artic top rebuild

well i got to putting my old aluminum artic top back on for the cold weather and just couldnt stand the shape its gotten to so i decided to fix it up some. i started on the driverside panel. it was split on the bottom due to all the stress on that section being that it latches there. so i rivited a new L metal piece on the bottom.


i started stripping all the old paint off, thinking of going no paint, just leaving it bare aluminum. next i'll get all the other busted peices fixed up
now my next problem is the top where it connects to the windsheid. its got three bolts through the windsheid frame and messes up the top.


any ideas about how to repair this area?
should i spend the money and have a metal shop bend me up a repair piece to go over the damaged area?
id like to get rid of the bolts and go to a latch.

 

Love the easy rider poster, well aged like fine wine.
I would think a good metal shop could redue the top,clean the front bends,and put in a bar to clamp to w/s. (instead of bolts)

 

Looks like at some point it was modified to work with a stock windshield frame. I would think a sheet metal shop could rework that for a better fit and attachment. Are you going to rework the doors? We have an Arctic Hardtop also for a future project and it too is going to need repairs so I will be following your work.

 

x2

 

yes, it was originally a vertical windshied. my great grampa wanted to fit the top to the slant windshield. im planning on reworking the doors too and clean it all up. i have decided to take all the paint off. i have also decided to attempt to weld the repaired sections.(wish me luck) GreenGhost i've got more pics and info for ya.

 

heres some shots of the doors.


you can see how they cut the doors back. the measurement on top of the door is 28.25 approximetly.
heres a few on the mounting of the doors. as far as i can tell, they used the peice of the windshield that they cut off, the aluminum wedge, and a piece of steel with the origina hindges welded on. heres a few of those pics.

 

heres a few shots of the p/s panel where it is broke. the d/s panel was twice as bad as p/s.

 

I like the way they angled the doors! Looks good. We dont have the wedges for our windshield, guess I'll have to make a set.

 

im done with this project.
ordered a best top tiger top today.
hard top will at best be put in storage, and at worse be sold for scrap.
still havent decided on its fate.

 

i dunno what im doing with my kelly full top either.
it's in the shed right now but........