Roof Skin Replacement

[charger_fan_4ever]

The 3m panel bond acts as a sealer at same time  
Welded a piece into the C section onto the 1/4, so that only a skim coat of filler is needed.
Welded along the front and rear window. Panel bond for the sides and cross supports. We stripped all the e coat off the amd panels and put good epoxy on.

For your everyday car id leave the e coat and just scuff and prime overtop. But on a resto not taking any chances.

Did you do a new AMD roof and quarters on your car?

yup and drip rails and amd dutchman panel all at same time.

[rikubot]

Do you have any pictures of it lining up? My roof skin seems a little off on the drivers side. Did you have to modify the seam that welds to the drip rail? Mine seems like the angle isn't square enough to sit flat on the drip rail. I feel like I need to bend it a little sharper.

Also, the roof skin went over the quarter skin seem, correct?

[darbgnik]

It's strange your replacement roof skin has a flanged end on it by the quarter. My factory skin definitely doesn't have it.

I'm no metal expert, but maybe a few relief cuts, and some hammer and dolly could get rid of that flange, and put the drip rail where you need it to be?

[Dreamcar]

Your C pillar appears to bubble up a little at the end, which makes me wonder if your drip rail sides are a little too wide on the new skin, thus making the roof a little wide. Maybe the drip rails need a small trim on each side?

Your new pics definitely make me think that if you're not replacing the quarters, than the new skin needs to be shoved under the quarter. Why else would there be a flange?

I've taken two of your pics to show what I would cut off from the new roof skin in order to get the flange under the quarter panel, however all my advice is based on pictures on not being in front of your car.

Finally, at about 4 inches up from the bottom, my window opening (i.e. the empty space between the edges the glass sits on) is 43 1/4 inches. Since you have your window out, how wide is the opening on your car at 4 inches from the bottom? I greatly appreciate if you could measure.

[rikubot]

I will measure that today. Thank you for drawing up the trim marks, that is very helpful. I'm still not convinced it's supposed to go under the quarter. The factory roof panel had a little dimple drop off like that as well, just not quite as exaggerated.

[Dreamcar]

I will measure that today. Thank you for drawing up the trim marks, that is very helpful. I'm still not convinced it's supposed to go under the quarter. The factory roof panel had a little dimple drop off like that as well, just not quite as exaggerated.

I'll check the old piece of c pillar I have at home. It appears to me that if you just leave it on top like that, you're going to have a roof that suddenly steps up, unless you load it with filler to smooth it out which is never a good option. I'll see what my old c pillar looks like tonight. The higher part of the skin almost certainly meets up with quarter panel edge.

[alfaitalia]

On one I was helping to replace with AMD....not mine....the flange was under the quarter. No way it would have ever been flush doing it the other way and this is a non vinyl car so needs to be smooth as there is nowhere to hide! It just wont go the other way without some serious massaging of the new panel. As said above...why would it have that step otherwise?

[charger_fan_4ever]

Do you have any pictures of it lining up? My roof skin seems a little off on the drivers side. Did you have to modify the seam that welds to the drip rail? Mine seems like the angle isn't square enough to sit flat on the drip rail. I feel like I need to bend it a little sharper.

Also, the roof skin went over the quarter skin seem, correct?

I dont think i do only whats posted in my thread. Pretty much every AMD piece needed some slicing and shrinking or hammy and dolly to fit right.

[Dreamcar]

Here ya go...I found a pic of my donor roof after I removed the lead in the seam...The factory skin clearly goes over the quarter panel and because the factory quarter has a flanged end, they sit flush. In your case, you have a flanged end on the AMD skin and you should also have a flanged factory quarter panel end either still burried in lead or it has been cut off. So, you need to figure out what is left on your car and how to best manage with the new AMD piece. One thing is for sure, as mentioned by me and others, you can't just lay the new roof skin with it's flanged end on top of the factory quarter. Something needs modifying so they sit flush. 

[rikubot]

Thank you very much for that Dreamcar. I'm really wondering what the hell AMD was thinking with this skin. I'm wondering if they want me to trim that whole lip off?? I read an article with another b body (not charger) that the skin needed no trimming whatsoever. Your seem looks absolutely perfect where as mine is not even close.

Do ANYONE on here has done an A M D roof swap, please post pictures!!!! This thing has me losing my mind.

Thanks again though guys for trying to help me figure this out. This is my first body panel and I'm hesitant to chop on it until I'm sure...

[Dreamcar]

Thank you very much for that Dreamcar. I'm really wondering what the hell AMD was thinking with this skin. I'm wondering if they want me to trim that whole lip off?? I read an article with another b body (not charger) that the skin needed no trimming whatsoever. Your seem looks absolutely perfect where as mine is not even close.

Do ANYONE on here has done an A M D roof swap, please post pictures!!!! This thing has me losing my mind.

Thanks again though guys for trying to help me figure this out. This is my first body panel and I'm hesitant to chop on it until I'm sure...

Nothing I'm going to say is meant with any disrespect, so please do not take it that way.  But you need to stop losing your mind.

AMD probably designed it for those that do not replace their quarters (like you're doing), therefore you need a lip/flanged area to tuck under the quarter for support. There has to be an overlap somehow like the factory had, and the AMD piece allows you to tuck the skin under the quarter so it sits flush on top. If you do buy their quarters and their roof, then you either trim the flanged quarter or you trim the flanged roof skin. I only bought quarters so I can use the factory skin which does not have the flanged area. And, the Charger roof skin is unique to Chargers, so you can't really compare it to another b body.

Remember, not every car is repaired the same way and to the same extent so it provides options. The most important thing for you to worry about is that the panels needs to be flush at the seam (just look at the pic I provided). Sitting the skin on top like you have it will never achieve that. The only way for you to do that without replacing quarters is to tuck the new panel under the old one where AMD provided the flanged area and therefore have a two layers of metal like the factory had. 

