Rusty Roof Replacement - 1968 Cougar

[@Coldsweepinc]

Well your video is about the only resource available that addresses this issue. Thanks a million for taking the time to document the process. Last weekend I spent about 6 hours melting lead and drilling out spot welds to remove the roof. It was surprisingly easy to do. I did use a cutoff wheel to cut along the drip rail to get the roof out of the way and then removed the remnants in the drip rail channel one tiny spot weld at a time. I'm going to have to wait before I install the new roof because I discovered rust issues in the drip rail channels that need to be repaired... Thanks again for showing us how it can be done!

[@OliverCloseoff69]

Andrew, I'm glad to see someone younger with a genuine appreciation for these cars. It's obvious you do, most would not go through the work you have put into this car already. Good job!!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Thanks for saying so! Car is still not done, but shooting for mid-2015 to be back on the road.

[@fixrite11]

Great job young man. It is refreshing to see someone who does not have all the experience of a pro take on the challenge and learn some new skills. Good on you for what you have done. I hope you will take on more challenges like this in the future. I know this is a few years ago but none the less great job.

[@Mcfreddo]

You're not an idiot. You're very capable, resourceful and achieving young man.

[@yuvegotmale]

I have done several cars this way. Removeing the doner roof skin takes time. Last time we did it we cut most of the roof reinforcent with a plasmer cutter to access spot welds better...worked out very good. The factory puts lots of spot welds along the drip rail...thats what took the time.

[@wlc1980]

Excellent job! I thought you were gonna cut the whole top off at the posts. That shows my level of body shop knowledge! If it was born Vinyl put it back vinyl, no problem with that, I'm sure it will be garaged and pampered from here on out. Nice to see a young guy into old cars! Excellent video!

[@sparkplug1018]

Unless the structure underneath is rotted too, its better to do it the way he did here. My T-top Camaro on the other hand the structure is beyond gone, so going to be drilling the welds on the quarter panel out and cutting the A pillars. Its a job I am and I'm not looking forward to.

[@tint661]

Looks good. Nice Cougar. Don't listen to the haters. They are just jealous. Getting things fixed right is the right thing to do. You will be happy you went the extra yards with the project.

[@lewiscollins1045]

That is not the way to remove the replacement roof skin, that is the a mig man in action............

[@AndrewFRC135]

Holy rust bucket, Batman! Thats a lot of iron oxide! Glad to see the old cat get all the needed bodywork done and a fresh coat of paint to boot.

[@nwestgroup]

Thank you so much for this video. I had no idea how to remove the drip rail without distorting or damaging it. After three minutes, half of the Passenger's side is off. This was a HUGE help!

[@ledzeppelin27]

that donor xr7 seemed to be in pristine condition kind of a shame

[@Nighthawk5470]

Gotta do this to the roof of my 70 LTD, now I have a general idea of what to do, thank you so much!

[@tbirdsteve1]

one of the best resto videos I've seen, congrats

[@jayinla310]

FYI for future projects. There is a weld-through primer you can use on parts at the weld points (metal-to-metal) that will stop rust there. There is also a metal-based filler you could have used instead of the fiberglass. It is stronger than fiberglass, magnetic and just as easy to work with. There is also a rust encapsulating etching undercoat that would last a lot longer than the rust proofing undercoating you used. Of course, ANY undetcoating is better than what they used in 68. They only expected the cars to last 5 years, 10 at the most.

[@Steve1961P]

This is a great video. I have NO IDEA why people give anyone lip about these video's. I mean come on. This is NOT HOLLYWOOD!!! I think it's a really great vid. Shows what most go through and goes farther than most would.. I would love to have seen all the rest of the work being done as well... Would create many more interests and people trying bigger projects... Very well done... ENCORE!!!!!

[@tomkatinokla1]

I can't believe you're using that car as a parts donor; it has one of the few straight grilles I've ever seen on a Cougar!

[@MrAmwxx]

Hey awesome video. It gives me a lot of hope for my 72 LTD up here in PDX. My roof is probably worse than that one under the vinyl. I feel pretty confident about replacing the skin now, The only hard part is going to be finding one.

[@SeaTravelr123]

Love watching different ways to get stuff done. So surprised about the way the moldings are on the Mercury. My moldings on the Bonneville are screwed in

[@luizchevelle7218]

Vinyl top, a great rust promoter.

[@jaggass]

Vinyl roofs was a stupid idea. They are just a great big water trap.

