Has anyone welded up an astroroof car?

[bigmac_ns]

I just pulled my astroroof out as I was changing the seal and the glass jammed mid job + I found some rust (not cancer, but the brown start from sitting moisture).

With all due respect to those that love their astroroof cars, my gut says "I hate sunroofs in my personal car, why not just weld it up?" Has anyone here attempted to do it without doing the whole roof? How did you make up the delete plate to have strength?

My idea was to clean up the area around the hole and have a chamfered piece made to fit. Have a second piece made to sit inside that one with rolled creases (whatever they're called) and laminate/weld the two together, then install in the car. Take my time and tack it in? Have a bodyman do it and risk him touching my car and not doing it right?

Am I on crack? Would I need a 5 gallon bucket of bondo? Is there life after astroroofs? I just hate the thought of future rust and I live in rustville, Eastern Canada.

 

[Grumpy]

ya I think your on crack welding a "patch" is goin to be tough!!! very hard not to warp the metal... need the roof perfect or it will look like crap when your done :redface:

 

[LBNJWE4]

I'm in the same boat, I have a Skytop moonroof that keeps jamming, and now the sunshade is broke. I had the jamming fixed twice at $100 a pop, and it is jammed again. I am debating on trying to get an original astroroof, or having a new roof welded on. I will not even attempt to patch it. If it doesn't warp you will probably at least see the shape of the glass in the future.

 

[chopped39]

I almost had mine welded up. I talked to two body shops and they said they would not do it. A good friend owned one of those shops. He did sell me a 87 cutlass that was hit in the front for $200.00. car had no ac but it did have a posi and an astroroof. I would repair rust and leave it alone.

 

[bigmac_ns]

all good answers thus far...but no-one has tried it?

Great replies thus far...but no-one has tried it?

What if I found a GN with a hardtop sitting in a driveway rusting away for 10-15 years, yet the roof is good? What would be the answer then? Where would you cut the roof at?

I doubt the guy will part with the car, he must have it for a reason to keep it in his small driveway for this long.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Buy the GN, clean it up, and flip it. Take that $$ and have a roof clip put on your car.

 

[Blazer406]

I had a friend with a Mustang... a '67 that had a guy at a body shop agree to "weld" his up.... in the end the body shop guy said... never again.... should have put the whole roof clip on.

I have another friend that bought a silver T with astro roof.... he had the hole roof cuto off and replaced with a junkyard regal hardtop roof clip.... it turned out fantastic.

HTH

 

[SGRIM]

You would cut it off at the top of the A pillars in the front and above the glasses in the back...

Far as welding up the whole, I got a car with the same problem. The roof has a coat of rust on the inside, probably just put a new roof on it and be done....

 

[typhoon]

You will be time and $$ ahead to just replace the complete roof. I am sure someone has a car they are parting, regal, etc.

Putting a patch in the middle of a big panel like a roof is asking for trouble, lots of bondo followed by cracking later.

 

[turbofish38]

The correct way is to weld in a complete skin. I bet you could find a taker for your old skin and astroroof assuming it is a factory CF5 roof and has no rust issues. I had a vinyl top car I wanted to fix and I figured that was a $1500 job minus the final paint.

 

[bigmac_ns]

Sounds good... looks like I should be looking at a full roof if I decide to change it. Thanks for the insight.

 

[turbo39151]

why not avoid the assle and simply sell the car and get a hardtop? Seems like an easier way to go...