I have a shell that I'm about to cut up for parts to save other cars.  I will not need the roof and will be putting it up for sale.  Where should I make the cuts for this piece?

Pics?

I have yet to pull the roof off of my car so i cant give you an exact place... but I would try to leave other panels intact so they can also get used...

 

https://industrygarage.com/products/datsun-s30-carbon-fiber-roof?variant=42236566569176

 

I'm assuming that someone would be looking for a similar shape as what these guys sell, maybe just give the buyer the A-Pillar as well, its always nice to have more then cut back into what you need.

On 10/14/2024 at 3:42 PM, texasz said:

I have a shell that I'm about to cut up for parts to save other cars.  I will not need the roof and will be putting it up for sale.  Where should I make the cuts for this piece?

Get a propane torch and go back about 3-5 inches on the rear pillars above the quarter windows. Melt the body lead out and you'll see the welded junction between the roof skin and the quarter skin. Cut through the rear pillars there at the junction. Just go down a bit on the A pillars and cut through there. Turn it over and drill out the MANY spot welds and you can pull the entire roof skin intact off the roof skeleton.

OR - give it to someone else that way and leave them to remove the skin from the skeleton... It's safer to handle with the skeleton still attached.

Edited October 15, 2024Oct 15 by cgsheen1

On 10/14/2024 at 8:12 PM, heyitsrama said:

... but I would try to leave other panels intact so they can also get used...

Yes, my primary goal is to salvage what I need.  I figure I can sell the roof to someone who needs it so I wanted to attempt to not screw that up in the process of pulling what I need.

 

On 10/15/2024 at 6:42 PM, cgsheen1 said:

Get a propane torch and go back about 3-5 inches on the rear pillars above the quarter windows. Melt the body lead out and you'll see the welded junction between the roof skin and the quarter skin. Cut through the rear pillars there at the junction. Just go down a bit on the A pillars and cut through there. Turn it over and drill out the MANY spot welds and you can pull the entire roof skin intact off the roof skeleton.

OR - give it to someone else that way and leave them to remove the skin from the skeleton... It's safer to handle with the skeleton still attached.

I'll have a look at this next time I get out there to work on it.

On 10/15/2024 at 12:42 AM, texasz said:

Where should I make the cuts for this piece?

Halfway the a and c pillars.. (i would) then the buyer can easely make the connections..)

We saw quite a few Z's here in Arizona (and coming from California) that previous owners had "sun roofs" installed during that era when they were a thing. After 20 or 30 years the "sun roof" leaked - and no replacement parts. So we did a few roof skin transplants from donor Z's.

If you remove the roof with the underneath skeleton intact you can drill the spotwelds on the donor from the bottom (drill the underneath skeleton to separate the skin - thus leaving the donor skin mostly unharmed. Drill the damaged skin (or skin to be replaced) from the top thus leaving the roof skeleton intact on the project car. 

Cutting at the junction between roof skin and quarter skin is fairly simple once you remove the body lead (melt the body lead out) that covers this junction. And it's a great place for your weld when installing the donor skin since it's going to be covered with fill. With the A pillar, the replacement skin will only require a small weld that's easily ground down and smoothed in - if you remove just the damaged skin (or skin to be replaced) and leave the skeleton and pillars intact on the project car.

My advice is to remove the roof so it can be used as a donor in this manner. Plus it leaves the quarter panels intact.

There was a request for pictures.  In the first 3 pix I think that the lead fill is in line with that seam on the inside of the hatch area.  Is that correct?  I could not tell even after sanding off the layers of paint/primer.

 

Also, in the last pic you can see rust along the top edge where the windshield seal was.  Is that a deal breaker for people who would want to use the roof skin?

 

Edited October 22, 2024Oct 22 by texasz

This is where the roof overlaps the quarter panel. If I remember right, the roof skin has a flange at the back, so you'll likely want to cut a little below that joint. I've been trying to find pictures on google to refresh my memory on how it goes together, but not finding much.

Edited October 23, 2024Oct 23 by rturbo 930

Here is an image from the JDM parts book that might shed a little light on this. That joint is quite coplicated.

Also, here is an image from an old Mitchell collision estimating guide from 1975. I uploaded the the 240Z/260Z section to our downloads area back in 2016.

 

 

Also see posts 86 to 116 on this thread

 

Edited October 22, 2024Oct 22 by CanTechZ

Every roof skin that I've melted the lead out of has had a weld - not spot weld - under the lead. The roof skin has been bead welded to the quarter skin (and probably whatever else is there also). But, cut it at the weld and it gets re-welded when it's replaced. 

That's too bad about the rust damage at the windshield. It looks like a nice skin otherwise.

Oh, and yes - the body lead is at that junction that shows on the hatch. With a little heat it will become evident. There's also lead on the A pillar in various places.