Pop-Top Hinge woes

Post by **weejoe** » 13 Aug 2006, 18:51

Hi all

The front two hinges on the pop top of my 85 Devon have come away

Looks like a rust problem, the front ones rivets have come away from there fixing holes and it appears the middle one has taken away part of the roof itself.

So whats the best way forward then ?

Is it a visit to the welders and a right pain in the but job or is there an alternative ? ie relocation of alternative hinges ?

thanks for looking

Post by **DiscoDave** » 13 Aug 2006, 20:11

have you got some pics?? my guess would be to drill off the hinges, clean up the metal or what is left of it before welding new plates where the hinges go, and then put it all back together!

Post by **weejoe** » 13 Aug 2006, 20:52

sorry mate no pics as yet, just discovered the problem tonight.

I'm gonna have a better look over the next day or two and take some pics.

the panel the hinges were rivited onto looks solid along most it's length, it looks like it's only corroded in the hinge areas themselves.

Post by **DiscoDave** » 14 Aug 2006, 19:01

sounds about right! the van i took my roof off was crackered where the hinges had been, nice water trap and they hadn't sealed the hinges or painted the holes! when i put mine on i used that red paint stuff(and penty of it) all around the area where the hinge was going and afterwards piled a load of waxoyl in there too!!

Post by **weejoe** » 14 Aug 2006, 20:35

Just finished a 12 hour shift at work and got another one tomorrow so haven't been near the van.

I'm wonderring if I could get away with any welding by having one of the guys at work cutting me some Stainless plate that would go over the rusty areas and beyond onto solid van, have it fixed to the van either side and use this plate to bolt the roof onto.

Does this sound like a naff plan ?

I don't know any welders and imagine if I found one they'd need the full roof removed, I've seen all those rivets, looks like a time zapping job.

Post by **diviy** » 16 Aug 2006, 22:38

if you post a pic with sizes of hinge i work in a archtecial ironmonger posh hardware shop stock 100s of different higes

Post by **weejoe** » 17 Aug 2006, 20:19

diviy wrote:if you post a pic with sizes of hinge i work in a archtecial ironmonger posh hardware shop stock 100s of different higes

Hi mate

Theres nowt wrong with the actual hinges, it's the rusty body work that failed to hold them that I need to work on