honestly laughed, and I'm glas as heck nobody was around to overhear me, and demand an explanation. I must say that's a first for this forum.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Nice LOTR reference! I honestly laughed, and I'm glas as heck nobody was around to overhear me, and demand an explanation. I must say that's a first for this forum.

Ok, first Dune and then the sig line from Serenity... dude you need to stop watching my TV set over my shoulder.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Ok, first Dune and then the sig line from Serenity... dude you need to stop watching my TV set over my shoulder.

I've never actually seen/read Dune, maybe someday. Neuromancer, yes, but not Dune...

 

[Volcano cruiser]

I've never actually seen/read Dune, maybe someday. Neuromancer, yes, but not Dune...

The Dune trilogy would be right up your alley I think. Hijack over

 

[middlecalf]

Underside done

Decided to pull the windshield bow off (actually grind and pound out rivets) to better seal it. Ran a bead of butyl rubber sealant under the bow before re-riveting (all of that old epoxy/fiberglass buildup was there), cleaned up the squeezed out extra with mineral spirits, primed everything and painted. Primer is for resin, hence glossy but needed to be sanded before anything other than enamel is layed over it. I decided to not put a headliner in (at this time) because of the dusty environment here, so painted with rustoleum multicolored texture paint (desert bisque - sheez) on the part that will be interior to the cab, and painted the little part that extends outside the cab gloss biege (same as gutter). The outside roof will get primed and painted white after I epoxy over the recessed rivet heads for the windshield bow.

This top was pretty rough on the inside, very dry and brittle. It doesn't look like it got finished much from the factory (probably because it normally has a headliner covering it up). The gutter part of the fiberglass was also brittle, easily damaged especially when pounding on it to remove rivets. I wanted to limit anymore damage so went with squeeze rivets rather than bucked rivets. Wasn't expecting to get into this part of the roof this much, but I layered quite a bit of resin on it to build up some durability, but the process is not exacting (for me) so I decided to put the textured overcoat on which hides most of the irregularites.

 

[middlecalf]

Here's what the gutter looks like riveted on. They stick out a bit more than the bucked rivets, but I'm ok with that especially after the rubber seal is installed between the roof and the sides (the rivets are right next to the rubber seal). I applied a bead of butyl rubber between the metal gutter and the fiberglass gutter before assembling and riveting.

 

[Fast Eddy]

I think I might go for Caribbean Sand.

RustOleum.com

I love their "Application Tip": Apply one coat.

Nice job though.

 

[skidplate]

Cant wait to see it when its all finished!

 

[primer7]

Any updates?

 

[middlecalf]

I got the outside top coated with BusKote and FlexiClear topcoat (I swear the FlexiClear is coconut milk, it looks and smells like it, but it does dry clear). The BusKote has some texture (I rolled it, spraying might provide for a smooth finish but I don't have the appropriate HVLP sprayer), so not for the purists, but it does help hide the local imperfections I have in my 45 year old roof, even with sanding (and filling and more sanding). I'll post some pics tomorrow. I'm waiting for a bulb seal to show up from McMaster for sealing the windshield to the roof. These older cruisers don't have the additional metal pieced that connects the two, and the original rubber seal is out of production (and I couldn't find a used one). Almost done.

 

[middlecalf]

Texture

If you don't like texture, don't roll BusKote, even with a smooth roller (or eat too many berries). I like it cuz it covers up some the imperfections I just couldn't get rid of (or ran out of patience and sandpaper ) and when overcoated with the coconut milk, er Flexicoat, it is reasonably smooth. Kind of hard to tell in pic. Time will tell on the durability and ease of maintenace. But it's better than tar.

I think whatever bear dropped this load (grouse hunting, uh rather walking yesterday) likes texture too. That's the biggest pile of scat I've ever seen (including grizzly). And all I had were game loads

 

[middlecalf]

No more snow storms

At least inside, in the face This is the seal I got from McMaster Carr (1120A582), fits well, looks clean and looks like it makes a pretty good seal on the windshield bow. Presses onto the lip on the windshield and holds fast (but can be removed).

Notice those 3 little holes in the last pic, they need to be filled. I'm open to offers. Come on, you know you don't really use that rear view mirror anyhow. I'll pay good money (valuated at 2020 US inflation rate).

 

[middlecalf]

Around the corner they come, and down the home stretch...

The seal at the rear corners was trimmed out in the middle, not sure if it's original but it's going to get reused 'cause I'm too damn cheap to buy an OEM replacement. So I filled in the space with butyl rubber tape stuff (the stuff is used to set windows in RVs, etc.). Feels like sticky clay, doesn't harden but sticks pretty well. I got it a while back at an RV repair place when working on my TC. Get this finished up and get the to help me lift the roof back on, bolt it up, and I'm ready to hit the birds on opening day (Sat).

 

[middlecalf]

Got er dun (mostly)

Roofs back on, "aligned" and bolted up . Also painted the bezel. Doors returned soon and some touch up of paint around the seal on the outside. Ready to

 

[ColReb1295]

Use west systems epoxy!

I really think a lot of West Systems epoxy for this type of application....ahyone else use it?

 

[primer7]

Nice work, much better then the tar. Nice rig!