[@carguy7536]

If as you said that vinyl top is a replacement, the trim shop likely ripped the old vinyl top and instead of using special glue remover to get the adhesive off, they likely used a grinder to get the old glue off and then just covered ground down top with the new vinyl top.

[@patrickphippspa584]

Wonderful video! Thank you so much for taking your time and contributing. Love to look at that old cat!

[@donrelly11]

Im currently doing the same to my cougar, and probably do the floor pans myself also ,,, love this video easy to do yourself :)

[@wreckerjonny6144]

I'm kinda glad both of my cats never had vinyl roofs. But I'm doing a satellite roadrunner roof skin

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

@KennyKatt1962 Soon, hopefully! It's getting painted sometime in the next couple of weeks. It needed floors, lower quarter patches, trunk panels, dents straightened out, etc. So much for keeping it simple!

[@ajathalli6782]

West Coast Classic Cougar i3bhtuyo uyi

[@ajathalli6782]

West Coast Classic Cougar i3bhtuyo uyi

[@snoopu2601]

Thanks for your video very helpful, well Werth the effort keeping your grandparents car still on the the road my sister still has my grandmother VW she bought off the lot in 1966 and hers husband had it restored back to new better than new

[@realmaindrianpace]

Great video, only thing I do differently on these is to use a MAP gas torch to melt the lead out. Quicker and easier for sure.

[@PhilXR7Cat]

Great informative video. Will need to replace my vinyl roof, so hopefully I don't have the rust issues on the roof. Would have really like to have seen the bottom and side rear roof channels up close, for I'm sure I'm going to be dealing with that!

[@juanitolopez8686]

Great Job! FYI.. You inspired me to do my own roof!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Juanito Lopez Thanks, that's awesome!

[@abbylx]

+Juanito Lopez I wished i had a car to do this work on it! :(

[@Aviator305]

you can do my 1970 Buick Skylark

[@MrButtonpresser]

Always fond of a Mercury Cougar! Very nice.

[@robertkinney1480]

The drip rail trim comes off super easy and 0 damage with and old stile two sided can opener not joking used it on my 64 impala and highly recommend I had to tweak my can opener slightly but you can get them at value village and other places such for very little hope this helps someone there is a video on here to which thankfully I watched that taught me this

[@TyphoonVstrom]

Handy tip- use a big, slow revving disc sander (36 grit) to grind out lead. The coarse disc removes the lead fast, doesn't turn the lead into a fine dust, and keeps the heat down, which helps keep the disc from clogging. A knotted wire wheel on the grinder is great for the final clean up of the lead seam, digs it all out of the fine crevices.

[@markkrul3429]

I'd say an electric grinder is the wrong tool as well...unless you have an adjustable speed feature.

[@TyphoonVstrom]

I'd say it sounds like you've never done bodywork.

[@pablodeoliveira1972]

Great... you have done a great job...! You are not an idiot just someone without knowledge but if you get the right answer you can achieve all....So God bless you mate...Well Done!!!

[@xargon1234]

a old school bottle opener can take the window trim pieces on the side off quickly

[@williamboardman9476]

Rain rail trim.

[@cliffordkinnear9354]

How lucky, just walk out to the yard, count your blessing young man.

[@Mantakev]

Nice video, very well explained I did the same roof swop on my Manta many many years ago pre youtube and I used lead as a filler as it is the best thing and still is available

[@nocki5oh]

Great job! Let's see floor pan replacment and quarter panel!

[@TheHamadanners]

very nice video. i have a 73 swamp stang is what ive been calling her(shes a mustang although i named her kitten) Shes been sitting belly deep in water for forever it seems. alot of work i want to rush through i tell myself slow down. its just so exciting

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

@85fordman Mainly for originality and looks. The car will probably lead a more protected life than it has for the past 44 years. Hopefully the new paint on the roof will protect it from moisture. And I'm using a higher quality vinyl this time (OEM material rather than cheap replacement stuff) so hopefully it will be more watertight.

[@mikeeshift]

Great video! I'll probably be stopping in to visit soon.

[@michaelmixon2479]

I loved this car design!

