Cabby roof disconnect for respray?

Hello all, I'm in the process of planning a respray on my Cabby. I will need to lift the back of the roof. Is it possible without total roof removal?  I've had a search around but can only find cut and remove ect.  Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Spik

The easiest way to prep the top (hood,roof) for respray is to leave it semi-attached.

Open the top half way and Secure it with a broom stick and a pair of vice-grips.
Remove the Plastic top corners and place in a baggie along with the 2 screws.


Remove both "C" pillar pig tail seals. (give you more room and a better view.




look for the cable nut between the outerskin and the headliner.






It is partially hidden by the strut pivot arm, which can be removed by taking out the 10mm bolt that holds it to the frame.

Hold the bolt end with a pair of pliers or long forceps.


Use a articulating 10mm speed or ratcheting wrench to loosen the nut, one the nut is easy to spin, then remove it and carefully remove the cable from the cable tray.

Now do the other side.

With the cable totally loose, you can carefully work it out of the cable tray buy gently tugging on the rear seam…. Remember the thing has been there for years, and the channel is probably got dirt and crud in it.

Now you can fold the top down, and tape it off or mask it off… The Cable tray is totally exposed.

Now if you want to totally remove it et:all then on cabby-info there is a how do I remove the top and frame instructions.

When going back, I would strongly urge suggest, DO IT EVEN, getting a new cable.
 

Lower roof halfway, wind rear windows down, undo the C Pillar cap seal lift out. This exposes the rear tension cable studs. Undo the nuts with a flexi 10mm ratchet spanner. Work the cable out of the hood pocket hole and Pull hood material from the rear cable channel.
This should allow the hood material to be tucked inside the car papered and masked off, and plastic sheet placed over the hood.

If you need to repair areas and want to remove hood and frame completely etc.
Undo heated window wires and the hinges that hold the rear window frame in place.
open boot and prise the spikes down that hold the headliner in place under the parcel shelf supports.
Once the first paragraph at the top is done. You can access the bolts that hold the webbing straps into the corners of the car body, they're will also be 2 screws and cup washers that hold the headliner  there.
Depending on set up manual or hydraulic power disconnect rams from frame.
Then there's the 8 bolts that hold the main hinge in place. IIRC 6 are 17 mm then 2 opposing are 13mm?
Lift the roof assembly off in to up position and replace in the open up position, much easier.
 

Hello again,  thank you very much Briano1234 and Chortle :-)  Just the job.  Re-spray booked for start of October so I'll pop some pics when she is looking pretty. She is mechanically sorted, just the cosmetics to sort and she will get more admiring glances (and my wife wont have to travel with a paper bag with holes cut in)

Thanks again guys, Spik and Vanessa the VW