Tin top roof skin replacement

 Hi there, ive done a search on replaceing the roof skin on a tin top but ive not found a very detailed thread on it as yet.  I noticed people have done it a few different ways but i want to remove the skin from the gutter rails rather than cut the pillars etc so im looking for any advice from people who have done it that way before.
  My first question is how have people unfolded the gutter from the roof skin? That looks like a tricky job to me.  If anyone has any pictures of the job being done and a good explanation of the steps they took to do it that would be great .

Ive also read that there is a VW manual available containing a procedure for doing this.  Can anyone help at all?.  Ive put a post on the club gti site, read through previous posts, re-checked through previous posts on here etc but im still not finding much information on actually unfolding the gutter which is how id like to do it rather than cutting along the gutter edge.

I looked into this with an experienced panel beater and we came to the conclusion that it would be virtually impossible to unroll the guttering. From memory I think there are three layers of steel rolled up in it.
We are open to being proved wrong though!

We reckon the best thing is to come up about 20mm from the gutter bottom on the roof side and cut along there and then joggle the new roof to fit inside the original skin. Followed by a series of drilled plug welds or spot welds on the over lap and then lead loaded along the entire length to seal the join. -All proceses keeping heat localised to stop the roof top becoming distorted.

I've never got round to it to say the theory worked and we discussed it about 3 years ago!  I still want to have a go though and have a shell and new skin waiting.

  I see well im no professional panel beater thats for sure but most of my problems lie within the gutter itself as rust is coming from the seams so its going to have to be unfolded somehow.  I guess ill have to speak to the bodyshop that will be doing it and see what they say.  Im still hopeing to find this elusive VW workshop manual that has the job explained

Ah ok I didn't realise it was the gutter that was the problem. Most skin changes are to remove unwanted / rotten sunroofs.

Think you need to find that elusive manual!

Yomp said

I looked into this with an experienced panel beater and we came to the conclusion that it would be virtually impossible to unroll the guttering. From memory I think there are three layers of steel rolled up in it.
We are open to being proved wrong though!

We reckon the best thing is to come up about 20mm from the gutter bottom on the roof side and cut along there and then joggle the new roof to fit inside the original skin. Followed by a series of drilled plug welds or spot welds on the over lap and then lead loaded along the entire length to seal the join. -All proceses keeping heat localised to stop the roof top becoming distorted.

I've never got round to it to say the theory worked and we discussed it about 3 years ago!  I still want to have a go though and have a shell and new skin waiting.

12 years ago my mates painted my car and swapped the roof skin by drilling out the spot welds along the gutter i think they said there were 75 each side, and unfold the roof. I am now faced with the same problem of rust around the sunroof and have just acquired a non sunroof roof skin ( thanks caddyrage) but my new paint shop guy said to cut out and Joggle the roof as you suggest Yomp. I was a little sceptical at this but have faith in his work, hopefully it will last more than 12 years as I don't want to do this job again.

If anyone has had problems with this method please shout, before its too late

When I removed a roof skin from a frame before and as the frame was scrap anyway I just ground along the lip of the gutter to break the fold of the gutter lip if you see what I mean.

I only found about 3 spot welds holding the skin to the frame at the gutter edge which were merely tacks to hold the skin to the frame while the gutter was rolled into shape. The skin is held on by the rolling of the frame around the skin and then its doubled back.
The spot weld you mention are probably the ones along the edge of the windscreen.

Hi Folks

I am looking to do this too…. Can any one please put some diagrams and pictures to explain eact way a bit better

Many thanks folks

I cut a panel from a roof an jus welded it in the sunroof hole, worked for me you have just got to be careful not to warp the roof and get the panel exact. Cost me a fiver too so cant be bad!!

This probably the bettet option however I have bern told otherwise

HrcClassic said

I cut a panel from a roof an jus welded it in the sunroof hole, worked for me you have just got to be careful not to warp the roof and get the panel exact. Cost me a fiver too so cant be bad!!

