1935 Buick sedan - Clean Fill

A similar treatment was required in the rear corners too. Once again a diagonal cut makes the transition less stressful to the metal and you'll note the rear corners did not require a relief cut.

With the entire roof insert tack-welded in place we spent some time checking to be certain the roof was resting on the new bows and that the crown of the insert from side to side and front to rear was perfect. The new braces make it look like a factory installation.

Now all that's left is welding, lots of welding. Alternate sides with 2-inch passes between the tack welds and use a hammer and dolly to knock down the occasional high spot. Hammer welding also helps flatten the weld.

After TIG welding the seams the welds are metal finished with a grinder. Shoaf prefers the somewhat more malleable weld a TIG produces, but a MIG weld can also be used. As you can see filler required will be minimal.

From the rear, the crown of the roof is apparent and equally obvious is the fact that this roof insert follows the curves of the original Buick perfectly.

The final touch to completing the insert is adding foam to the inner bows, just like GM did in the '80s. You could tack-weld the bows to the new insert but that's a big sheet of metal that's going to expand and contract and the foam will permit some movement and also prevent any possible squeaks. Use the low-expanding foam and use small quantities as the foam is strong enough to push the panel up.

After all the seams were metalworked, a skim coat of filler and some high-quality primer were used to finish the roof insert. The new roof is a huge improvement over the original look on this big Buick.

From the front you can see the new insert has added a smooth look to the car and the ribbed station wagon insert stiffens the metal and breaks up the expanse of metal for a better-appearing top.

The overall view of the top in place is a testimony to Larry Shoaf's skills, but this is a modification that is simple, but not easy. By working slowly and methodically the metal is formed perfectly to fit the opening.