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1969 Chevrolet Camaro Roof Replacement - Raising The RoofDitch the rust and install fresh steel on a ’69 Camaro From the June, 2011 issue of Camaro Performers By Steven Rupp Photography by Steven Rupp
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Before the new roof could... Before the new roof could go on, the old one needed to come off. Best of Show's Dick Kvamme made the first cut in the sail panel just above where the factory roof panel met the quarter panel. Let’s face it, us Camaro owners have it easy in terms of turning our rusty hulks into pristine examples of automotive art. When we have a cancer-riddled part, a great quality replacement piece is just a phone call or mouse click away. We can remember back when replacing the roof on a first-gen Camaro meant rummaging around boneyards looking for a decent donor roof. Today, every part of a first-gen is available through the aftermarket. In our case, we had a ’69 with just enough roof rot to justify replacing it. Sure, we could have patched it in, but frankly, it’s easier and nearly cheaper to replace the roof with fresh steel and call it a day. In addition to the cost of the roof, you’ll have to factor in the supplies as well. To do it right, you’ll need some air tools, an assortment of cutting and grinding wheels, along with a variety of locking pliers; nothing too exotic with the exception of the pliers, which can get pretty specialized. If you’re going to pay a shop to do it, expect the labor to run between 9-12 hours, depending on the car. With parts in hand from Ground Up Restorations, we headed over to Best Of Show Coach Works in Escondido, California, to see what’s involved with tossing on a first-gen roof.  Dick then cut the A-pillar...  Dick then cut the A-pillar and along the edge where the roof meets the drip rail. Remember that it’s better to cut too little than too much and have to fix it later. You can also see some of the rust that plagued our OE roof.  Moving to the window channel,...  Moving to the window channel, we cut the roof free all along the upper edge. These are just rough cuts to get the main roof section off the car. Later we will trim off the pieces left behind.  And just like that, the old...  And just like that, the old roof was history. Total time to get to this point was about 30 minutes.  With the roof off, it’s a...  With the roof off, it’s a great time to fix any rust spots. Our metal was in decent shape, so we just used a Scotch Bright pad to clean up the metal and then gave everything a nice, thick coat of POR-15. Our roof braces were in great shape, but if you need replacements, Ground Up sells a kit (PN RBK-1B) for 140 bucks.  This ’69 still wears its original...  This ’69 still wears its original GM quarters and as such, the seams where the quarters meet the roof are filled with lead. The best way to get rid of it is to use a torch and a wire-bristle brush.  With the lead gone, we had...  With the lead gone, we had a clear shot of the factory seam. The roof is attached to the quarter with pinch welds along the length. To get the remnant of the old roof off, we used a hand grinder to knock down each tack.  Dick then used an air chisel...  Dick then used an air chisel to remove the last bit of roof flange.  Using a small grinder, we...  Using a small grinder, we then cleaned up where the new roof will meet the A-pillar. It’s also when we sanded off the rust from the area above the windshield.  The new roof from Ground Up...  The new roof from Ground Up Restorations (PN RA00003, $289.95) came ready to go. To get it prepped for welding, Dick used a 3M Clean Strip wheel to clean up the flanges where we would be welding.  With the roof prepped it was...  With the roof prepped it was time to install it on the Camaro. Be sure to use two people or you risk folding up the panel like a taco.  Dick then used a huge assortment...  Dick then used a huge assortment of locking pliers to hold the roof panel in place for welding. This is also where you would do any needed trimming to the panel to get the flanges all lined up nice. The Ground Up roof’s fitment was great and we only had to do a tiny bit of grinding to get it perfect.  The first step was to tack...  The first step was to tack weld along the sail panel where the roof met the quarter.  With that done, Dick then...  With that done, Dick then stitch welded all the tacks together. The big challenge here was to not get so much heat in the panels that they deform. To help keep things cool, Dick stopped every couple of inches and used an air nozzle to blow some heat out of the metal.  With the sail panel done,...  With the sail panel done, Dick then stitched the A-pillar seam.  To secure the window channel,...  To secure the window channel, the factory used a pinch welder. Since we don’t have a pinch welder, we went to the back-up plan of drilling holes every inch or so along the entire length. If you have a hole punch, you can knock in the holes before installing the roof.  [17] With the holes drilled,...  [17] With the holes drilled, Dick then went along and tacked the panels together. This was repeated along the top for the windshield as well.  Once the filler dried, it...  Once the filler dried, it was sanded and a second coat put down. After setting up for 10 minutes, it was then sanded smooth in preparation for primer.  Back in the day they used...  Back in the day they used lead, but this is 2011 and the best product to use is polyester filler.  Lastly, Dick ran a bead of...  Lastly, Dick ran a bead of Lord Fusor 123EZ along the drip rail to seal the roof seam. And with that our roof was done. Total time to remove the old and install the new was about 11 hours.
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