Thread: Tree Crushed 2500HD Silverado Crew Repair

Originally Posted by Slab

"A crisp Long Wheelbase $10 and I'm back with forward motion"
I'm thinking the auto spellcheck thingy did a number on that sentence! Or I'm just slow. Could be either.

A long wheel base 10, is a 100. I dint know that. Live and learn. Roj texted me the answer! lol

Now I can get back to work. Had another idea as to how to match the cute perfectly the first time and I think it will work well. I will see if my idea is sound then post up the results from the cuts.

Today was a long time coming. Numerous projects, tasks, honey do's, etc to get here.

I spend the better part of the morning making patterns and marking up the Truck Roof before removal. I think tomorrow it will be gone. Anyway lots of "Puckering" double checking the measurements against existing body marks to be as close as I can get on my final cuts so the replacement roof mates as perfect as possible.



So the point of these two pattern is to provide as close a marking point as possible. I flipped the same patterns for the opposite side for mirror image markings. The B-Pillar is the Center Post, the body lines curve so a positive angle on the front edge and a negative angle on the back towards the rear door so I needed two perfect fitting patterns. One hiccup is the passenger rear opening will not allow the pattern to lay flat like the other openings so I kinda used "The Force" to guess-timate where to cut.



I marked the B-Pillar here as square as possible.



The truck B-Pillars are marked all the way around adding 1/4in using the Fine-Line tape to add what I think I need.



Now I have to nail this cut on each side. The B-Pillars can be trimmed so the roof is true to the rear door openings but I need this front to be absolutely perfect. Wee will see if that happens. This cut down square and a new sharpie was used for the layout. It took a while to do all 4-Pillars but I had to get it right.



All the lines are falling exactly where existing body reference marking exist so I feel pretty good about the layout.



Fine-Line 1/4in tape was used again to give me a 1/4in away from the plastic inserts for the windshield trip. That way I'm not welding up a hole I would have to turn around and fix. The Bobcat is sitting facing the passenger side of the truck as I write this with the Forks ready to lift off the old roof. A rough cut to remove the roof will give me a idea of what to expect of the saw blades.

Unbelievable job you are tackling. If anyone can do it I know you will. Great job Rojo, thanks for sharing. Inspiring us amateurs to get up and do "something". Certainly inspires me.

Originally Posted by Slab

Unbelievable job you are tackling. If anyone can do it I know you will. Great job Rojo, thanks for sharing. Inspiring us amateurs to get up and do "something". Certainly inspires me.

A decision on paint has to happen today, the replacement roof must be painted before tacking into place. If I miss a cut or have to fill a crack I will have metal inside the joints with pop rivets to hold the metal in place till tacked up. This truck doesn't have OnStar but the replacement roof has a OnStar antenna so I may weld up and repair that hole before painting. Fun, fun.

Another milestone this morning, time to make some rough cuts and get the Cab Roof out of the way.



First things first I lined up the Bobcat Pallet Forks with the roof splitting the B-Pillar.



I pulled out 2 different power saws because I wanted to get the feel of how each cut through the Cab. I have purchased air saws for the fine cutting but this is a gross cut so I do not have to work around the Roof while making crucial critical cuts.



I positioned the Porta-Power to hold up the side closest to the Pallet Forks as I didn't expect to have room for cutting once the Bobcat was in position for the lift.



Here the Bobcat is in position and a little uplift tension is added before I cut the other side.



The Roof is free and out of the building. If I need some sheet metal to make patches to weld in I will bring it back inside for the patch extractions.



I went inside and told my wife we now own a convertible. She didn't know I was cutting the roof off while she cooked breakfast.

I use PPG Refinish products with all Automotive related painting projects. I can't say they are the best, once your using a system you don't just switch but I can say PPG Refinish products never let me down.



Not too much to see in the front. I have been doing business with the PPG Refinish distributor for a very long time. The entire crew here are great guys.



This is a picture of the Mixing Room. I'm picking up a quart single-stage and activator for the interior and a gallon to start on the exterior. Since opening & closing the paint contaminates it I had the gallon packaged into quarts as I will need a sprayable quart to quart and a half at one time. All in supplies this trip was $707 and I'm expecting a total refinish cost of $1500 or less. Quotes to fix this truck were all over $20K I'm $2100 all in right now. That's a replacement door complete, replacement roof complete, replacement back cab section complete, and this trip to the paint store. I have a ways to go. I'm installing new carpet and a new headliner cover not sure what else. Also plan to rebuild the Rearend while the Bed is off.

Awesome. Looks good like that. Slap a roll cage in and leave it convertible…