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Ae82 Gokai - It May As Well Be A Wife.


carbonboy

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I think plan B would have to be the easiest, but you'll have no sunroof - must have sunroof

 

And from what i know of roof conversions and such (plan C), the cuts have to be right on the money and not a somewhere close cut is good enough. And your talking about swapping one roof, above the pillars, from one car to another car. Thats going to be a shut load of measuring, re-measuring and re-re-measuring between both cars.

 

Plan D you could visit the wreckers for another roof, cut that one on the pillars and it'll be one less step that you'll have to worry about.

 

Plus you have a sunroof.....

 

I do want the sunroof...:blush:...I'm getting conflicting stories about motorsport officials getting cranky about cars with sunroofs (only plan on Club level racing, motorkhanas, hillclimps, track days etc, not a class/series) & structural integrity. I figure I'll just have a rollcage installed if that's the case, am also being told that it's not a problem, I just put it on my application form & off I go.

 

I'm only taking the roof 'skin', on these it's a sheet panel that's spot welded along the bailey (spelling? correct terminology?) channels, top of the hatch & windshield areas. The internal frame/bracing/structure stays put, does this make much of a difference? I realise I still have to measure, remeasure & measure again, but hopefully there isn't too much difference, both being AE82 TC. :hmm:

 

No visits to the wrecker required, I have Sudi (the original Twin Cam) sitting in the driveway ready to donate her undamaged roof sheet if required. That car won't be going back on the road ever, the plan was to cut it up once stripped, scrap most of it & keep the firewall-forward section for dummying up engines. :wink:

 

On the flip-side, I could go Plan C & cut a new hole the correct size for the sunroof... :bash:

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Have been doing a bit more thinking about how to go about this & spent some time making up a clamp arrangement. I really should've done something like this (or just paid attention) first time around. :( You learn!

 

post-5437-0-83642500-1333784251_thumb.jpg

 

Propped it up a little to get the shape I'm after (ghetto, I know), going to weld it after I make some dinner. Hopefully, it will somewhat retain this shape after I remnove the clamp. :hmm:

 

post-5437-0-37088800-1333784343_thumb.jpg

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Everything involved in this process... :lol:

 

post-5437-0-14321300-1333856579_thumb.jpg

 

Got the cuts welded up, hadn't forgotten how to do this thank f**k!

 

post-5437-0-08811200-1333856628_thumb.jpg

 

Removed the clamp, kind of hard to tell by the pics but it's a helluva lot better than before.

 

post-5437-0-69313300-1333856976_thumb.jpg

 

post-5437-0-55157600-1333856985_thumb.jpg

Edited by carbonboy
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A bit more tapping with hammers & the sunroof frame sits in like this.

 

Front

 

post-5437-0-29539400-1333875302_thumb.jpg

 

Rear

 

post-5437-0-16321300-1333875318_thumb.jpg

 

MUCH better!!! :)

 

post-5437-0-32002000-1333875361_thumb.jpg

 

With the bottom section of the frame screwed in, it looks like this.

 

post-5437-0-85574800-1333875436_thumb.jpg

 

Front

 

post-5437-0-46833200-1333875490_thumb.jpg

 

Rear

 

post-5437-0-88298200-1333875521_thumb.jpg

 

Roof still has it's natural shape/curve to it.

 

post-5437-0-95437600-1333875549_thumb.jpg

 

Have some adhesive backed foam-rubber to go under the horizontal support to stop the roof panel from flexing so easily. Not so much a worry when the frame's in (is quite stiff) but when it's not...for bog & paint.

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Thanks Tom, very happy it turned out this good. :happy: More ghetto than a broom pole, a scrap piece of lagged copper tube. :lolcry:

 

The thought of having it as a brace crossed my mind, then I realised that it's aluminium. I thought it was stainless steel, but once I started cutting/drilling it, the realisation sunk in. That & it's too fully hectik cuz!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cleared domestic duties backlog, finally got into the shed.

 

Ground back the welds & wire brushed the surrounding area.

 

post-5437-0-75971100-1335086841_thumb.jpg

 

Inside too.

 

post-5437-0-62967200-1335086854_thumb.jpg

 

Rust treated outside & inside. :blush:

 

post-5437-0-26902800-1335086916_thumb.jpg

 

post-5437-0-93820700-1335086899_thumb.jpg

 

Wire brushed the lot again.

 

post-5437-0-62269400-1335086974_thumb.jpg

 

post-5437-0-19485600-1335086961_thumb.jpg

 

Primer is applied, all the photos came out horrible, can't be bothered getting new ones as it's now dinner time! :D

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