Sunroof delete

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rhubarb
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:42 pm

Anyone on here done a sunroof delete?
goosiegander
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:03 pm

Yep, have a look at the first few pages of the x-works thread stickied at the top of the chat page,


Proper job!

:D
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rhubarb
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:31 pm

goosiegander wrote:Yep, have a look at the first few pages of the x-works thread stickied at the top of the chat page,


Proper job!

:D
Thanks mate :wink:
Motorhole
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:21 pm

Got one done here. Had a bit of Capri roof skin welded into the aperture. Skim and respray, can't tell from the outside.
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rhubarb
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:23 pm

Motorhole wrote:Got one done here. Had a bit of Capri roof skin welded into the aperture. Skim and respray, can't tell from the outside.
Did you remove the cassette?

And no distortion? Dab with a damp rag job? :)
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:53 am

The problem with that is that it will inevitably crack the filler around the sunroof aperture. If you MIG it continuously the skin will warp. A mate did this on an E36 and 2 years later it was cracking. You need to remove the cassette and also trim the return flange off.
Replacing the roof skin is more expensive but probably easier in the long run, and definitely a proper job.
Motorhole
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:24 am

Andyboy wrote:The problem with that is that it will inevitably crack the filler around the sunroof aperture. If you MIG it continuously the skin will warp. A mate did this on an E36 and 2 years later it was cracking. You need to remove the cassette and also trim the return flange off.
Replacing the roof skin is more expensive but probably easier in the long run, and definitely a proper job.
Ah, that is something I havn't thought of. It's been ok so far but will see how it goes. I guess roof-flex results in the cracking? The car is caged too so I wonder if that reduces the amount the roof flexes.

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G-Bear
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:03 pm

There was a chap on here several months back that put a steel strip in around filling the gap between the aperture and sunroof panel, then welded it in. I think it was in the gallery section on a M3 touring build..
Kedge
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:10 pm

If it's just for a track car just take out the cage and all the sunroof parts and then seal the sunroof panel in place or replace with something eve lighter. Weight reduced and no worries about cracking paint/filler. Pretty sure this is what DanThe has done.

If it's for a road car then you'll want to change the whole roof skin for a proper longlasting job.
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rhubarb
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:06 pm

This is my road car, it's a touring.

I'm getting a bit of water coming in at the long back edge of the panel, and it's dropping down onto the edge of the cassette.

I've cleared and hosed through all 4 drain channels/hoses.

OSF drain hole is starting to rust.

I never really use the sunroof, I find it causes a buffeting in the car when open.

The other simple idea I had was to buy and fit a wedge type seal that I can push in from above and put some rtv sealant all around before pushing the seal in.

I don't fancy chopping the roof off :D

I just want to keep the car in good nick and not have any damp problems
G-Bear
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:37 pm

G-Bear wrote:There was a chap on here several months back that put a steel strip in around filling the gap between the aperture and sunroof panel, then welded it in. I think it was in the gallery section on a M3 touring build..
Here you go scroll about a third of the way down..

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ht=touring
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rhubarb
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 11:02 pm

G-Bear wrote:
G-Bear wrote:There was a chap on here several months back that put a steel strip in around filling the gap between the aperture and sunroof panel, then welded it in. I think it was in the gallery section on a M3 touring build..
Here you go scroll about a third of the way down..

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ht=touring
Thanks for that :wink: