Now that the doors are done (sans locks for now), it was time to take the top off and prepare for paint. First the doors were unbolted and the struts removed and the doors were put off to the side for now. The canopy screws were removed and the temporary clecos were also removed.
Everything got backed for future use and then the canopy top was taken off – the first time its been off in months. Once I had the canopy top off (thanks Tricia!), I placed it upside down on my work table to begin preparing the inside surface. I had previously drilled mounting points for the overhead console to make sure it was in the right position, so I reattached the overhead console and noted places that needed trimmining.
First the overhead needed trimming to fit over the struts brackets that hold the door gas struts. Then I trimmed around the forward edge near the windscreen and also cut out the area for the forward support arm that will go from the canopy to the panel area. I also trimmed the aft lip where it will contact the rear bulkhead in the baggage area.
I used some Lord Epoxy 7545 A/E which is a two part epoxy to adhere the overhead console. I purchased it from AeroSportProducts, who also made the carbon fiber components including this overhead. They recently started selling this adhesive as its hard to find in limited quantities. I will also use this to install the windows soon.
Because of the uneven contour of the top, some areas too extra epoxy to ensure the console was completely adhered to the top. I wound up using 3/4 of a 200ml tube to do this because of the larger gaps in some areas. Overall the console fit very well. I will work to blend the console in and you’ll never know it wasnt part of the canopy once the body work is done.
myrv10factory 