First I would like to give a big thanks to 92inPA and PAracer for their help with the design and install of the sunroof (and Mrs. 92inPa for lunch.) This is one of those mods I love because it solved a bunch of problems while making the car better in my mind. The lexan sunroof unlike the stock one, does not leak or rattle, and takes a bunch of weight (maybe 20 lbs total) off the highest point of the car. Performance and maintenance all in one step, what could be better.
The Pictures plus some other track goodies Ive installed in the last year.
To answer the first question preemptively, no the sunroof does not open at all after this.
The pseudo write up:
Just a rough idea of what is involved in this project. This is by no means the only way to install a lexan sunroof, just the way we did it.
Materials used:
3/16 Lexan or polycarbonate (don’t use acrylic) plus some scrap the same thickness
1/2 x 1/2 x 36 1/16 thick Aluminum angle qty: 3
1.5 x 1.5 x 36 1/8 thick Aluminum angle qty: 1
Machine screws, Phillips truss head, Stainless steel 18-8, 6-32 x 1/2
Machine screws, Phillips truss head, Stainless steel 18-8, 8-32 x 5/8
Hex lock nuts nylon insert, Stainless steel 18-8, 6-32
Hex lock nuts nylon insert, Stainless steel 18-8, 8-32
Pop rivets 1/8" dia 3/16" grip
Black spray paint
EDIT: Cleco fasteners and pliers. Clecos are used to hold parts in place as you drill holes for riveting/screwing. They allow you to drill all holes to install a part and make some minor adjustments before riveting/screwing into place. Once the part is lined up where you want it, you simple remove the Clecos one at a time and install the screws as you go.
Time to install: 9 hrs with 3 people, 1 of which has done it before. This doesn't count shaping the lexan, removing the headliner, or installing the headliner.
1. Make the lexan fit. The way I got my lexan was to make a template out of paper and give it to a shop that does that kind of stuff. For $70 I had a sheet of bronzed/smoked lexan cut to size. After they cut it I spent a little time with a palm sander and 80 grit sandpaper to fine-tune it.
2. Remove Seats, the console is optional. Remove headliner. Cover everything else in a drop cloth of some kind to catch the many, many shavings you are about to create.
3. Sunroof removal. Open the sunroof and drill out any rivets you see. Once that is done, close the sunroof. Push up on the glass and pull forward. Everything comes out as an assembly. Clean up the sunroof tray.
4. Optional. This step makes the finished product look stock and hides the bracing and ugly drip rails. Lay your lexan over the stock sunroof glass and align as closely as desired. Mask out the center of the bottom side (when installed) of the lexan to correspond with the area you can see through on the stock glass. Once that is done take black spray paint and give the unmasked portion of the bottom side a couple of coats. Let dry.
5. Take a couple of small pieces of the scrap lexan and overlap them slightly and tape them together. (see pics) What this does is make a spacer template for the bracing so the lexan will not sit too high or low.
6. Cut a piece of the 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/16 angle to fit the straight part of the front of the sunroof hole. There is a slight curve to the front but the angle will bend fine. I believe we used 27.5".
7. Lay out your screw pattern to attach the angle to the car. Center punch and drill the angle to accept the 6-32 screw. Place one part of the bracket spacer on roof of the car and place the angle under the piece of the spacer that sits in the sunroof opening. Drill the center most hole through the body work. Place a screw through the angle and loosely tighten a 6-32 nut on the back. Continue using the spacer and drilling out the remaining holes on the angle, using a screw and nut to secure every hole drilled.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the drives and passenger side. I believe the length we used for the side rails was 15". Go back and tighten all loose nuts.
9. The back bracing is harder than the front bracing. With the 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8 we had to cut it down a little so that it wouldn't stick above the roof at the edges, but at the same time had to spacer it up so that center was close enough to the roof to attach the .5 x .5 x 1/16. Once that was laid out, we drilled holes through a channel in the drip rails, through the spacers, and through the angle. We fastened with bolts and lock nuts of unknown dimension.
10. The back .5 x .5 x 1/16 angle was slit on the vertical section (the side that mounts to the larger angle) so that it would conform to the large curve the back of the roof takes. We used a procedure similar to the front and sides to locate the mounting holes. The only difference is that the mounting holes are in the 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8 angle instead of the body work. Once that was done we pop riveted it all together to avoid taking it all apart to use nuts and bolts since space was limited.
11. At this point you can lay the lexan in the hole and figure out how you want it to sit. Once that is done, layout the screw pattern and drill the lexan and brackets all at once. Coat your 8-32 screws in rtv and start attaching the lexan to the brackets with the 8-32 lock nuts.
12. It's a good idea if you have the time to let the rtv that seeped out of the screw heads to set. Once it is set you can mask the lexan so the final rtv'ing is easier. I didn't have the time so I just kept going.
13. Mask the body and leave a slight amt of paint showing around the sunroof opening. Mask the lexan (if the screw rtv is dry) leaving a slight amt of lexan showing at the edge. Run a bead of rtv around the entire gap between the lexan and bodywork. Take and ice cube and rub the large flat side on something flat, so that the ice cube gets a sharp edge. Use the ice cube to smooth out the rtv bead, think snowplow blade. The rtv won't stick one bit to the ice and is an excellent tool for moving rtv around. Peel up your masking and let everything dry.