Tempted to go this route on my roof swap as I have an after market sunroof so no channels etc. and I have a roof which looks slightly solid fervent in the back to my series1 roof… So if uncut the sunroof shape out, do a few tacks every day to keep heat out it should work? 

I was worried about not getting the shape right by using normal plate, but with a roof it's shaped anyway! 

Saves cutting a good roof off? 

 Unfortunately im still hunting for a roof skin with factory fitted sunroof as I want to keep it. If anyone comes across one id be most grateful if they could let me know.  
  The body shop will be doing the job as described above, cutting just inside of the gutter and joggling the new roof panel then spot welding. It will be seam welded in very short bursts after that.
  I happened to mention the carbon roof skin and I was told there is the potential for paint and filler cracking around the joints if the car flexs too much, not really a risk id want to take no matter how small.
  Brand new none sunroof skins are available from south africa but no sunroof roof skins unfortunately.  The search continues.

Ive finally been sent some pictures of a roof which is available and i was going to put them up here but for some reason i cant highlight the link on photobucket.  Would anyone be so kind as to host them for me if i email them please?  It doesnt look good to me, rust around the sunroof drainage tube and inside the sunroof apeture but the seller is adamant its only surface rust.  As you will see if i can get the pictures up the rust is inside the car around the drainage tube which would suggest its eaten itself from inside out so not surface rust at all.

On a other note, I took the sunroof out yesterday. Very warpable that skin lol. 

May now cut a bigger plate out and joddle it so I can bond it to the actual roof skin rather than weld it at all. Interested in a few opinions on that, yomp? 

Also hrclassic, you got a finished pic? 

daniboy123 said

Ive finally been sent some pictures of a roof which is available and i was going to put them up here but for some reason i cant highlight the link on photobucket.  Would anyone be so kind as to host them for me if i email them please?

Sure just email me the details alexblundell[at]tiscali.co.uk

Hi, I have just taken on this task on my project after being told by loads of body shops they wouldn't touch the roof skin, and after 2 years of deliberating how I would do it myself….well lets just say, it was much easier than I anticipated.

In total to unpick the fold on the gutter and remove the spot welds from around the windscreen and boot hatch it took about 2 hours. the only tools I used was a flat head screw driver, a hammer and a drill equiped with 8mm spot weld drill.

Granted I have had my car dipped so I can at least see how it all fits together.

Anyway, I am going to post a full write up with pics in my build thread, which I promise to get up tomo, and keep updating over the coming weeks, months, years….

jonwilliams84 said

Anyway, I am going to post a full write up with pics in my build thread, which I promise to get up tomo, and keep updating over the coming weeks, months, years….

Awsome, make sure you do lol!!! I will be keeping an eye  open

Ive just pm'd you jon regarding your sunroof skin.  It looks like mine can be repaired but i need a repair piece for the back edge of the sunroof apeture. Do you still have your old skin and was it a factory fitted sunroof it had?.  Would be very much appreciated if you could help me out with a section of it.  If youve done what i think your saying and unfolded the gutter id be very interested to see how you get on as folding it back looked like it would have been a big headache to me.

daniboy123 said

Ive just pm'd you jon regarding your sunroof skin.  It looks like mine can be repaired but i need a repair piece for the back edge of the sunroof apeture. Do you still have your old skin and was it a factory fitted sunroof it had?.  Would be very much appreciated if you could help me out with a section of it.  If youve done what i think your saying and unfolded the gutter id be very interested to see how you get on as folding it back looked like it would have been a big headache to me.

Well, I am still trying to work out what to do now…My mom is one of the directors at a local sheet steel company so I am going to take them my old gutter once removed from the car and see if they can replicate it as mine is fubar anyway.

If they can do it then laughing! I will only have the gutter 'lip' to fold over which should be a piece of cake with the right tool. (which I am yet to find but I am sure is out there!)

Hrc ,How did you cut the panel that you weld in ?It needs to be dead on balls accurate, So how did u mark the new piece ?Also how many spot welds per session ?DId it warp at all? Do you have anymore pics ,close up of the welds would be great .Thanks man.