Loads of thanks guys for all the feedback!!

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

The roof on my SS was cut off in the middle of the pillars and a new one welded on.

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66 Deluxe, 07 Cooper

Where are you located?
If you are in SA then I can show you how to do the job. A few little tricks like making up jigs to get the front/rear windows exact size and shape. Where to cut the "B" pillar to miss all the reinforcing for the seat belt mounts . I also fit a insert into the pillars when re-joining.
I have chopped down a few cars and a straight out roof re-placement is very easy.

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Research is the difference between speculation and investment. Anyone who copys some one else will always be second
www.minisprintgt.com

i have a dent/fold/rust free roof off a 77 or 74 clubman sitting at my place if you needed one.

Yes we r in SA, not far from you. My other half is probably going to ring you in regards to his car sometime soon. I would very much appreciate an expert's help/guidence with this..

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

Thanks, I will keep this in mind. Really don't want to chop up the 73, as it was my 1st car and is in really good condition - would rather see it back on the road one day too

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

[quote="david rosenthal"]Where are you located?
If you are in SA then I can show you how to do the job. A few little tricks like making up jigs to get the front/rear windows exact size and shape. Where to cut the "B" pillar to miss all the reinforcing for the seat belt mounts . I also fit a insert into the pillars when re-joining.
I have chopped down a few cars and a straight out roof re-placement is very easy.[/quote]

David, just asking, but how much of the car do you remove when you do this job? I've only done it on the earlier spot welded cars. If you cut it just below the drip rail on the later cars, I thought you should be able to leave the pillars and windows in shape? As long as you don't take it for a drive down the freeway 80mph with the roof missing you shouldn't really need any jigs? There is a small bit of flex when the car is sitting stationary on the deck (if you push the sides or give it reason to flex) but not enough to cause any damage (unless you do something deliberate), when you put the new roof on it should bring it back square... Is there more rust in the car than what we know about or something?

The other way of going about it is to cut the roof right in the gutter and then grind of the remainder of where the old panel met the gutter, that way you don't need to cut below the drip rail at all, so you still have that rolled edge the whole way round giving it support. Plus if memory serves, inside the car where the hood lining bows fit is a pretty strong section to (stronger than the rolled edge for the drip rail) that goes the whole way round car. That with the drip rail should provide enough strength to romove the roof and replace it with out rigging provided you don't start moving the car around, its roof off roof on.

As I said I have not changed a later roof, so what I'm saying is only how I would go about it, not what i've done... Is there something about the later cars I don't know about? Obviously there is a reason you go to that much effort, sorry I just picking your brain a bit to find your way of thinking

All the ones I've seen done got chopped about 100mm or so below the drip rail.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

If your worried about flex - just weld in a couple of braces (interconnected) between the A, B and C pillars before you chop the old roof off.

Yikes!! 100mm below the drip rail?! On a Pulsar, or a Corolla, or a Lazer you'd do it that way because they don't have a drip rail and that is pretty much where the factory weld would be plus its easier to weld the new roof on and do a pretty job of it that way...

Mini's and some other older cars rooves that plonk on like lids, the easy and lateral way of doing it is to just remove the problem panel, which is easy on mini's compared to a lot of other cars. I think whats happened there is just a case of someone just using the same method on everything they see with out sussing the job out properly to find the easiest way. Cos that is a nightmare of a way to do it on a mini.

If I had to do it on a later model mini, I'd cut the old roof of in the gutter, gind the remains of the panel off, and then put the new one in and weld it down. The body won't twist or flex unless you start moving it around (I just had a good look at one of my stripped out mini's and there is plent of support there to hold it ridged while working).

I wouldn't do it any other way with out good reason. Doing it like I've writen up there should save you 2 hours of stuffing around... Unless you NEED to cut it that low. I haven't seen the car so I don't know if the pillars are rusted out too.

But look, thats just my 2 cents.

[img][img]http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx176/1976miniss/DSC03682.jpg[/img]

This is what we are faced with..... [/img]

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

holly sh1t

I'm trying to vissualise how that happened? How much do you like the car

That is a pretty serious job you've got there. I'd be patchin' it in rather than replacing it but what am I saying, that is pretty extreme DIYer... I understand what David was on about earlier. If he has done chop tops and roof replaccements before I'd go seek his assistance if I were you (Providing his offer still stood). That is not a good job for first timer. Does the whole car look like that?

Id patch the rust in the LH side first, then patch or replace the C pillar, and then tackle the roof. Thats pretry full on.

You know I have one of these (you asked me about photo's I haven't forgotten), If you love this model that much that you are will to press on, I'd be half inclined to sell you mine, it doesn't get driven enough. It just gets collects dust most of the year.

But as far as yours goes, if in doubt don't. I'd start hounding David to give you a hand. I thought he was mad at first but it seems like he had prior knowledge of the condition of the car.

Good luck

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic ... highlight=
That photo is the worst bit, the rest if fairly horrible as can be seen by above topic. I will speak with David and get his opinon before we comence any resto. Answer to your question, I love the SS lots, however if it is not possible I may look for another option.

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!!

1976 Mini SS
1971 Mini Ute (Custom) - really hubby's but I will claim half
1976 Mini SS Shell
Oh and an 850 shell waiting for our dear son to start his resto!

I like Phat Kat's way of doing it if there was only rust in the roof and/or minimal other damage.

Having a look at your thread I'd be cutting it off through the pillars though, the rust under the drip rail is as worse as the rest of it and I wouldn't want to know what else is lurking under the panels too.

How is the car lower down in the floor pan - is the rust as severe? It looks like the shell was stored upside down!!

Have a look at Micks thread - his started off pretty bad too.

Shame you're on the otherside to Adelaide to me, I'd like to see how it all goes (we're up near Strathalbyn)

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Mine had rust under the vinyl roof when it wasn't much more than ten years old and going by the others I looked at around the same time it was a standard feature. It also had rust in the inner sills which was the first time I had seen that on an Australian built Mini. The other bits were fine. To be honest, that sort of rust on an SS doesn't surprise me at all. And I would still like to get another one!

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66 Deluxe, 07 Cooper