14. There you have it, bucket test for leaks and your finished.
Edit: Mrs. 92inPa has a really nice motorcycle too.
The Pictures plus some other track goodies Ive installed in the last year.
To answer the first question preemptively, no the sunroof does not open at all after this.
The pseudo write up:
Just a rough idea of what is involved in this project. This is by no means the only way to install a lexan sunroof, just the way we did it.
Materials used:
3/16 Lexan or polycarbonate (don’t use acrylic) plus some scrap the same thickness
1/2 x 1/2 x 36 1/16 thick Aluminum angle qty: 3
1.5 x 1.5 x 36 1/8 thick Aluminum angle qty: 1
Machine screws, Phillips truss head, Stainless steel 18-8, 6-32 x 1/2
Machine screws, Phillips truss head, Stainless steel 18-8, 8-32 x 5/8
Hex lock nuts nylon insert, Stainless steel 18-8, 6-32
Hex lock nuts nylon insert, Stainless steel 18-8, 8-32
Pop rivets 1/8" dia 3/16" grip
Black spray paint
EDIT: Cleco fasteners and pliers. Clecos are used to hold parts in place as you drill holes for riveting/screwing. They allow you to drill all holes to install a part and make some minor adjustments before riveting/screwing into place. Once the part is lined up where you want it, you simple remove the Clecos one at a time and install the screws as you go.
Time to install: 9 hrs with 3 people, 1 of which has done it before. This doesn't count shaping the lexan, removing the headliner, or installing the headliner.
1. Make the lexan fit. The way I got my lexan was to make a template out of paper and give it to a shop that does that kind of stuff. For $70 I had a sheet of bronzed/smoked lexan cut to size. After they cut it I spent a little time with a palm sander and 80 grit sandpaper to fine-tune it.
2. Remove Seats, the console is optional. Remove headliner. Cover everything else in a drop cloth of some kind to catch the many, many shavings you are about to create.
3. Sunroof removal. Open the sunroof and drill out any rivets you see. Once that is done, close the sunroof. Push up on the glass and pull forward. Everything comes out as an assembly. Clean up the sunroof tray.
4. Optional. This step makes the finished product look stock and hides the bracing and ugly drip rails. Lay your lexan over the stock sunroof glass and align as closely as desired. Mask out the center of the bottom side (when installed) of the lexan to correspond with the area you can see through on the stock glass. Once that is done take black spray paint and give the unmasked portion of the bottom side a couple of coats. Let dry.
5. Take a couple of small pieces of the scrap lexan and overlap them slightly and tape them together. (see pics) What this does is make a spacer template for the bracing so the lexan will not sit too high or low.
6. Cut a piece of the 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/16 angle to fit the straight part of the front of the sunroof hole. There is a slight curve to the front but the angle will bend fine. I believe we used 27.5".
7. Lay out your screw pattern to attach the angle to the car. Center punch and drill the angle to accept the 6-32 screw. Place one part of the bracket spacer on roof of the car and place the angle under the piece of the spacer that sits in the sunroof opening. Drill the center most hole through the body work. Place a screw through the angle and loosely tighten a 6-32 nut on the back. Continue using the spacer and drilling out the remaining holes on the angle, using a screw and nut to secure every hole drilled.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the drives and passenger side. I believe the length we used for the side rails was 15". Go back and tighten all loose nuts.
9. The back bracing is harder than the front bracing. With the 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8 we had to cut it down a little so that it wouldn't stick above the roof at the edges, but at the same time had to spacer it up so that center was close enough to the roof to attach the .5 x .5 x 1/16. Once that was laid out, we drilled holes through a channel in the drip rails, through the spacers, and through the angle. We fastened with bolts and lock nuts of unknown dimension.
10. The back .5 x .5 x 1/16 angle was slit on the vertical section (the side that mounts to the larger angle) so that it would conform to the large curve the back of the roof takes. We used a procedure similar to the front and sides to locate the mounting holes. The only difference is that the mounting holes are in the 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8 angle instead of the body work. Once that was done we pop riveted it all together to avoid taking it all apart to use nuts and bolts since space was limited.
11. At this point you can lay the lexan in the hole and figure out how you want it to sit. Once that is done, layout the screw pattern and drill the lexan and brackets all at once. Coat your 8-32 screws in rtv and start attaching the lexan to the brackets with the 8-32 lock nuts.
12. It's a good idea if you have the time to let the rtv that seeped out of the screw heads to set. Once it is set you can mask the lexan so the final rtv'ing is easier. I didn't have the time so I just kept going.
13. Mask the body and leave a slight amt of paint showing around the sunroof opening. Mask the lexan (if the screw rtv is dry) leaving a slight amt of lexan showing at the edge. Run a bead of rtv around the entire gap between the lexan and bodywork. Take and ice cube and rub the large flat side on something flat, so that the ice cube gets a sharp edge. Use the ice cube to smooth out the rtv bead, think snowplow blade. The rtv won't stick one bit to the ice and is an excellent tool for moving rtv around. Peel up your masking and let everything dry.
14. There you have it, bucket test for leaks and your finished.
Edit: Mrs. 92inPa has a really nice motorcycle too.
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