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| Removing Roof Panel Without Breaking It (Page 1/1) |
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ISphynx
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JUL 02, 10:48 AM
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Does anybody have any tips and trick to remove the roof panel without breaking the a pillars ? It looks like there very strong adhesive holding it in place and im worried that a good jerking motion will just break it. Has anyone ever removed it successfully ?
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Vintage-Nut
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JUL 02, 03:04 PM
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Patrick
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JUL 02, 03:11 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by ISphynx:
im worried that a good jerking motion will just break it.
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And it would. You can't just yank the roof panel off. You need to gently pry it up/off, bit by bit.
| quote | Originally posted by ISphynx:
Has anyone ever removed it successfully ?
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Yes, it can be done if you're careful. Best done on a hot day, especially if the car can be sitting directly in the sun. This helps to encourage the roof pillars to unstick from the car.[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-02-2024).]
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cartercarbaficionado
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JUL 02, 03:16 PM
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make sure you remove all 8 bolts
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Mike in Sydney
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JUL 02, 09:27 PM
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Can you get a thin wire under the panel from side to side? Maybe an old metal D, A, or E string from a guitar. With a friend you may be able to 'saw' through the adhesive. (You may need guitar two wired together. I've done this by putting the tuning peg end of two strings through the ferrules on the other string to increase the length.) Definitely, do this after the car has been sitting in the sun and definitely use gloves or a toggle so the wire doesn't cut your hand to the bone. (BTW, if you put black litter bags on the roof in the sun for a few hours, the adhesive will be more pliable.)
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Frenchrafe
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JUL 03, 03:59 AM
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I did this several years ago when restoring my Fiero.
There's no easy way, but Patrick is right when he says to do it on a hot day.
That tar/glue/mastic is a right pain to separate and/or cut.
I did however crack the panel on one side, but it's an easy repair to reinforce the underside with fibreglass and resine.
I ended up reinforcing both sides just to be sure.
More than 10 years later, it's still good; no mouvement or cracks.😉------------------
"Turbo Slug" - '87 Fiero GT. 3800 turbo. - The fastest Fiero in France! @turboslugfiero
https://youtu.be/hUzOAeyWLfM
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ISphynx
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JUL 03, 11:22 AM
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Thank you to everyone for your replies ! Not sure why I didn't think to heat to soften the glue but it's a great idea. Since my fiero is an jackstand and i cant really get it out of the garage, I think I'm just going to heat it up with a heat gun. I'm removing the roof panel so I can paint it so damaging the paint is not really an issue and from what I understand, fiberglass is not supposed to deform with this amount of heat. So hopefully I should be good.
Removing it with a guitar string is not a bad idea but I dont want to have to replace the glue/sticky foamy thing and cause fitment issues.
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Mike in Sydney
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JUL 03, 07:24 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by ISphynx:
... I think I'm just going to heat it up with a heat gun... |
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Use care with a heat gun. They put out a lot of heat and can deform or even melt the panels.
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Spadesluck
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JUL 05, 03:28 PM
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Just paint it on the car but remove everything else around it. May be the easier option.
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IXSLR8
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JUL 06, 03:13 AM
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i've removed three of the roof skins successfully.
The skins are glued with a black rubber butyl style adhesive. Its very sticky stuff. It keeps the skins from squeaking and creaking as you drive the car.
The way I did it (after removing all the fasteners) was using my wife's hair dryer to heat the adhesive through the body holes in the cabins roof. The adhesive stretches and tears off the metal surfaces from the heat.
IF I remember right, the rear edge comes off first and was pretty easy. Its the pillars that are tricky. Just keep blowing the heat through the roof holes until you can gently pull up on the skin and off the car.
You can't pull or pry off the skin without heat as it will crack the SMC pillars.
Let us know how it goes for you.
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