Did you end up cutting the flange off the quarter when you cut out your roof skin? Or is it still buried in lead? If you can find the flanged area on the quarter (if not cut off), then you can trim the roof if there's a wide enough overlap. When you look at the cut quarter, do you see two layers of metal at the end? If  yes, the flange is still there. 

[rikubot]

No offense taken. I realize I have a whole lot less experience and know-how in the car world whether it comes to mechanical, electrical, or body. I'm just thankful that you guys are willing to let me pick your brains and that you are willing to share your experiences.

How close are the lip/flanged areas on your new quarters to the factory ones you removed?

When I pulled off the roof skin, I was very careful to leave the quarters intact. I will get some more pictures of the car with the skin off again. Today is my mom's birthday but I will be able to get some tomorrow after work.

[Dreamcar]

No offense taken. I realize I have a whole lot less experience and know-how in the car world whether it comes to mechanical, electrical, or body. I'm just thankful that you guys are willing to let me pick your brains and that you are willing to share your experiences.

How close are the lip/flanged areas on your new quarters to the factory ones you removed?

When I pulled off the roof skin, I was very careful to leave the quarters intact. I will get some more pictures of the car with the skin off again. Today is my mom's birthday but I will be able to get some tomorrow after work.

That area of my quarters was recycled last year so I have no idea. But it doesn't help you anyway because I have a factory roof skin without a flange.  I forward to seeing the pictures. Any chance you can measure the window opening next time your near your car, about 4 inches from the bottom?

[Charger-Bodie]

The factory skin was recessed at the seam too, just not as sharp of a crimp. They laid in a trough of lead and ground it smooth.

[Dreamcar]

The factory skin was recessed at the seam too, just not as sharp of a crimp. They laid in a trough of lead and ground it smooth.

Yup. I'm looking at my factory roof skin right now and it does have a very light recess/flange. However, from the factory, the skin still sat on top of the more recessed quarter panel. Unless the OP can find the flange on his factory quarter panel, I would tend to want to tuck the AMD roof, which looks very recessed from the pictures, under the factory quarter. Better pics will help.

[rikubot]

Yeah the new one definitely has a more pronounced recess. I'll get some more pictures tomorrow and some without the skin on. The seams that you guys have been posting look way better than anything I can fathom right now.

[darbgnik]

If you click on my build thread in my signature, you can see how the AMD quarters fit under the factory roof skin, about halfway down the first page. Just for more info on how it should look?

[Dreamcar]

Yeah the new one definitely has a more pronounced recess. I'll get some more pictures tomorrow and some without the skin on. The seams that you guys have been posting look way better than anything I can fathom right now.

You're factory quarter should have a fairly obvious recess, unless it was cut off or it's still buried in lead filler.

[rikubot]

The 3m panel bond acts as a sealer at same time  
Welded a piece into the C section onto the 1/4, so that only a skim coat of filler is needed.
Welded along the front and rear window. Panel bond for the sides and cross supports. We stripped all the e coat off the amd panels and put good epoxy on.

For your everyday car id leave the e coat and just scuff and prime overtop. But on a resto not taking any chances.

Did you do a new AMD roof and quarters on your car?

yup and drip rails and amd dutchman panel all at same time.

Did you have to mess with the lips of the roof skin where it attaches to the drip rails? Do you have up close pictures?

[rikubot]

It's strange your replacement roof skin has a flanged end on it by the quarter. My factory skin definitely doesn't have it.

I'm no metal expert, but maybe a few relief cuts, and some hammer and dolly could get rid of that flange, and put the drip rail where you need it to be?

The flange is as deep as the photo makes it look. It's pretty subtle. Once I trimmed it, it fit up against the quarter pretty nicely

[rikubot]

I will measure that today. Thank you for drawing up the trim marks, that is very helpful. I'm still not convinced it's supposed to go under the quarter. The factory roof panel had a little dimple drop off like that as well, just not quite as exaggerated.

Completely forgot to get that measurement. I will next time for sure.

[rikubot]

Couple pics:

[Dreamcar]

The 3m panel bond acts as a sealer at same time  
Welded a piece into the C section onto the 1/4, so that only a skim coat of filler is needed.
Welded along the front and rear window. Panel bond for the sides and cross supports. We stripped all the e coat off the amd panels and put good epoxy on.

For your everyday car id leave the e coat and just scuff and prime overtop. But on a resto not taking any chances.

Did you do a new AMD roof and quarters on your car?

yup and drip rails and amd dutchman panel all at same time.

Did you have to mess with the lips of the roof skin where it attaches to the drip rails? Do you have up close pictures?

No because I'm using a factory donor roof skin from another car, so it fits perfectly. But don't be surprise, like I've said before, if your drip rails are too wide and need trimming. Aftermarket pieces often need trimming.

[Dreamcar]

Couple pics:

The second pic tells the most if everything else fits right. I suspect the roof has a much more significant flange to it vs. the quarter panel. Does it? If yes, the two pieces would probably work much better together if you tuck the roof under the quarter. They would sit much more flush. You could then fill the gap with weld first, then just a little filler.

[rikubot]

I see. That makes sense. I bet it's pretty difficult to get a panel off and not screw it up.

Well, it's not that it's too wide, it doesn't quite hit the edge of the rail, just like the factory skin, but it doesn't appear  to sit square in the rail because it seems the stamping didn't crease the lip enough. It's probably way simpler a problem than I'm making it out to be. But like I said, my buddy doesn't think it's a problem. I just don't know if it's going to make enough weld surface the way it is now. And honestly it could be just fine the way it is. Here's where my lack of experience has me second guessing myself.