Has anyone cut off a 64 comet roof and put a new one if I need some help Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I would think it's done the same way all tops are chopped or body shops replace tops with damage. If the car is blown apart you can sand blast and find exactly where the top was put together at the factory,,it's probably leaded over the welds and you will need to grind or drill or use a zip wheel. HRP
Is it just the skin or are the posts and inner structure involved ? You don't give much info on the damage or why a top replace is needed . A picture would be helpful because it saves much typing !
I just put some pic on why I need to replace my roof I don't think I can just put metal in I would. Like to do that if some can give me some ideals on just putting metal in thank Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
With it rusted completely through around the edge you will have a lot of rusted metal to cut back to get to good metal. The body stiffens the car so that having good metal in the roof is important to keep the car from folding up around you.
Best practice is to get a good rust free used roof section that is cut low in the A, B, and rear pillars. Section the entire roof assembly on your car. This is a large job but can be done.
Hate to ask, but how is the Rest of the car?? With that many holes in the roof, water Had to be getting into the interior. Perhaps, when looking for a roof, you consider getting the whole car and transferring your good parts to the donor. OTOH, I had a '64 Falcon wagon that had been hit on the roof during transport. A friend got a donor roof from GA., and welded the two together about halfway up the pillars. LOTS of measuring, lots of TIG weldment. And you could NOT tell. He was/is Goooood!! Cosmo
Easy for me, done it many times to various cars over the years. Measure twice, cut once. Check and double check straight and diagonal measurements, trial fit glass and doors before finish welding. Cut windows in 'A' and 'B' pillars to fully weld internal structure and then weld window back in. Stagger the inner and outer welds to add strength rather than directly through a cross section.
The rest of the car is good frame rail. Torq box r good floors need replacing but other than that it a good car Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Brace it just like you would for a chop. For cutting the roof off I'd just cut as low as you can...or drive it over 60 and it looks like it'd just come off on its own
How long is a piece of string? Are you asking how long it will take you to do it, or are you asking how long it would take someone has done this type of thing before?
Yes...stagger the cuts on the pillars so you need to drill out some spot welds to get the roof off. when you start to reinstall the donor roof you can use the overlapping pinch weld areas to clamp the joints and allow some wiggle room in realignment. Makes for a stronger joint as well. Also...remove everything from the car. Glass or fabric. ANYTHING that weld or grinding sparks can damage. No shortcuts!!! Beautiful car...hope you can get it fixed up without too much trouble.
If it was me I would try to get the skin off and see how much damage is in the structural parts before cutting the whole roof off.
I'm asking for both how long for me and a body shop I'm pretty handy but not a great welder thanks everyone for the help I so need it Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Not a job for the inexperienced. Your car is unibody construction. That makes all the joints and welding even more critical. It's hard to say how bad structure is but assuming the entire roof is replaced thats a good day and a half to two days in metal work for someone that knows what they are doing, and does it correctly. Plus all the R&I.
The biggest part of that job is re and reing the glass and interior. Simple measuring and cutting and welding and be sure to brace the door openings and side to side.
Hey thanks everyone for all the help I will post some pic from start to finish. I pray all goes well then I will tackle my floors so I have a lot of work in front of me but will be worth it this is my first hot rod rebuild and the cool thing about this car is. That you don't see many on the road. comet 202 thanks again Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Your statement "this is my first hot rod" tells me that you should not even start on this job. My guess is that you will cut the top off, attempt to install the new section, not get the alignment quite right, glass won't fit, get discouraged, let it sit for a couple of years, sell at a loss, and always think how simple the guys on the HAMB made is seem.
When I was a kid growing up in the early 60's, my neighbor operated an after hours body shop out of his 2 car garage (and mostly his driveway). He frequently replaced roofs on rolled over cars with nothing more than a porta power to get the structure square, a tape measure, a hacksaw with a fresh blade, a gas torch set, and a supply of coat hangers (filler rod). What I remember the most is that he would measure, mark his cut, and measure again. These weren't unibody cars for the most part, although I do remember one almost new 65 Mustang fastback. I'd say go for it, but not before you honed up on your welding skills.
I'll give you the best advice you will most likely ignore. Find another body. What you have will make a nice parts car.
How good do you weld and how fast do you work. I know guys who can do the actual roof change in a few hours if the glass and interior is already out. i would highly suggest doing the roof change last after you have repaired the floor and the rest of the lower part of the car. Then you can get your door gaps perfect and then brace the body the same way guys do when they chop one as basically this is a chop top with no height removed when you get done. Clean it up so you can study how it went together as you may be able to cut at least some of the spot welds out and fit it back pretty close to the way the factory put it together. Or at least do as was suggested and cut the innner and outer panels in the posts at offset spots so you have overlapping sections.
If you insist on fixing the car, get a body shop to do the roof replacement. You can save some money if you carefully remove the glass, chrome, headliner and trim. Then put it back together after the new roof is on. Also, if you locate another roof, cut it off and deliver it to the shop. It is impossible to quote the job without seeing it. Can you take the car to some local shops for an estimate? Or at least show them pictures if you can't drive the car?
I will remove the glass out the int is already out and I have a roof already and will call some body shop thanks Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Really? There is a pretty much rust-free'64 Comet 2-door body you can buy out here in NV right now for under $800., with a title. I like Comets and would never think it'd be worth it. Unless you want to learn on it...but then anyone buying it later would see it wasn't done as well/safely as if a pro had done it. Is it a good $ to fix *that* car?
Did you ever fix your roof? I have a Comet in similar shape, bought a roof from a guy near Philadelphia. Then 2 weeks later I picked up another '64 that someone started and lost interest. No roof damage so I moved over to that project. I now have a good roof, cut off. If interested let me know. I'm in PA, between Philly & Harrisburg.
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