Filling in a sunroof yawn!

[Langsam 10]

Before all the haters jump on, I'm not gonna just simply replace my C with another non sunroof C vehicle.

 

My C hasn't been blessed from the factory ie it has a aftermarket sunroof fitted. Best way to describe the setup is think mk3 fiesta sunroof and microwave door glass! Anyway it leaks from time to time, but it is also a major eye saw especially on a corrado.

 

Obviously this is a big job to do but me and my mates like a challenge.

 

So has anyone done this before?

[Dox 23]

Carbon roof skin?

[sexybourbon 0]

Sunroof out and i would assume tak welding a plate on the underside then skimming or something along the lines of that

The only problem you might have though is it cracking as the roof flexes

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

iv thought about doing this before and Dox is right , carbon roof skin is the easiest way to do this right, carbon roof skin without sun roof is like £550, and theres no way your going to be able to weld it without distortion from welds shrinking + not to mention to get it straight with filler + painting your looking over £500 for a decent job, not to mention your scenario is even worse off then blanking off the normal sun roof as the normal sun roof actually has abit of rigidity around the edge which will help keep shape,

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

What do you do then? Remove the old roof in its entirety and then bond the carbon one in place? Do you loose any strength doing that or does keeping the the structure under the roof skin suffice?

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

What do you do then? Remove the old roof in its entirety and then bond the carbon one in place? Do you loose any strength doing that or does keeping the the structure under the roof skin suffice?

 

the carbon skin is bonded on top of the original so you leave like 3inch or so of original roof skin around the perimeter to bond too, the rest of the inner metal gets neatly cut out, the supports are left alone so no strength is lost, there was a photo of a mk1/2? golf being done which pretty much explains it, looks pretty simple to do as well, you don't even need the windscreen removing just the seal, once the skin is down you put the seal back in on top of it,

 

 

yea here it is , worth a butchers http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=bodywork-fittings-and_2%2Fcarbon-fibre-roof_2

[Langsam 10]

I thought about leaving the original pressed metal work in the roof but just slowly welding a piece of old roof with the edges rolled to give strength then just weld in place.

 

I really do need to remove the sunroof as I'm sick of it leaking and ruining my interior.

[Stonejag 10]

Think I know the type, my mum had one way back when. She ordered her Mk3 Golf from new in around 1996, but there was a cockup at the factory and they built her a sunroof-less one. She insisted on the spec she'd bought and they added a horrific retrofit one that added a huge bulge all around the roof hole...

 

Saw a rework done on the Channel 5 programme "Classic Car Rescue" - sponsored by Adrian Flux - if I recall right they welded a replacement plate into a MGB roof. The trick seemed to be getting the replacement panel curved exactly right on an English wheel before attempting to weld it - but then they just did a light skim of filler around the edges and it looked fine painted. No idea how long it'd last, mind, some of the show's repairs look pretty suspect ;)

 

I suspect you'll actually have more trouble finding a non-sunroof headliner than fixing the roof. Not sure if fiberglassing over the hole in a regular one and recovering it would work?

 

Stone

[davidwort 0]

Yuck, those aftermarket sunroofs are horrible and I've seen windscreen firms fitting them, which is even more horrible, think bodging diy-er with a jig-saw!

I think I'd go to a bodyshop and ask for some advice, I'd imagine the most successful route would be a section from a non-sunroof Corrado welded and ground to minimise the use of filler. Tbh I think I'd rather find a new Corrado shell given the cost of repair and painting, or there's always the convertible option :)