How hard is it to remove the drip rail?

[birddog]

I'm pulling the drivers quarter off my 65 FB. I noticed the drivers drip rail is showing some rust holes after media blasting. I can only assume there's probably quite a bit of rust hidden in the seams. I'm thinking now is my chance to remove and clean/ seal behind the overlapping panels. There are obvious spot welds which will need to be drilled out. After were it spot welded to the A and B pillars it is sandwiched between the roof bracing. Does anyone know when it laps up into the roof braces, if it is spot welded up under the roof. It almost looks like there is adhesive or seam sealer holding this area together. I've included a few pictures of the area.

[birddog]

Another pic.

[Caper50]

I haven't taken one apart but I checked on my coupe as well and it looks like it is spot welded under the roof skin.

[Gas_Pumps]

Is all of the caulking removed from the drip rail to roof panel space? I would assume so since you have had the body media blasted. Your picture is from the underside and that looks pretty good. How about a couple of pictures from above. I had to replace some of the rail above the door because of rust from the salt in the morning dew getting down through the cracks in the dried out caulking.

[SchnorrCS]

I've never done it, but there was a good article in either Mustang Monthly or Modified Mustangs and Fords just a month or two ago. Looks like a PITA. Not overly aweful, but not easy either.

[jevchance]

Lots of spot welds. At least they make replacements for fastbacks (yes I'm bitter)

[Caper50]

At one time I was contemplating buying the fastback rail to repair the rusted section on my coupe.

[jevchance]

Me as well. I understand the first 2/3rds or so are the same.

[bartl]

Looks like a real bitch. I'm guessing that it's sandwiched in there.

[gasman826]

From the title of the orginial post, I thought it would be a discussion about shaving a drip rail.
Skinned a roof once. Actually twice. Once on my car and the second time on the donor car. Shaved the drip rails while I was at it. A ton of spot welds. In some places, several layers pinched together. If the roof has worm holes in it, drill the spot welds and cut the area out, make a patch, and weld it in like any repair. If the drip rail is rotten, that's another store. The roof needs to be out of the way to repair the drip. Just bending it out of the way is not really an option. The drip rail is part of the inner roof structure. There could be rot for several inches with no way to assess it. There was no sealing, coating, or paint in that seam area and it is a great area to catch moisture and mouse piss. If the damage is confined to the rail, I would consider repair of the rail. Afer the repair, I would roll the car upside down and inject some kind of rust catalyst around the entire roof seal perimeter.

[birddog]

Since I'm removing the quarter, I think I'll just drill out the drip rail spot welds to the B post. Pry back the lap joint just enough to spray some rust encapsulator. I may even need to replace some metal because of rust through. When I get it back on the rotisserie, I'll flip it upside down and spray the encapsulator from inside the roof. I bought some of Eastwoods encapsulator with the spray wand.