Bora stainless roof repair

I posted a recent link to someone who specializes in this and I think it's in the Bora picture thread. Have a look.


But since you are in S, California there is a local long time Maserati enthusiast who has tackled this directly himself. Claus Groth. He was a member of MOCNA.

He knows a LOT about how to do this.

See if you can find him locally via the various Maserati clubs such as MIE/MCI and TMC. Doug Magnon may know how to get in touch with him and if not them contact me via pm as I may be able to help.

Check out that link first.

 

Another possibility is to look for a DeLorean specialist, there is some video of how it's done on Youtube.

Best,

Jack.

 

Often the biggest mistake people make is trying to grain it themselves by just drawing straight across the roof. It was originally done with a series of overlapping marks that do not extend the the full length of the roof. Clause removed all of his from the car and built a special purpose jig to do this.

Here's that link for the stainless repair, it's in the UK but perhaps the guy in the USA that builds new and refurbishes Delorean could also tackle this job?

DeLorean PJ Grady Europe - Maserati

 

Has anyone removed the stainless steel roof of a Bora.
My restorer has suggested we remove the roof top to allow for a better restoration
Is the ss a cover over of an existing sheet metal roof ?
If it can be removed any suggestion would be appreciated on the best method of removal.
Greg

 

AS already mentioned in this thread and elsewhere in this section, yes it removes from the inside by taking out numerous little screws. There is no other metal roof. But that's just a generic description. I suggest you try to get a hold of Claus if you want to speak with someone who's actually done this.

 

Mine was screw on from the outside of the car. I guess they did things differently depending on what day of the week it was!

 

Elliot, if you've done this maybe you can help him out? As I've indicated it's not something I've done to mine but I did speak at length with Claus about how he did it several years ago.

Claus learned a lot of lessons restoring his car and he's a very meticulous and capable guy so I hope he can help out.

 

Victor,

You e-mailed me several days ago and I answered you right away with an offer to help and my phone number but you haven't responded. Did the e-mail wind up in your spam folder?

Claus

 

am117au asked about the graining so I thought that I would also post it here. Let me know if you have any questions. Claus

Hi Greg,

I thought that I had written a description of the roof repair but I cannot find it, so I probably didn't. I'll have to find the 3M part number of the graining wheel that I used, but to describe it, it is 3" diameter x 2" wide with a 1/4" shaft for the drill. The wheel structure is interleaved sandpaper and Scotchbrite. That is: a leaf of sandpaper, a piece of Scotchbrite and the next piece of sandpaper, all of the way around. I put it into the lathe and drilled a small hole on center opposite the shaft and installed a small brad with a rounded head. This brad then can rest against a piece of wood to provide straight graining.

It may be possible to do this on the car but I removed the roof. You don't state whether you have done this but to remove the roof, the windshield trim must be removed and if the small screws that hold the roof down are not accessible, the windshield has to come out. The trim at the rear of the roof also has to be removed and it is installed with RTV. After removal, it was curved up substantially. I slowly rebent the trim into the correct shape.

I attached the roof to a piece of plywood with a screw at each corner. I then cut two pieces of 1x8x4 feet with a curve to to clear the roof while the ends rest on the plywood. A piece of 1x6 to separate the 1x8s and you have a sturdy support against which the grainer will be aligned. An extra weight is required on top to keep it in place.

Once you have the roof off, remove the interior vinyl and clean the stainless. Here you have a perfectly grained surface. Look closely and you will see that the grain lines are all short and randomly positioned. You do not want to make long scratches. Also, when graining, you start the wheel above the surface and slowly lower the wheel until it is at the correct pressure and lift slowly when exiting. On the inside of the roof, start in one area and practice until you have mastered the process. Once confident, proceed with the outside.

One more thing, put a straightedge against the rear of the roof and draw a line on the plywood extending the width of the wood. Remove the roof and draw parallel lines spaced at one inch intervals. Attach the roof. When you are satisfied with the graining across the top, move the guide to the next line. Your next pass will overlap the previous graining by one inch.

I'll get back to you with the tool part number by the weekend.

Claus Groth

 

Greg wrote privately:
At this stage I am only considering in removing the roof for protection whilst going thru the restoration of the rest of the body. Also with the roof removed it will allow for a better job overall when it comes to painting. Did you encounter anything quirky in removing the roof?


Hi Greg,
When you remove the door opening/roof trim you will see the small flat head Phillips head screws that hold the roof onto the body. These screws hold the roof all of the way around and also the A-Pillar stainless covering. Some have been ground flat (at least on my car) when they wouldn't bottom out correctly, such as being off-center. This reduces the drive recess in the screw and there may not be enough to get the proper torque to loosen. You may have to drill through some. Don't use a drill larger than what you can fit through a hole where you have already removed a screw.

All of the stainless trim will bend up when removing but it is soft stainless steel and you will be able to bend it all back to the proper arc. Just take your time. Be very careful to not scratch the glass when trying to cut through the mastic that was used to secure the glass and the trim. The trim around the glass has an edge against the SS roof that projects down farther than the outside of the glass. So if you use a blade between the outside of the glass and the trim, you still have to pry up the trim since that edge is still caught in the mastic. Pull out the rubber trim on the inside of the windshield. It is a U-shaped trim with metal fingers inside. After all of the trim has been removed, a standard wire-type windshield removal tool can be used. I think that harbor Freight sells it.

Claus

 

The graining wheel that I used was the 3M Scotch-Brite Combi-S 180 grit wheel #80799.

Claus

 

Thank you to all who have posted and offered assistance regarding the SS roof of the Bora. With this guidance i think it will make it much easier, and remove the guess work.
Tomorrow i depart Australia for Copenhagen and cruise up the Baltic to St Petersburg return to Copenhagen then of to Greece and Turkey finally ending up in Modena on the 17th September for the Maserati Centenary celebrations.By then i should be relaxed and have the confidence to remove the roof when i return home. It will be great to make some acquaintance with anyone from the forum coming to Modena.
Greg