Vinyl Roofs,trim,interior and body work

[Slow Ride]

I think I'm over my head a little bit with my '77 Pontiac Ventura. Welding up the various small holes and a smoothing few dents don't scare me but...

I noticed a little rust coming out from under the vinyl top. When I got a peek under there it's something that needs to be taken care of. I started to try an take the trim off the car, but it's not going well.

How in the heck is the top held on? Should I take it to an upholstry shop, so they can make a pattern or something? I MUST KEEP THE 1/2 VINYL LANDAU TOP!!!!! It's one of the reasons I bought the car in the first place.

The drip rail trim piece are all faded so I tried to get one off, Yeah right. It's in a million pieces now, with no readily available replacement out there. The little plastic pieces that hold the window trim crack very easily too. Anyone know where I can find these possibly hard to find clips and trim pieces?

How do you remove the large lower rear interior panels? I got the interior window trim out and all of the other pieces, but that one just doesn't seem to want to budge. Do I use a long prybar? Anyone with experience with the 4th gen x-body?

Anyone out there really good at sculpting scoops onto hoods? Right now I have a T/A shaker screwed on, but I bought a 'vette Sting Ray scoop a while back that I'd really like to use.

Any good sources out there for finding obscure parts? I want to convert from a '77 nose to a '76.

[COYBILT]

franks pontiac parts might have something
Or try Ames performance they do pontiacs

[NOT A TA]

You can just order a replacement vinyl roof. They come oversize and get trimmed to fit. I order mine through a local upholstery shop but companies like Year One/Classic industries sell them also if you want to mail order it. They are held on with glue which is sprayed on the car and vinyl using a regular paint gun and compressor. Make sure the bodywork is done well and painted. The plastic clips the trim snaps onto are available as replacements through local parts suppliers, (not chain type stores) take a sample so they can match it up in their books. Be prepared to remove the rear window and fix the backlight opening as water collecting under the edges of the vinyl probably caused rust in the area between the clips that hold the trim. The clips hold the vinyl tight to the body so theres not usually as much rust close to the clips.
Oh ya the thin trim on the body comes off with a putty knife. Slide the knife down the vinyl 1/2 way under the trim then slide sideways till you feel it tight by a clip and lift the handle up away from the body keeping the blade flat on the trim.

[Slow Ride]

Here is what I found...

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/slowride454/Ventura%202008/DSCN0573.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/slowride454/Ventura%202008/DSCN0574.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/slowride454/Ventura%202008/DSCN0575.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/slowride454/Ventura%202008/DSCN0576.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g163/slowride454/Ventura%202008/DSCN0577.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Hard to tell on my flintstones era laptop but it looks like you've got pinhole sized holes through the pass lower window area. Is it rusted through? Is the metal weak from rust?

[Slow Ride]

I poked at it with a n awl and couldn't find any weak areas. The large holes are for drainage I think. The smaller ones hold on the fiberglass for the vinyl roof. I think I cand just knock off the big chinks and POR-15 it??

[MarkM66]

I'd take a Roloc Scotch Brite to it. It might clean up ok.

[NOT A TA]

Yup clean it up as much as you can with wire brush, scotch roloc, or grinder and then por-15 then fill/sand/paint