Auto body repair & detailing: complete roof replacement 66 mustang coupe, sheet metal screws, rear quarter panels

Question
The question i have the 66 mustang that i have has rust rot from the windshield pilliars over the roof to the rear quarter panels along the outer edge and the drip edge is complete gone. I am in the process looking for a donner car to replace the entire roof from fender to fender. Do you know the best way to go about this.      Thank you for your time   Tommy Honeycutt  (LOUISIANA)

Answer
Hi Tommy!....First off, to section in a complete roof assembly, you will obviously need to remove the windshield, rear window, and all of the interior....Once this is done, before doing any cutting, check the inner structure on the 1/4 panels, ( Sail panel area ), as to see where the reinforcements are placed...Once you have decided where to splice the inner structure, my recommendation is to use the overlap method to re-install this area....A 2 inch overlap is perfect....When welding this up, stitch weld your cut line completely, and with the overlap, plug weld the remainder together....On the outside of the sail panel, I would recommend a butt joint with an insert behind it....Using this method, will give some leadway as far as lining up the outter butt joint goes, as the inner will simply slide up and down and provide the backing ( insert )....On the "A" pillars, you can go about this 2 different ways....Use a butt joint with an insert, or an offset butt joint without an insert...Either way is acceptable and safe....Just remember to cut at least 8 to 10 inches up from the cowl, therefore avoiding the inner re-inforcements on the pillar....I would recommend splicing about half way up the pillar....Once you have the roof set in place, you can simply use sheet metal screws to secure it....Please make sure you test fit the doors, windshield, and rear window BEFORE welding....That way you can make any adjustments as necessary to ensure a propper fit and all gaps are even....If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to write back...Best of luck...Thanks....Dave