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How to deal with this windshield channel rot

17K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  deadbodyman 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I'm looking for some ideas on how to repair the windshield channel rot on my 71 Camaro shown in the images. It's pretty much swiss cheese across the top. I'd rather not replace the roof so I'm leaning towards cutting out the bad and bending up sheet metal to weld in on both sides. Thoughts?
 

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#2 ·
First off make sure you do a good job of killing and neutralizing all the rust through chemical treatment or sand blasting. Start by cutting some metal to replace the worse areas,fit it and weld it in. It is going to be a time consuming operation, but the only other alternative is to find a donor car and replace the whole top.

Vince
 
#3 ·
window channel

We bent up two pieces to repair my 1970 Buick Skylark window channel.Both were an angle shape with a curve rolled in .When they are butted together they curve around and give a place for the glass to sit and the top piece slipped under the skin. Mine is a convertible but it would be the same for a hard top. It is a pain to weld ,real slow but it can be done. This woulbe a real nice part for someone to manufacture because no one does and it is a real common place for rust. :)
 
#4 ·
Without going into too much detail ,you'll need to visit your local sheetmetal fab shop and have them bend you up some angles about 3/4 x 3/4 to replace the rot fitting the straight pieces wont be that hard but the curves will be without the proper tools like a stretcher/shrinker but you can make notches in one side of the angles with a cut off wheel every 1/2" or so and that'll allow you to easily make the bend but its a lot more welding...it looks like the inner steel is pretty rotted too so what I do is before you cut out any of the old stuff,make the outer pieces and hold them in place with drill screws then remove them (the holes left by the screws will relocate the pieces) then start cutting out the rust and replace the inner pieces...Use the trim (chrome)to make sure everything you made fits snug ecpecially the curves before you start welding the outer pieces...
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the tips. I've been staring at it more than working on it. I'm not sure how it will turn out because the rear is just as bad as the front. I'm curious, what do you guys think is easier to do, fix the windshield rot that is there or replace the whole roof with the new panel that just came out that has the a-pillars? My cowl is a little rough so I need to remove it anyway, so after it's removed, how difficult is it to detach the a-pillars from the cowl/firewall area?

The new panel

http://www.rickscamaros.com/camaro-roof-panel-assembly-with-windshield-pillars-1970-1973.html
 
#11 ·
deadbodyman said:
a complete assembly???? might be worth looking into.last year I did an aftermarket roof skin and it wasnt too bad,fitting and welding the drip rails were a bit of a pain though
Yeah it just came out not to long ago. I'm sure a lot of camaro owners will buy into this because it comes with new a-pillars as well. Those always seem to be a bad spot.
 
#14 ·
hoffmandirt said:
Yeah it just came out not to long ago. I'm sure a lot of camaro owners will buy into this because it comes with new a-pillars as well. Those always seem to be a bad spot.
theres only so many parts cars out there these days with good quality sheetmetal on them and they get harder to find every day,so yes ,those roof assemblies should do well...
 
#15 ·
milo said:
It just looks way save-able rather then a whole roof...

A sway in the vote would be if those are those rust bubbles out toward the center?



Even a soak with *Rustmort then a grind and some fiberglass would have a good 15 year shot
I'm with you,I'd save it.but over here it wouldnt last two years,I can shape new metal on the stretcher/shrinker in a couple hrs all the way around plus about 6 hrs of cutting and welding but Ive done a lot of them,it might take 30hrs for someone that can weld a little but never did one..you would definetly have to enjoy doing it and be patient to be successful...Determined and stubburnd are also helpful qualities to have..If not a new after market roof assembly or skin might be best for some guys
You can get a stretcher/shrinker for around 200.00 and it'll be like getting your first welder,it'll open up a whole new world to you.
But first things first,,,you should strip the whole roof to see what kind off shape its in BEFORE you invest ANY time in repairs.it could be perfect or it could be loaded with bondo or even rust holes plugged up with bondo,you just never know.I've seen some very surprizing stuff after stripping off the paint...
 
#16 ·
My shop was across the street from a glass shop. I must have done a hundred of those jobs before I got a shrinker/stretcher. :( Man would it have came in handy. They are THE fab tool above all else.

Brian
 
#17 · (Edited)
after the mig welder ,of coarse :D :D :D
Brian, Do you remember waaay back when you got your first set of torches? the feeling you got.....something like ........SUPERMAN ???????? I was 16 ,My first two tanks were used cutting everything up in sight.
Ahh ,those were the days ... :pimp: ......these days I havent used them in sooooo long I'm not exactly sure where they even are... :(
but the stretcher/shrinker is one of those tools..
 
