Roof restoration

[Splangy]

A few tips for those of you restoring your tops:

Use 5/32" x 3/8" Aluminum solid rivets. The factory holes will get a little buggered out while removing the old rivets. The 5/32 rivets are a tiny bit wider to fit snugly in the holes. You may have to "chase" the existing holes with a drill to clean them out and prepare them for the 5/32 rivets.

I modified a pair of vice grips to buck my rivets. This tool will provide you with consistent results on every rivet. I just took some round bar stock and cut little filets out of it and welded them on the jaws of the vice grips. I drilled a little divet in the center of one of them to center the head of the rivet in the tool, and it also gives the heads that factory "washer" look (that you'll never see after applying seam sealer).

Ahh yes, seam sealer. You'll want to use a good self leveling seam sealer. You'll need a couple tubes of this. I highly recommend the SEM 39387 self leveling seam sealer.

 

[bj40green]

My "visor" or "cap" came back this afternoon from my welder.
He did a great job. Look at the pics.

Before


After

Sanded and painted, ready for test fitting and install.

Rudi

 

[Pearly]

A few tips for those of you restoring your tops:

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac204/fontainejeff/Restoration/100_1382.jpg

Vice grips for the rivets?

Simply brilliant! Helluva lot easier than beating them in with a hammer. You can even set the grips to the correct impact of the rivet - even shape them.....awesome!

 

[bj40green]

I have been busy this last week with preparing the top for painting. I had some damage from 34 years of low flying coconuts. After all, this is banana and coconut country.
There was no real damage but a lot off little cracks in the paint and some discolored spot from leaves.
Here are some pics.










A little bit more of priming and final sanding to do and then the top goes to the upholstery guy for the new headliner before the final paint goes on.
While the top is at the upholstery shop I'm going to prepare the weather strip.

Rudi

 

[bj40green]

The weather strip

Today I worked on preparing the weather strip. I bought the strip from the local glass car guy. It looks almost the same as the one CCOT is selling.
The 1st problem is: How do I get all the holes in the correct position?
The second problem is: How do I make nice round holes in the WS? I have a set of hollow punches but the biggest one is too small so I took a piece of metal tube and grinded a 30º angle on it. Second problem solved. Back to the 1st problem.
I solved the 1st problem this way:
I taped all the holes with masking tape so that the tape is visible on both sides of the edges.
Rubbed my dirty finger over the hole to get the outline of the hole.
Marked the center with a X.
Put the WS over it.
Put another piece of tape on the WS.
Lift the WS a bit and copy the X from the bottom tape to the top tape. TIP: use a "carpenters eye" for this.
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00714.jpg"][/URL]

[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00715.jpg"][URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00715.jpg"][/URL][/URL]

Lift the WS and put a piece of wood under it.
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00716.jpg"][/URL]

Hammer, hammer, hammer......
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00717.jpg"][/URL]

And there is a perfect nice hole.
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00719.jpg"][URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00719.jpg"][/URL][/URL]
Remove the first tape and...... Tadaa!
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00720.jpg"][URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00720.jpg"][/URL][/URL]

For the 2 bolts at the corners I made a second (bigger) hollow punch which I also used to punch the holes above the door jambs.
[URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00752.jpg"][URL="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/ruud_coco/Toyota%2040%20series%20roof/DSC00752.jpg"][/URL][/URL]


Rudi

 

[bj40green]

Back again after 2 weeks. The roof is back on the Cruiser. Yeah!
The upholstery guy did a nice job. He made a little error but I'm the only one who know where to look so that's OK with me.
I finished the painting a few days ago and after letting it dry for 3 days, we (the and I), put it back on the Cruiser.
Let me tell you one thing. The Cruiser is not square when the top is off. You don't notice when the top comes of but you 'll find out when you put it back on.
I started at the front. Put the 2 bolts in above the windshield and tried to push and pull the side panels to match the holes with the top. No way José!
So I started from the back. Put in the 4 bolts above the ambulance doors and pushed-in the PS side panel to get the first bolt just behind the door in. Once the first one is in it will getting easier with every next bolt.
Not an easy job when you are 6' 3" and have to crawl in that confined space with temperatures around 32C / 90F and a humidity of 90%.
Anyway it's back in place and I am a happy CO (Cruiser Owner).
While I was finishing up I decided to put in a protective strip because sometimes the passengers in the back trying to get a hold and grab the rain gutter edge which is a bit sharp.
I used "Door Jamb Edge Guard" for this as you can see in the pic. On request from the I also put in an extra "grip" above the PS door. It's the same grip as the one above the glove compartment that I had in my little warehouse.



