Vinyl Top Delete 87 Cutlass

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87Cuts

Apprentice
Nov 5, 2019
56
91
18
Los Angeles
Drkuhar just did it and has everything in his thread


Going to check this out!!!!
 
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Drkuhar

G-Body Guru
Sep 27, 2018
507
896
93
Girard, IL
I used a cutoff wheel and nibbed the rivits off the top and sides and filler and lightly ground the spot and smoothed each one with filler. On the body seam I used metal to metal (it like bondo out of aluminum) and on the holes around the back window i ground them with an angle grinder, used a ball punch to ding in the rivet area slightly and used metal to metal on those spots. then go over the metal to metal with lightweight filler to smooth out nice. I order my surround clips , the lower clips, and the screws posted above on ebay
 
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87Cuts

Apprentice
Nov 5, 2019
56
91
18
Los Angeles
I used a cutoff wheel and nibbed the rivits off the top and sides and filler and lightly ground the spot and smoothed each one with filler. On the body seam I used metal to metal (it like bondo out of aluminum) and on the holes around the back window i ground them with an angle grinder, used a ball punch to ding in the rivet area slightly and used metal to metal on those spots. then go over the metal to metal with lightweight filler to smooth out nice. I order my surround clips , the lower clips, and the screws posted above on ebay

Good looking out. Going to ground down all the rivets and clear up the rust from that horrible top this weekend. I’ll post the pics in my build. I plan on keeping the same apron and getting the screws and stuff from eBay. Super helpful thank you again
 

Drkuhar

G-Body Guru
Sep 27, 2018
507
896
93
Girard, IL
Good looking out. Going to ground down all the rivets and clear up the rust from that horrible top this weekend. I’ll post the pics in my build. I plan on keeping the same apron and getting the screws and stuff from eBay. Super helpful thank you again
when you repair over the body seam and those holes, dont use regular filler. use a product that has some strength to it first then smooth with a coat of lightweight. I went with metal to metal because it is not going to crack out if any flex happens.
 
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TURNA

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
Jul 24, 2009
10,941
19,990
113
Socialist NY
I used a cutoff wheel and nibbed the rivits off the top and sides and filler and lightly ground the spot and smoothed each one with filler. On the body seam I used metal to metal (it like bondo out of aluminum) and on the holes around the back window i ground them with an angle grinder, used a ball punch to ding in the rivet area slightly and used metal to metal on those spots. then go over the metal to metal with lightweight filler to smooth out nice. I order my surround clips , the lower clips, and the screws posted above on ebay


When you coming to do mine??!!??!
 
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87Cuts

Apprentice
Nov 5, 2019
56
91
18
Los Angeles
when you repair over the body seam and those holes, dont use regular filler. use a product that has some strength to it first then smooth with a coat of lightweight. I went with metal to metal because it is not going to crack out if any flex happens.

Good looking out. I’m going to MIG weld the holes myself and use Everglass over the body seams and welds. Definitely agree, lightweight filler has no place on anything stress related. Have you tried Kitty Hair? Also great stuff. Used it to recreate body lines and over weld seams on this MC....
Holds up to lots of abuse:

 
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Injectedcutty

G body LS mafia
Nov 24, 2014
6,057
22,807
113
Louisville, KY
Alright, here is the quick and dirty. To switch to a hardtop you'll need hardtop quarter windows. I learned the hard way when I shattered one of the vinyl top windows on mine during teardown. You'll also need the rear window trim which is 5 pieces, along with the screw studs 565 linked already. Then the trunk filler panel rivets need to be ground down, and you'll need 8 of the clips in the pic below.
I had to do a whole roof skin swap due to rust on the rear roof area. My car was originally a hardtop so it already had the trim under the vinyl. We cut the old roof at the lead joint, melted it out, then grafted the skin from a donor 87 onto the structure. Here are a few pics I just snapped. Let me know if you need more.
20191106_192655.jpg
20191106_192833.jpg
20191106_192815.jpg
20191106_192734.jpg
20191106_161444.jpg
 
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565bbchevy

Geezer
Aug 8, 2011
9,590
12,612
113
Michigan
I had to do a whole roof skin swap due to rust on the rear roof area. My car was originally a hardtop so it already had the trim under the vinyl.
I must have got lucky because there was not a spec of rust under mine and even the paint was nice, if I didn't have to fill the holes they drilled for the molding I would have left it.
 
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Injectedcutty

G body LS mafia
Nov 24, 2014
6,057
22,807
113
Louisville, KY
I must have got lucky because there was not a spec of rust under mine and even the paint was nice, if I didn't have to fill the holes they drilled for the molding I would have left it.
You're definitely lucky! Mine wasn't horrible, but there was enough rust pinholes and surface rust that was starting to pit that the bodyguy begged me to find a whole roof.
 
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87Cuts

Apprentice
Nov 5, 2019
56
91
18
Los Angeles
Alright, here is the quick and dirty. To switch to a hardtop you'll need hardtop quarter windows. I learned the hard way when I shattered one of the vinyl top windows on mine during teardown. You'll also need the rear window trim which is 5 pieces, along with the screw studs 565 linked already. Then the trunk filler panel rivets need to be ground down, and you'll need 8 of the clips in the pic below.
I had to do a whole roof skin swap due to rust on the rear roof area. My car was originally a hardtop so it already had the trim under the vinyl. We cut the old roof at the lead joint, melted it out, then grafted the skin from a donor 87 onto the structure. Here are a few pics I just snapped. Let me know if you need more. View attachment 127825 View attachment 127826 View attachment 127827 View attachment 127828 View attachment 127829

Solid! Ima try to save my roof with some patchwork, it’s already oil canning beyond noticeable as well .

Thanks for the write up and the clip pictures!
 
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