[@RiggsGaming]

i really love this video. Thankyou for posting it. im about to do a roof transplant on my camaro and im NERVIUSE

[@johnnyohness]

I have a 1990 Lincoln Town Car I love very much. It has that special roof on it that is they tell me a fiberglass shell then the vinyl top goes over that.. It is the same shell they use for the limousine with the very small window in the back. Though the vinyl top is still amazingly good I am starting to show rust in the rear pillar area just behind the right passenger rear door where the top ends and the body starts. Do you have a clue how to remove the fiberglass shell on these cars. (cont)

[@donrelly11]

Where can I find that weld drill bit that makes those perfect holes?? Currently doing my cougar roof replacement

[@eduardogarcia6516]

This is awesome, I need to do this on my 1966 ford fairlane 2 door hard top. Same issue vinyl top rust. Any suggestions? I cant find a place like this for fairlanes. Any reply would be greatly appreciated!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Fairlanes are not what we specialize in, but I did a quick search for Fairlane specific salvage yards and did not come up with anything still in business. You might want to try something like this site: www.junkyardpartslocator.com/model.aspx?id=349

[@rossturcotte8189]

Love it!, I just brought home a rusty fastback roof to do the coupe to fastback conversion, so its a new skin for the donor roof. Why not start with a good fb roof? Well, not all of us can afford that. Fastback stuff in my area is scarce.

[@IDiedForYou1776]

Hey had a question how do you keep the back chrome? molding down once you get the roof, glass etc etc done with, can't seem to keep the middle of mine down

[@tootall5559]

you can still get body lead... tho it's no longer actually lead, it's mostly tin with a few other things. Since it's not actually lead, you can use it without a lot of precautions.

[@georgemorant2505]

Just bought an xr-7, does not have interior, how much would it cost me to hunt down the gauges and dash pieces for a '67

[@donrelly11]

And do u drill holes all the way through the spot welds or until u see the metal underneath

[@amazingmia1535]

What’s cheaper fix the rust roof or make it convertible ?

[@sandylake304]

Just bought a 68 with the same problem. My question is whether or not the factory put bondo on the roof when they made the car. Looks like all those pieces are actually broken bondo and not rust?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

The factory never used bondo, but there are lots of cars where body shops have tried to repair the roofs with bondo.

[@sandylake304]

Ok. Thanks for the reply. Does the yard still sell hoods? I didn’t realize this post was ten years old!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

@@sandylake304 We only currently have grade "B" used hoods, but for not much more money you can get the reproduction we worked with Dynacorn to get made: secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/17542/31652/new-metal-steel-hood-repro-1967-1968-mercury-cougar.html

[@sandylake304]

Also, on the donor car you say you had to drill from the underside (to take out the spot welds) in order not to damage the roof panel. ???? If you’re using a spot weld drill bit why would that damage the panel if you drilled from above? Seems like that would be a lot more difficult as well.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

I believe the reason he did that was more about protecting the drip rails. If you accidentally mangle those drip rails it is going to be a bugger to get that trim back on.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

We got them at Harbor Freight. Most good hardware stores should have them. Also, don't drill all the way through both layers of metal, just through the first layer.

[@edspencer7121]

Just had rust repair done on a 70 XR7 . Thinking the vinyl is not going back on and the lower trim mould holes will get plug welded. Was no vinyl roof and solid color an option for the XR7 in 1970?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

The vinyl top option was separate from the XR-7 package, so yes you could get an XR-7 without the vinyl top. Just seems like almost everyone back in the day ordered both together.

[@kanadianbacon7733]

Thanx!

[@gpaulwelch7127]

What did the body shop charge to weld an paint your car

[@johnnyohness]

1990 Lincoln Town Car (cont) I think the top will have to be removed to see if there is rust on the metal roof under the fiber glass shell. There were many Lincolns in the 90's with these custom roof on them. I think the top was put on by G&H I think that is the manufacturer but cant find any information on them. Just wondering,... were these shells bolted on or glued. Any reference would be deeply appreciated. Thanks for the great video, it was very impressive. Great job.

[@saab4life]

loving the fiberglass..

[@85fordman]

Great job! Why would you want to put another vinyl roof on the car? Chances are you will have the same problem in the future, as when vinyl gets brittle from the sun it absorbs moisture and rots the roof from the trapped moisture. Why not just put black (or whatever color you want) paint in place of the vinyl? That way you have the color contrasting you want, without worrying about trapped moisture....just a thought.

[@blubu68]

Great job for someone with very little experience.

[@clevelandmaker7044]

wait.....wait.....wait.... what if you dont have all the connections you have you know people. ...I don't

[@yuvegotmale]

The metal prepers in the factory liked the cars with vinyl tops...they didnt have to be very particular how the lead seam was and other defects in the roof panel..