#18 ·
deadbodyman said:
after the mig welder ,of coarse :D :D :D
Brian, Do you remember waaay back when you got your first set of torches? the feeling you got.....something like ........SUPERMAN ???????? I was 16 ,My first two tanks were used cutting everything up in sight.
Ahh ,those were the days ... :pimp: ......these days I havent used them in sooooo long I'm not exactly sure where they even are... :(
but the stretcher/shrinker is one of those tools..
LOL, oh yes, my torch is a Craftsmen, I haven't fired it up in a while either. But once in a while I will come across it and literally hold it and reminisce, I have had some good times (and bad times) with that cheap old torch.

Yeah the only thing that can compare with the power a boy can have cutting a piece of metal in half is shooting a bullet thru it. :) POWER!

Brian
 
#19 ·
LOL,or blowing it up with homeade gunpowder...I was a bit of a problem child. Even at 5yrs old I wasnt happy with my cap gun I'd hit a whole box of caps (5 rolls) at a time with a big rock. Mom remembers a lot of funny stuff :spank: and loves to tell my adult kids how bad I was when they start complaining about their kids...
 
#20 ·
I'm definitely going to pick up a shrinker/stretcher. It sounds like a tool that's worth having. I tried forming those corners without one and the end result wasn't the best, but I haven't formed much metal in my time either, if any at all :D . The shrinker/stretcher seems like a fairly simple tool, so how do you think the harbor freight shrinker/stretcher will hold up? I have a 20% off coupon.

Good call on stripping the roof first. I want to try and get to that this weekend.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The HF S/S tool it works very, very well. .... http://www.woodwardfab.com/index.htm
has one for 140.00 but its one handle with two jaws ,you'll have to change them.
for someone that cant afford one ,you can start with a piece of sheetmetal and fold it at a 90 degree angle then cut slits at 1/4"-1/2" intervals on one side that'll allow the metal to bend,but all the slits will have to be welded too, its the hard way :sweat: but its get you by without a shrinker.
to streatch start with a 90 degree angle and with a chisle body hammer or the like ,and beat one side of the angle ,that'll streatch the metal ,also a lot of work and time consuming but you can get by.once you've done it these ways will be the only way you can truely appreaciate the tool....
 
#22 ·
deadbodyman said:
The HF S/S tool it works very, very well. .... http://www.woodwardfab.com/index.htm
has one for 140.00 but its one handle with two jaws ,you'll have to change them.
for someone that cant afford one ,you can start with a piece of sheetmetal and fold it at a 90 degree angle then cut slits at 1/4"-1/2" intervals on one side that'll allow the metal to bend,but all the slits will have to be welded too, its the hard way :sweat: but its get you by without a shrinker.
to streatch start with a 90 degree angle and with a chisle body hammer or the like ,and beat one side of the angle ,that'll streatch the metal ,also a lot of work and time consuming but you can get by.once you've done it these ways will be the only way you can truely appreaciate the tool....
I tried making the patch that way last weekend and it would have worked but I wasn't happy with all of the slits. I went and got the SS from harbor freight last night. I was able to use the 20% coupon on the sale price so I got it for $160 and I love it. I was able to make a patch that is pretty close to what I need in an hour messing around with the SS. Great tool. Now, can you guys help me to use the SS better to make the window corners? Here is what I did messing around.

I took a straight piece of sheet metal 1.5 inches wide and bent it down the middle into a 90 degree angle using my vice (3/4 x 3/4). Then I shrunk the bottom side to get the bend I need. After that I stretched the top side to make the whole thing bend down a little.

After I shrunk it, the piece didn't really want to fit in the SS, so should I have stretched it first? I managed to get it to work but I had to do a little finessing with the hammer after I stretched it.

Should I cut the metal to match the window curve, then bend it in a 90 and then shrink/stretch? It seems like it would be harder to bend the 90 this way.

Anything else?
 
#23 ·
just shrink the one side ,clamp it down or use drill screws (i like drill screws) ,set the trim piece in to see how it fits the radius,a couple of light taps with a body hammer should be all it takes.Also,you'll notice 2-3 layers of steel in the (pinch weld) when you use screws and start from the outside layer making each piece and screwing it in,you can use the screw holes to properly align everything as you remove and replace the pieces workng your way in,they're pretty cool and have a lot of advantages over Clecos (reusable aircraft rivets) mainly,there ez to get and cheap, also faster because they drill their own holes. Clamps always seem to be in the way like when fitting the trim pieces for a nice (no bondo) fit.
Oh ,when you need a compound curve that wont fit in your S/S you can heat the steel up cherry red and bend the piece by hand very easily to get that second curve or if you dont have torches you can bend it cold with the chisel end of a chisel hammer against something round like the horn of an anvil ,that'll also strech /bend it in the other direction.
send some pics of your progress....sounds like your havin fun... :thumbup:
 
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