Quarter to roof seam: lead or caulk?

[68RRFlyer]

Hey Folks,

I'm in the middle of my second 68 Charger restoration and ran across an irregularity it seems.  From what I gathered, if a car had a vinyl top, the roof to quarter seam was sealed with a rubberized caulk of some sort.  If it didn't have a top, then the seams were leaded.  Correct me if I'm incorrect, but isn't that the way it was done?  I had noticed when I took the top off that there didn't seem to be that telltale crease of old caulk bubbling up.  Took the torch to it, and yup; leaded seam.  I have only done one side so far, but the other side looks to be about the same.  It's not an added on top either, since the roof is not fully painted and he does have the broadcast sheet.  I restored a coworker's 68 R/T which also was a vinyl top car and it has the caulk.  My 69 Charger has caulk too, as well as a previous 69 Charger I had.  As evidence, you can even see on "survivor" cars that the caulk swells and even discolors the top in that seam area.  Both of these cars are St. Louis cars.  The R/T was a 6-18 build and the car in question is a 3-29 build.  Soooooo....factory screw up?  Caulk shortage that day?  incorrectly read broadcast sheet coming down the line?  Who really cares?    Thoughts?

Cheers 

[tan top]

   vinyl or no vinyl  ,  run a mig seam right across !  lead it & bondo it   

[Chatt69chgr]

Is this the way everyone is handling this.  If so, where is the best place to get the correct type of lead filler and the tools to work it?  I am in the process of pulling off the vinyl top and just found the rubberized caulk (or whatever it is).  There is a crack about 1/16 or maybe smaller running all the way across from the rear window to the quarter window right above the seam.

I have some pure lead.  Can I use that and a wood paddle and propane torch.  What flux is needed?

(By the way, I like the idea of mig welding that seam all the way across)

[bill440rt]

I wouldn't use pure lead or any kind of "caulk", there are better ways using today's modern fillers. You can see the leaded seams on survivor cars today because of the differences in metals over time.

Torch/grind any of the old stuff off, clean the surface completely & apply either a "metalized" filler or a fiberglass-based filler (both are water proof/resistant). Sand or rough out smooth, and apply a good quality body filler over that to finish it off (Rage Gold, etc).

[Troy]

Generally, people say cars with vinyl tops had filler where hardtops got leaded seams and I believe this to be the case with later cars. However, at least one of my vinyl top 68s does have leaded seams. I hate to remove it because it has held up very well.

Brian (1hotdaytona) used some "unleaded" body solder on his Daytona clone. Other people switch to modern fillers as mentioned.

Troy

[Indygenerallee]

I only use "All metal" filler, I have seen lead jobs that did not last long due to contaminated surface when lead was applied and it lifted.

[404NOTFOUND]

You might find some useful advice on using caulk here.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiPkYt09awo

[kab69440]

My 69 VT car had leaded seams. There are traces of it left under the filler.

[bakerhillpins]

Didn't member SFRT put up a thread about this?

Found it:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,66390.0.html

[Chatt69chgr]

Bill-------------

Would something like the Evercoat Metal-to-Metal (Aluminum filled body repair filler for metal surfaces. Has excellent corrosion resistance and superior adhesion to galvanized steel and aluminum. Will not sag. Best known as the "nearest thing to lead." Moisture proof. Rustproof. Easily sands to a fine featheredge. Metal-2-Metal™ liquid reactor included) be what you are talking about for a metallized filler? 

[Cooter]

I prefer to use filler as most paints don't stick to lead very well. Sooner or later, you'll be seeing problems from lead.

[bill440rt]

Bill-------------

Would something like the Evercoat Metal-to-Metal (Aluminum filled body repair filler for metal surfaces. Has excellent corrosion resistance and superior adhesion to galvanized steel and aluminum. Will not sag. Best known as the "nearest thing to lead." Moisture proof. Rustproof. Easily sands to a fine featheredge. Metal-2-Metal™ liquid reactor included) be what you are talking about for a metallized filler? 

Yep, that's one good product. I used a fiberglass-based filler on the last one I did, but the Metal-to-Metal is very good as well. Perfect product for the job.

You might find some useful advice on using caulk here.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiPkYt09awo

LOVE that clip!!!   

[gtx6970]

Bill-------------

Would something like the Evercoat Metal-to-Metal (Aluminum filled body repair filler for metal surfaces. Has excellent corrosion resistance and superior adhesion to galvanized steel and aluminum. Will not sag. Best known as the "nearest thing to lead." Moisture proof. Rustproof. Easily sands to a fine featheredge. Metal-2-Metal™ liquid reactor included) be what you are talking about for a metallized filler? 

Yep, that's one good product. I used a fiberglass-based filler on the last one I did, but the Metal-to-Metal is very good as well. Perfect product for the job.

You might find some useful advice on using caulk here.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiPkYt09awo

LOVE that clip!!!   

watching this thread closely.
Just got a trunk floor in a 68 Charger yesterday and I will be hanging quarters on both sides in the coming weeks

[68r/t]

My 68 had a vinyl top and leaded seams, after 40 years it was still perfect so I left it in.

[Charger-Bodie]

Lead is the best way to go IMHO. If you use any type of plastic filler (ie all metal , metal to metal, Everglass, Duraglass,and etc.) You will see an faint line where the seam is on a hot day in the sun(more so on dark colored cars) , You cant have filler 1/4 inch thick and an inch wide and paper thin right next to it without having it expand and contract and different rates.

Lead expands and contracts at a rate VERY close to the same as Steel ,so you dont see that line.

[tan top]

My 68 had a vinyl top and leaded seams, after 40 years it was still perfect so I left it in.

lead seams & a vinyl top thats interesting  , was it body color under the vinyl ? & the vinyl code on the fender tag 

[Charger-Bodie]

Most 68s were lead either way. Later in the year the wemt to the lead/no vinyl. putty/vinyl deal.

[Patronus]

Ive had them both telegraph seams in the sun. 

[Charger-Bodie]

Ive had them both telegraph seams in the sun. 

Ive seen the lead seem "show up" on original cars. But Ive never seen one that was known to be leaded and finished out as a modern spec show type finish Telegraph.