And.................... no more POP rivets!



Rudi

 

[Butch75FJ40]

Cool job Rudy, nice improve with the home made punch-a-ma-jig.....Thanks for the insparation.

 

[SliderJack]

Nicely done! Info will come in handy when I get to this in a couple years.

 

[hedgehog23]

well done. looks real clean and complements the rest of your cruiser well

 

[GaFJ40Jeff]

Looks really good

 

[lostmarbles]

Thanks Rudi.

This will be useful when I come to do mine..

 

[SteveH]

You brought back agonizing memories of the CCoT roof seal (no glue would stick to it..) and the effort of punching the holes - but your whole resto look great. Congratulations!

 

[brian]

You brought back agonizing memories of the CCoT roof seal (no glue would stick to it..) and the effort of punching the holes - but your whole resto look great. Congratulations!

o my god lawn darts. one of the better ideas for thinning the gene pool.

 

[lvshust]

nice job!

i will be doing this in a few weeks... the last part of my restoration...

 

[monniepoo]

That looks amazing!

 

[78fj40mg]

Great work Rudi!

 

[kenBishop]

Hello everyone
i want to share something to you regarding roof restoration.... Top Glaze offers a complete range of roof repair solutions designed to work in varying weather conditions.

 

[shipmag]

They make a bit for the air hammer specifically for these rivets. I borrowed one from my paint store that he had in his personal tool box. I have no idea where to get these special bits from. It made the job go fast. There was a piece that went in the air hammer and if my memory is right there was another piece for the under side. Sorry its been ten years since I did mine and my memory isn't as good as it use to be. But the air hammer is food for thought with all the rivets you have to install.

 

[Weber Sarge]

Look at aircraft suppliers , they sell a punching die/buck that sets that type of rivet very neatly and quickly. You can get them for standard size .410 shank air hammers.
Sarge

 

[cuencanolenny]

Back again after 2 weeks. The roof is back on the Cruiser. Yeah!
The upholstery guy did a nice job. He made a little error but I'm the only one who know where to look so that's OK with me.
I finished the painting a few days ago and after letting it dry for 3 days, we (the and I), put it back on the Cruiser.
Let me tell you one thing. The Cruiser is not square when the top is off. You don't notice when the top comes of but you 'll find out when you put it back on.
I started at the front. Put the 2 bolts in above the windshield and tried to push and pull the side panels to match the holes with the top. No way José!
So I started from the back. Put in the 4 bolts above the ambulance doors and pushed-in the PS side panel to get the first bolt just behind the door in. Once the first one is in it will getting easier with every next bolt.
Not an easy job when you are 6' 3" and have to crawl in that confined space with temperatures around 32C / 90F and a humidity of 90%.
Anyway it's back in place and I am a happy CO (Cruiser Owner).
While I was finishing up I decided to put in a protective strip because sometimes the passengers in the back trying to get a hold and grab the rain gutter edge which is a bit sharp.
I used "Door Jamb Edge Guard" for this as you can see in the pic. On request from the I also put in an extra "grip" above the PS door. It's the same grip as the one above the glove compartment that I had in my little warehouse.
View attachment 641370


And.................... no more POP rivets!
View attachment 641371


Rudi
View attachment 641370View attachment 641371

Hi Rudi, I wanted to ask you how this repair has held up in your rain forest? Anything you would do differently? It must be nice having one piece doors. My old rig has the two piece and one of the things I will have to do is better fit the windshield at the front edge of the doors, leak zone. There is a metal piece over the doors that is fixed to the windshield frame and then the side panel frame, fixed length so I believe I will have to do some slotting or something to get the windshield to lay back further. Also, when I installed a new CCOT top gasket I noted that the visor was not attached to the roof. Did you find fasteners there or just put some sealant on the visor and pull the top down? Coen & Karin are in Colombia getting ready to go into Venezuela.