[@yves3560]

You work exactly like I do and I happen to know how things should be done, so sincere congrats : you´re not " the average idiot" imo !! ;)

[@adrianaguirre717]

great job bro love the work u did on ur beuatiful cougar cant wait to see the finsh product

[@terrycarter8929]

I would have used All-Metal from USC for the lead seam. It will flex a bit and not crack like other fillers. It cures as hard as metal. Sort of like JB weld.

[@cliffordkinnear9354]

You did a great job by the way, you have to do it, to learn how to do it.

[@Rare92Mustang]

Do a video on the story of your cougar and when your grandmother had it. Did she buy it brand new? I have a very similar story with my grandmothers 1970 Thunderbird.

[@rogerramjet5092]

+Ryan Richards: In the video they make it a point to say it's been in the family since it was new at lest twice. So yes they bought it new...

[@andrewwilson8317]

Get yourself an Eastwoods catalogue mate, they sell lead free body solder kits and top notch quality. I have no tie to them other than being a happy customer. If you going to do restoration stuff then you need their catalogue bad!

[@r.g.5.0.h.o.51]

I always used a mini torch to melt the lead

[@RiggsGaming]

Chasse saver is amazing!

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

As soon as I would have seen what was under that roof, I would've called Grand ma, if she's still here, or said a prayer and apology for selling her car

[@fatihfx1]

Hi guys.. i want to buy a rusty cougar which is about 3k, is already dead. How much do you think cost for me to restore it? And have idea any bodyshop for helping me..? Im in Ct, there is a few classic car bodyshop in bridgeport. Thank you guys.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

I would pose that question at www.classiccougarcommunity.com/. The Cougar owners on there can share their costs, ideas on how you can save costs and recommendations on where to have the work done.

[@fatihfx1]

Thank you 👍🏻

[@Elmo_Fuddleputt]

*sigh* I'm dreading having to do this to my 67 Fastback. The roof oil canned some time in it's previous life and the massive puddle of Bondo has once again cracked. Time to fix it right.

[@johnh1001]

What you guys need that would be about 100 times better , much much faster and more thorough would be "dustless grit blasting" .

[@JetSkiBrothers]

yeah vinyl top rust, Im right there with ya.

[@TLKLures]

Great video thanks - I would have been happy with the donor car

[@peterd7603]

lots of work but well worth it

[@irisnokaori]

how do you fill the hole that the holding screw leaves?

[@yves3560]

Weld it.

[@MrMister1227]

Can anyone get back to me.. I got cought in the rain today with my ripped viny top on my car today should i be worried about rust forming over night or what can i do to prevent it?

[@hadrianwall8621]

It's been a week since you asked so I'll throw my 2 cents in ...I had a vinyl top on my 67 Mustang and it was perfect under it ..that said, glue/adhesive can often "wick" water ..absorb water, so....maybe, is my answer. I am currently restoring my car, and if I were to put another vinyl top I would do some specific things; 1) make sure the metal is property sealed, epoxy primer/sealer. 2)painted. 3) best adhesive & top 4) proper installation including clear caulk thoroughly the drip edge; which was done the last time the top was installed, and they are in perfect condition due to it.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

@LYinKansas That's why I'm usually the one behind the camera, not in front! -Andrew

[@mikek4610]

Leads not toxic if you use it properly

[@dette-envers-les-animaux]

good job but to be definitively efficient, you should put grease everywhere. grease et the only thing very efficient against rust. put grease between metal and carpet, inside door, behind metallic bumper, under the vehicle, behind the repairs you can make (everywhere inside the body- hidden erea - instead of using paint), hollow areas (necessarily hidden, so no need to be aesthetic). For rear wings unreachable with a paintbrush, use an extender and poor old oil everywhere each year.Handyman Experience - 35 years. From france

[@Robiam85]

They make proper tools for trim removal.

[@MeRc1967z]

Nice video... How much does a roof cost I failed to see it on your website.. Thanks

[@johnnelson8956]

Don't ever use screwdrivers to pop off glass molding. The chances of breaking the glass is too great. Replacement can be costly. Spend $25 dollars on a molding tool. It's made to slide between the molding and the glass to release the retaining clips.

[@dfk70]

Did you have to fabricate the patch panel for the rear window or was is it from a donor?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

At the time, we used a donor car. However, there's now a new patch panel available: www2.cougarpartscatalog.com/678rearwindowpatch.html It doesn't go up the pillars, however, so in Andrew's case he would have still needed additional patch work.

