Roof line question (w/ pic)

[GT_Rich]

Doing more body work this winter and I have a question about the edge of the roof on hatchbacks, right above where the quarter window and drip moldings come together. I haven't done any body work at this point, but after I got it in primer, I noticed a slight bulge - and it's the same on both sides. So either all the hard launches this car has seen caused the bulge, or this is just how they came from the factory. Anyone know? I will say this car has NEVER been in an accident, so if it's not like this from the factory, it happened from launching it.

Also, I imagine it's even harder to see once trim is on.

 

[ryan218]

if that is from hard launched pull up your carpet and see how your floor pan looks, it may have a tear in the pan or crinkles... if this is the case if i were you id look into a nice 8 point cage..

can you take a close up of it?

 

[GT_Rich]

The floor pans are perfect. So are the torque boxes. When I got the car (at 130k miles) I welded in subframe connectors and welded up the torque boxes. If it's tweaked from hard launches, I imagine it happended prior to the SFCs.

What I really want to know is if that's the normal shape or not. B/c it really could be like that from the factory!

 

[ttop88]

I think it is factory. Both my hard top cars have it, and the other 6 I had prior did also.

 

[Roland69]

isn't that the area that warps and kinks from the twisting and flexing

 

[PUNISHER RACING]

I have had em with and without

 

[25thmustang]

Nothing to do with "hard launches" I know rusted out fox's that have been running 9s and 10s for 5+ years, and there roofs look just like everyone elses.

My car doesn't have it bad anymore, as that was taken care of as best as it could before paint!

 

[GT_Rich]

hey 25th - I was actually looking for your input on this since I know you did your own body work. What are you saying it's from? And how did you repair it? Grind away metal, fill up to the highest point, tap high metal down? It's just such an odd place to be working on. Kinda scared of it!

 

[25thmustang]

It's from the factory that way. Ford isn't the highest quality car and these are some of the reasons that prove this. I did a lot of the body work but far from all of it. The kids who painted the car took care of this, and a friend took care of where the roof and back of the 1/4 meet above the 1/4 window (another bad place on fox's).

 

[mustangjoe87]

Your sunroof is causing the roof to flex.

 

[25thmustang]

The roof is not flexing...

Every fox body has that. Same with the spot on the roof / 1/4 where they meet.

Track launches arent doing it, stress isn;t doing it, it was done a long time ago before the car ever hit the road.

 

[mustangjoe87]

The roof is not flexing...

Every fox body has that. Same with the spot on the roof / 1/4 where they meet.

Track launches arent doing it, stress isn;t doing it, it was done a long time ago before the car ever hit the road.

I wouldnt be too sure that everyone has that, mine is straight.

 

[25thmustang]

I have never seen one that was perfectly straight. Now if you had the car painted theres a good chance that was taken care of when they did the body work.

 

[fiveohlxhatch]

The roof is not flexing...

Every fox body has that. Same with the spot on the roof / 1/4 where they meet.

Track launches arent doing it, stress isn;t doing it, it was done a long time ago before the car ever hit the road.

My Hatch has this "bump" on the C pillar front of the hatch but behind the rear 1/4 glass. My notch doesn't. I guess it's "one of those things"...

 

[mustangjoe87]

I have never seen one that was perfectly straight. Now if you had the car painted theres a good chance that was taken care of when they did the body work.

I'm the only one that has done body work and paint on the car, it was straight.

 

[GT_Rich]

Wow - didn't expect this post to last this long.

It wouldn't surprise me if the sunroof was causing flex. I had to add some cross bars between the sunroof and hatch (between the headliner and roof metal) to support the roof when block sanding the repairs I was making. It's a lot stiffer now (and straighter), but I'm still afraid the mud will walk with driving time. As for the area of discussion, I think I'm going to block it down the best I can (until I'm out of primer), re-prime, and call it good it good. IF this area does flex, it's the last place I want mud.

I just recalled an episode of pinks where the sunroof flew off a fox stang as it went down the track. What do you think caused that?

 

[25thmustang]

Sooo much power in these cars, they are twisting the bodies like pretzals with street tires!!! Must have been why every single fox we have owned had that same "issue".