Another day of prep work and planning. I needed to add bracing to the roof so I could remove the upper portions of the B-posts. The bracing is able to "slide" along a pair of guides so the roof stays exactly positioned side to side, yet I can adjust how much I want to lower the rear of the roof to gain on the proper roof profile.
I did a line drawing overlay from the stock and concept drawings so I could visualize the changes / needed for the roof, rear window and side windows. Obviously the stock outline is in green and the red outline is what our concept represents.
With the center portion of the roof braced up, I was able to cut the B-posts free.
Again with the roof braced, the B-posts were cut free. The internal bracing allows the roof to slide up and down so I can dial in exactly where I want the roof to end up eventually.
I did a rough trim on the rear of the roof in order to set the rear window into place again.
Here's a quick mock up with the rear window moved forward and slightly laid down into it's proposed location. Much more figuring and planning is obviously necessary....but it's nice to see things are basically shaping up how I have them in the concept drawing.
Again, as I mentioned last night, the rear window will certainly need to be widened to fit properly (about 3" or so??)
A picture from the side. Without a doubt I need to rework the upper roof rails to obtain the proper shape profile that I desire. Also gradually sloping the rear of the roof skin into the window opening will be vital as well.
A view from the other side a bit further away.
It's tough to get a good "visual" without the extended sail panel and re-contoured roof rail, but I'm happy with these quick and dirty mock ups. It helps me visualize and improve my plan of attack.