[@gpaulwelch7127]

Where is that yard at. An will they sale a whole car

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

West Coast Classic Cougar in Salem, Oregon. The cars in our yard are all for scrap only (by law) so we can sell any parts or body panels off of them, but they can't be made drivers again once they're in the yard. Once in a while we find one that's too good to part out, and we'll sell it as a project shell, but that's getting rare.

[@SteadyGrindinEntBR]

Dude I Have The Same Problem EXACTLY!!! But My Roof Is More Rusty....So Is The Only Option To Find Another IDENTICAL car and Take The Roof??? How Much Would It Have Cost If U Paid Someone Else To Do It???

[@yves3560]

A lot.

[@subron6er]

good video, good info, thanks................. i liked the temp. bolts to hold it together.

[@jamesatkins3992]

Great job dude

[@pattycat100567]

would it not been quicker to cut at bottom of a pillars and lower sails and just stacked back and welded?/

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Maybe, but there are at least two potential problems with that method: 1, you'd compromise the structural integrity of the unibody by removing the entire roof structure, so you'd have to weld in bracing before cutting the old roof off. 2, you may not get the fitment right and could run into issues with the windows. We like the idea of replacing a factory-made piece with an identical one (roof skin), it may be time consuming but this way you're guaranteed a correct fit and you don't compromise the structure.

[@pattycat100567]

yes i could see that to,im doing a 1978 firebird,there is alot of difference/

[@splash5974]

RLECOMPTENTERP.84 not really... youll have a separate roof skin on your Firebird aswell. unless the roof is damaged from collision, no need to cut through pillars... if you dont want to drill all the welds out, just grind through the top layer with an abrasive wheel or cut off disc. leaving the structure underneath the skin untouched.

[@pattycat100567]

Inner grid,t top area is rotted do to an angry divorcee that put house carpet/tarps on it and left for 2- years,on purpose after she took the 78 t/a to spite her husband,VINYL TOPS WILL DO THE SAME!.... we will see how to do this ,the bracing is important/

[@splash5974]

RLECOMPTENTERP.84 Yikes... Thats gonna be a tricky one. T-tops are more complex. If bracing is rotted then you might need a donor car to section the pieces from. Unibody cars are tough cause of the stress that goes through roof section, but T-tops are even worse when in good shape! Let alone when rusted. Id weld in some frame conectors to help with flexing. And weld braces between door jams to keep it all in place while you section it out...

[@Riccoassennl]

Nice work!

[@musicflow1766]

Сколько будет стоит авто в таком состоянии ?????????????????????

[@antoniomartinez6958]

Good job and video

[@piratescovegarage8269]

Great video!!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

If you search for "roof skin" you should be able to see them!

[@jlawlar]

great job kid

[@tractorhead971]

Hope you didn’t put a vinyl roof back on for the rust horror show to start over?

[@hotwheel6663]

Why not just leave Vinyl top off?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Hi, Andrew here. In my case, I wanted to keep the car true to how it was originally since it's a family heirloom (grandparents bought it new). Also since it's white-on-white, I felt like the black top helps give it some contrast. I went with a premium quality vinyl instead of the cheap one that's widely available. Don't get me wrong, though, I came pretty close to leaving it off. Totally understand why many people get rid of them.

[@hotwheel6663]

West Coast Classic Cougar That's Cool. Cougars look good in white. What engine You got in it?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Just the original 289-2V, now bored .030 over and balanced. Just a couple conservative upgrades like a slightly upgraded cam and larger 2V carb off a 390. Runs nice, but have only done short test drives so far with no seat installed! First drive video from 2014: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpWzlaqDiq94iLM

[@hotwheel6663]

West Coast Classic Cougar Yeah its a Beauty for sure. Love the 67'-68' Cougars. How many original miles on it?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

These odometers only show 5 digits, so this car shows about 45,000 - likely 145,000. Not sure, since records weren't saved over the years.

[@robert4699]

"I did most of the work...except the welding" the most tedious and difficult part.

[@yves3560]

No sir, most of the work he did himself and more important : he didn´t mess things up for the welder. That alone is worth my blessing. Btw, no difficult welding here, very basic.

[@commonsense9229]

7:35 dude laughed at the top out of sadness 😂

[@thomasdalton2042]

Yes you can do this too all by yourself if you have a professional shop to help you when the camera is not on. And it only took a month just think how long it would take you all by yourself before you set i. On fire or called professional.