Roof Rack removal/ Painting

this is for MONMIX mainly, but anyone else feel free to chime in. The roof rack, luggage railsetc on the Explorer seem to be riveted on (seem to be hell, they are). if I remove them for painting...(drilling out the rivets) am I going to have leakage problems? Or maybe put another way, how do you paint the roof on these with all that garbage? Mask and pray?

I'm all ears on how to do this. thanks !

 

[CDW6212R]

Chris, my 93 Limited had everything removed except those riveted pieces. Basically paint around them, any imperfections from masking them off won't ever be noticed.

To remove them, you would be facing the complete removal of the entire interior, to get the headliner off. I have seen one member here having them off, but I didn't ask him about the details of removing the rivets. He just filled the holes. Regards,

 

[Glacier991]

Don, thanks for the quick reply. I rather suspected that was the case... I just hate using the oil/grease remover pre paint prep with a toothbrush along edges... and so many feet of edges.... my experience tells me the paint always fails on that edge. <sigh> but yer right, who's gonna know?

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

When I painted my Navajo two weeks ago. I left my Rivited peices on and since my truck is Black I cleaned them up, sanded, and painted then with the body the Rest of the roof rack was painted trim black off the Truck.

Kris

 

[99SportX]

I think an X would look pretty cool with all roof rack components removed and all holeds filled.

 

[MONMIX]

yeah I have done this more than a few times. We ALWAYS remove.

Like CDW said remove the headliner. Last thing you want is a drill bit going through your headliner. Drill them out and put a small piece of masking tape under the hole.

When you go back together, a dab of sealant on a special rivit works like a charm. There is a special rivit, we always get them directly from Ford. It has a closed bottom so there ends up being no acutal hole at all.

 

[spindlecone]

As Monmix would I think agree to, removing, filling, repaint, would be very pricy, when I did mine i wanted to be able to put them back for future re-sale in case someone wanted them.
Removed the rails, trimmed the fiber washer around the insert flush, a dab of RTV, and snap on a license plate screw cap, whole deal costs about 5 bucks from kragen, you can paint them to match

 

[Glacier991]

I am not surprised MONMIX's shop pull's em.... it sounds like a good shop doing high end work. Frankly NOT pulling them will lead to paint edge failure in the future....

So now I am gonna turn into the noob. What all is involved in pulling the headliner (I mean I can go look, but a "high level" overview would be helpful.) My headliner has some damage, is there an aftermarket Co. selling them as replacements for 92's ?

(on a different note I have tried to keep mine stock, and want to try and continue... but someone vandalized the driver's seat with a razor recently... any good replacements out there or just a junkyard gamble ?)

(ps. I think it would be justifiable homicide to brain the vandalizing ******* with a baseball bat. Hell I'd even gladly wash the gray matter from inside his head off my Black Explorer... after I drove around with it as a trophy for a week! (I didn't say that!)

 

[MONMIX]

Thanks. We arent that high ended of a shop but we do warrenty our work and the paint for life, so paint edges is an invatation for a repaint. Do it once, do it right.

Headliners are a bit involved but not a nightmare. They are WAY easier on a SUV than on a car. Unless it is a hatch back. Getting the sucker out of a car with out bending it requires a degree in geomoetry. I digress....

It boils down to removing the visors, handles, B pillar trim and quarter trim. Make sure you have a CLEAN safe place to store the headliner in the mean time.

A good condition junk yard seat for a 92 ? You will find Jimmy Hoffa and Amelia Airheart first.

 

[Glacier991]

"Amelia Earhardt"... which raises a good point... there is a line of luggage named after her... now I ask you WHY!! would anyone buy a piece of luggage named for someone who got on a flight and was never found? Ever? Go figure.

 

[ions]

Cause most the luggage in the airport pulls an "Amelia Earhardt" and is never found again...lost in the black hole that is THE AIRPORT LUGGAGE TERMINAL!