At 09:48 PM 9/11/2007 +0000, you wrote:
>Ive finally gotten a chance to work on my Bricklin a bit and have been
>fitting the new roof panel and the A-pillar panels (all fiberglass) and in
>doing so have come up with a few questions. Ill be posting this both via
>email and in the BI forum, so please respond to either place.
>
>John Blair, since you recently went through all this, Id especially welcome
>your input.
Alan,
Do to the length of my reply, I'm having to break it into 3 parts.
I'm still going through it. :) For getting started, I had Terry put the
new roof on the car back in 95. So I'm not sure about it and it's associated
problem. But from talking with him and John about it, the biggest problem
is getting the top mounted in the center of the car and square.
I purchased new A pillars when I had the roof put on, but Terry did not
install them. I have an article in the Oct issue that describes mounting
the A pillars and the front clip.
Based on my experience, and talking with Terry and John, with the roof has to
be placed first. Then the doors and door skins. Once the doors are about
right, the front clip needs to be installed. Finally the A pillars can be
positioned. This allows you the most flexability got getting nice clean even
door gap.
>1. Due to either the shape of the replacement roof panel or the bird cage,
>the edge (flange) of the roof panel does not have a flush fit with the bird
>cage all the way around the door openings. There are a couple of gaps that
>are maybe 1/16" and one that approaches 1/8". Ive tried drawing it down
>with clamps, but I'm afraid to put too much pressure on it and crack it. Am
>I better off using an adhesive like Sikaflex Marine Caulk (which as Rick R
>has mentioned works and is paintable) to attach the panels and fill in the
>cracks or should I use some other panel adhesive and go back and fill in the
>gaps with something else??
Not to sure what to say here. I know Terry is now using Norton Speed Grip 15
for an adheasive. I used Sikaflex for my rear quarter panels, etc, but got
some Speed Grip for the door skins and A pillars.
As for the gap, I think I'll defer to Rick (HTC) - if he chimes in or the
Bricklin-boyz.
If he doesn't, I'd say glue the roof on to the best of your ability. Then
fill the gap with Dynaglass. Keep in mine you may (and probably will) have
to trim the roof panel at some point.
When you clamp the roof (or A pillars, or door skins) you don't want to clamp
real tight. If you really clamp down on the clamps, you'll press out all the
glue.
I realize this isn't as much help as you were hoping for.
Hopefully, you will get some more help and write an article for the magazine
about replacing the roof panel. Be sure to take losts of pictures.
end part 1
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va
Phone: (757) 495-8229
48 TR1800 48 #4 Midget 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V (B1106)
75 Bricklin SV1 (#0887) 77 Spitfire 71 Saab Sonett III
65 Rambler Classic
Morgan: www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin: www.bricklin.org
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