Kevtherevagon

[Plasticman]

Well did a quick picky for you.
I think its maybe not so bad under here as mqay I suggest its not had this hitop on from very early in its life.see

Ive circled the rivits Ive drilled out and there are no other holes in the metal and I doubt the convertors would have used a s/hand top?
the areas of rust in places have nothing to do with hitop fixings etc.
these two show the roof and as you can see its not at all got to this which is a relief (well for you it is) im not fussed as welding is welding and some is more fun and entertaining than others, headcloth has come out but it was/is grotty.


heres a couple of the nsr arch/wing. I have highlighted the spotswelds and the lip which unless someone is making pattern repros then this has to be a genuine wing, been fitted a few years though

they have used the same bathroom white silicone sealnt to fix the support bits to it,
at the rear I have highlighted in yellow the replacement wing and the remains of the rotten old one outlined in red.

doing it this way is a ccomplete waste of time and effort as the rusty seam is still there festering away, if folk will remove a panal then remove it all if there is still rust in the way.
so it would seem that its had a hitop added and this at least (more when I cut it open further)by the same folks
mm

[jed the spread]

My heart was pounding while reading through this, it was fueled with my own emotional attachment to this campervan. I have to admit to enjoying the Colombo style investigation and finding out about the roof and side panel.

I am now hooked on this thread

jed

[dazwatson]

Can't wait to see the finished result.

[shepster]

Can't wait to see the finished result.

You might do, just in time for the Bashtie I reckon!

[kevtherev]

@jed
shep and me thought the top might have been damaged at the same time as the rear arch, then a replacement fitted.
the possible scenarios are many.. but I know autosleeper didn't pop rivet

It was always a high top as I found the original Autosleeper registration docs.
The front panel under the windscreen has been replaced too

[jed the spread]

Good job MM is on with it now mate before it got really bad under that roof etc.

jed

[Martin]

my autosleeper roof was just the same, think autosleeper were butchers.

my shell i just weighed in wasnt that bad tho.

[Plasticman]

Well untill we get further into stripping off, I make this observation,
if we say the van was built as a hitop auto S and they do not use pop rivits then for some reason the hitop was removed, could be accident as in low bridge etc, anyhow off it came because Im 100% sure that the original converters would not have used a s/hand top.
If we accept that then this top is from another source, and s/hand before being fitted to this van, I note tyhere is still attached to the underside of the HT a half inch wide strip of what may have been double sided tape, and this is still adhered to the ht but has a load of white sanitary sealnt hopefully holding it to the metal roof/body and in the very btm of the gutters 2 thin as in 2-4mm beads of non setting sealant, good gear but not touching anything so just there for show though the applier had the right idea...
then at the rear the pop rivits,
I also note that the timber frame at the front was and still is broken in the middle with the missing bit layed/wedged on the nsf corner out of sight. could it have had a front roof collision etc?
I may just rip the rest of the bad stuff off tommorow to better gauge the extent of the corrosion and have the messiest bit out the way, then go fab some window surrounds and such.
mm

[Martin]

mine was riveted around where they cut the hole along the top were the wooden frames are that trim the roof,
was also riveted along the front of roof, and along the rear edge,
the roof was sealed some dodgy stuff inthe gutters.

it was really butchered around the top rails, folded metal with rivets.
also around the windows where a/s had cut the second lip off looked like it had been done with a tin opener.

[Plasticman]

Well,curiosity always got and gets the better of me, ignore the tennis balls! this is as found


the sides of the frame seem intact with originnal screws and dont look to have been disturbed, there was also a bit of wood glue holding these front rails to the main wood frame near the ht side windows

this shows the sealant


the first pick has the decent adhesive whilst the second has that and the white?
mm

[Martin]

mine didnt have that much sealant there, or any wooden frame.

[Plasticman]

Then what did the front bed board or whatever you would call it rest on or wasnt this there. aqlso the white sealant in the front of the ht is also over the carpet so definate afterthought on s/h top
mm

[kevtherev]

I have to stand corrected on sleeper roof fixing, Martin is right that it was the case with riveting.
and glueing, although the method varied some time later

[Plasticman]

Amazing what we find out, tommorow will be fun then
mm

[1664]

I can't work out where/what these two pictures are or what they have to do with the high top