Why vinyl roofs are baaaaaad, m'kay?

[mikmik]

They hide nasties like this. The bubbles are more completely rotted metal waiting to fall out when I tap it with a toffee hammer .

This is a pain in the bum, as it looks like the beginning of a LOT of work.

Unless I'm wrong?

[stuthegasman]

I once had a 1300 LE coupe which was terminally rotten and had rotted in the same place on both rear corners the tell tale signs were the bubbles in the vinyl looks like a rear screen out job to do it properly if you don't want it all to come back under your new roof !! there's probably nothing under the window seal

[mikmik]

There's noting under the lower edge of the seal in that corner, no.

I'm not putting vinyl back, I've decided that much anyway, but I'm beginning to feel a little daunted by the sheer volume of stuff that needs done.


and the cost of it.

[stuthegasman]

just keep doing a bit at a time and when you get fed up with it stop and leave it alone for a while, that's what I did with my saloon I got stuck into it straight away engine/gearbox stripped out all the glass etc then started to realise what I had done so I gave up on it for a few months, then out of nowhere I woke up one saturday and thought right i'm going to get stuck back into the car and with it being summer and light nights I did a couple of hours of an evening until I got fed up and before I knew it it was MOT time. At one point I nearly sold it as an unfinished project but i'm glad now I didn't because the sense of achievement when you look at the car and think I did that is immense you will get there in the end and we are all here to offer any advice or help we can....keep going 8) 8)

[Uncle Frank]

Hi mikmik, don`t be disheartened mate, as Stu has said already, just tackle a bit at a time, if you look on page one of the strand "1300 LE Restoration" in my workshop section you will find i had exactly the same problem on that car, there are pics in amongst all the others of how it was tackled, Jims TC was similar too in the same place, just carefully make up some small patches and weld them in a bit at a time, you will get there .

[mikmik]

I can't weld and I've no garage! Time to pull in favours left right and centre!

Thanks Frank, I'll read up on that mate, and I really do appreciate all teh encouragement!

With a little luck I can meet you boys at a show or two next year.

I've been fighting the fight on the Irish classic car forum too...imagine ! A Cortina looking down its nose at a Marina!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthre ... st61470516

[Number 63]

Yep the vinyl roofs can hide a load of problems and they hold the water once they're knacked to accelerate the rot.. :roll: As the other lads have said, its not actualy that bad to repair once the screen is out as it's fairly flat metal around that area and the section of the quarter panel has plenty of creases to stop the distortion too.. Don't give up on her yet mate.

[JoshWard]

Cant weld and have no garage?

Same as me then! That's what happens when you start prodding about with Marinas, they start falling to bits When I cleared my wheel arches of mud I found about six different holes and my boot wells dissappeared where they meet the arches. Dont give up, you'll get it done one day!

[mikmik]

I'm afraid to go poking aruond the front valances for the same reason!

But I'm gonna go poking around the front valances anyway...

[mikmik]

In other news, because younger people do not have the historical predjudice against Marinas of their elders, I am getting a lot of compliments on the Coupe from the local boy racers and youngsters.

Even though its all patchy with primer and looks as rough as a knackers laugh, they love the lines of it.

result!!

[Number 63]

The coupe lines are lovely.. 8)

[locost_bryan]

IMHO the vinyl roof was one of the worst things to come out of the '70s , along with vinyl "leather" jackets and the Bay City Rollers.

I think the Marina has aged very well. I have always liked the Coupe, but now I like the saloon and wagon too. Even the pickup looks good. :P

IMHO the right wheels make a huge difference. Either wide alloys like Kilroy 8) , or the Mk1 wheel trims like James1300.

[mikmik]

I have been toying with the idea of nice wheels, but to be honest, the extent of the work ahead of me has pushed this into the back of my mind somewhat.




I quite like the slot mags Stu has on his,a nd I like Weller wheels too

[Number 63]

I think 4 spoke revolutions like the ones wedgeprincess has for sale at the moment look the biz on marinas, especially on coupe's....

[leto]

Hi mate,

I was in same predicament as you last year , brought an ital of e bay with out looking thought it would be half decent cos it had mot turned out it needed lots of body work :roll:

Have a poke round if it needs loads why not buy a welder and practice on some scrap (find a local body shop and raid the skip !!)theres an excellent website ( just type in something like mig welding how to in google ) that shows you what to do before you know it your be up to mot standard at least ! :mrgreen:

My mig cost £ 150 new ( could easily get a 2nd hand one a lot cheaper ) mask was £25 and gas was around £100 , you hire the bottle and pay for re fills i used Boc its a fair amount to start with but it soon re pays its self !
Have a look at boot fairs for cheap tools such as tin snips and hammers of diffrent shapes i picked up my grinder for £3 !

I started out the way on the floor pans , then did inner wings, then inner cills , then around headlights , then chassis rail then new outter cill ..... you get the idea it really was rotten.

If you plan to keep it and use it a lot i think its the way to go.

Good luck ,

Rob.