Alpine roof restoration---do I have all or most of the bits?!

[knac1234]

Hello all,

So I am still very much wanting to do some cosmetic work on the Rover come June or so. One of the big things I want to do is powdercoat the roof and hardtop side window fixtures. Currently I have a standard roof, but along with the Rover came a boat load of parts, including an alpine top.

I figured if I was going to redo one, might as well do the rarer non-standard roof! Lots of pics to follow with a few questions.......









---Does anyone see anything MAJOR missing? I have never seen one in person before completed and done.

---Roof is dead straight, so powdercoating will work. I plan on painting the sunshield as, due to some body filler on there, I guess it can't be powdercoated.

---Headliner---any experience with Badger headliners and installation? I had a great conversation with Chris there. I see a torn front headliner half in there with the supporting rails in place....but nothing in the rear section. Anyone have pictures of what the missing rear rails look like for this alpine roof?

Much appreciated....hoping this comes to fruition!

Julian

[LaneRover]

Can you powdercoat over galvanization? If you can does powdercoating care if the piece you are doing has both aluminum and galvanized steel?

The roof is mostly aluminum but the drip edge (and strength) is galvanized steel.

[Cutter]

Not sure if you have the standoff tube things (really technical) that the edges of the shield attach to the roof along the sides? Looks great otherwise.

[knac1234]

Cutter--Don't know what those are, but thanks for the insight. I thought the rails you see on top of the roof (and rails not pictured on the backside of the sunshield) was all there was to it, and that round spacers of some sort fixed the very edges (where the holes are) of the sunshield to the roof. Definitely could be wrong....hence post

Actually, Cutter, I just looked at a parts book that came with the Rover. They call the spacer a "distance piece". Unfortunately, especially when it comes to the headliner, the exploded diagrams leave some interpretation!!!

Lanerover-Got you on the different metals types. I was under the impression that any metal could be powdercoated. I was going to actually ask the place that does it to mask the galvanized "lip" around the roof......the rails on top are covered by the sunshield so weren't an issue to me.

Keep it coming....just the stuff I need to figure out my plan!

Julian

[jac04]

Just wondering - why do you want to have the roof powdercoated? For PC to last on aluminum, special cleaning & prep steps must be followed. If not, the PC will not adhere properly. Something else to consider is the sealant used around the drip edge - can it withstand the cure temperature?

[Cutter]

My roof isn't in the best shape, and this is not the best photo but one I had on my computer:

[JimCT]

powder coating

I work in the marine industry and powder coating fails all the time on aluminum, and it is way more work to remove it and redo the part. Not sure if this new trend to powder coat everything is a great idea. Paint on properly prepared aluminum if hard to beat.

[knac1234]

Cutter--thanks....that's what I am missing for sure on the exterior of the roof.

Jim--will look into the powdercoating issue. I dealt a lot with a place in Co Springs with powdercoating, but of course not aluminum. Will check into it. Also, I am going to see if a contact in Vegas who bought some parts off me has powdercoated his yet.....he is doing an awesome resto of his 88.

Jac--I noticed that sealant where the roof meets the galvanized drip edge. It looks pretty worn (as does the standard roof's one on my Series). I guess I thought I could chisel it out and clean it up, then PC, then use an epoxy or silicone sealer to redo it. Again, something to figure out....any tips??

Cheers,
Julian

[xsbowes]

Some comments on aluminum powder coating:

http://www.finishing.com/322/04.shtml

[69Bugeye]

I understand the concerns with aluminum and powder coating but we're not comparing apples to oranges in these instances. The use of powder coating on aluminum in marine applications is practially futile. The reason in galvanic corrosion.

Those of you with boating experience will know that one effective method of preventing corrosion on your boat is by using a sacraficial annode (or is it cathode?). Aluminum just happens to be an excellent metal to use as the sacraficial element. So if you have powder coated a piece of aluminum on your boat, all it takes is one tiny void for the water to come into contact with the metal and the process is off and running. Even though you may only have one square inch of area exposed, the electrical process is working throughout the entire piece. You have already lost the battle at this point.

I agree with the earlier comment that in this application, painted surfaces seem to do better. But this doesn't change the fact that once the sea water has access to the bare aluminum, the clock has started and things are going to turn to white powder.

In the case of the Land Rover, nothing changes except that we aren't constantly in contact with the water like a boat would be. It is a much more manageable situation and of course, surface preparation is key.

[JimCT]

New England

You obviously do not live in New England, our rovers are subject to lots of salt and water much of the year.

[69Bugeye]

Yes...I clearly wasn't thinking about that.
Thanks for the clarification.

[knac1234]

So I drove the Series down to my powder coater yesterday, and he is confident in results and durability. He is very experienced and has government contracts in the Springs. He said if I am overly concerned, he can use some kind of a powdercoat "primer" before the final coat.

So, I am going to move forward with preparing for this part of the plan

The "filler" that goes inside the galvanized lip of the roof.....I assume that is there to prevent moisture from getting in between where the roof aluminum meets the galvanized lip/gutter trim?

Can I just chisel it out (it will be media blasted as well), and when it comes back powdercoated, refill this with a silicone or something? Any tips appreciated.

Julian

[Terrys]

Julian, see Mercedesrovers thread on his headliner experience on Guns & Rovers.
I wouldn't powdercoat either the roof or the sunshield. A good acrylic enamal stays flexible longer than any paints, and powder coated finishes are not known for liking flex. Powder coating has it's pros in c ertain applications, but I wouldn't classify this one as even close.

Are you going with body color on the roof, and alpine white on the sunshield?
As others have said, I think the only thing you're missing are the stand-offs, and screws for them.

[junkyddog11]

Not sure why you'd bother with PC on the body panels, but whatever. Regardless, silicone is a poor choice of sealant. If you are going to do it over the finish it will have to be something that is resistant to UV.
All said, I'm sure someone will claim PC is the $#!t but a good quality seam sealer painted over with good quality paint will last 40 yrs or so if taken care of(judging by some of the roofs I have) . I'd give the powder coat about 5yrs at best in the application your thinking of. it will cost more and will not look any better especially around the edges where you have the sealer. Just sayin