Dual Sunroofs !! (DIAL-UP WARNING - CONTAINS 15 IMAGES)

[MootsMan]

Well, guys, I finally got the 2nd sunroof installed in my Terc. I was at Pull-A-Part last weekend, and found a nice pop-up in a '91 Tercel.....good rubber, good glass, and the best part ..... it was only $17 !! Anyway, 15 minutes to take it out, about 3 hours total to get it in, and now I have great flow-through ventilation ! I think it'll come in handy this summer when things really heat up, with not having a functioning AC. Here's some pics of the process:

This is where I marked the location. I installed the front one back in October. And, no, those aren't relfections of strange looking clouds....it's where the clear-coat has disintegrated on the roof !


This is the "template" I cut from a cardboard box


Cut the template 1/4" to 1/2" smaller than the outside edge of the outside rim of the sunroof


You have to protect that immaculate 20yr old fabric and plastic !!


I decided to move it about 1 1/2" forward from my initial location


There has to be a better way to cut the sheet metal, but this is the best I have


This is the third sunroof I've installed...and the first time I cut thru roof and headliner at the same time....worked pretty good !!


15-20 minutes later.....


Hangin' by a thread ( of sheet metal) It was necessary to trim the headliner
an additional 1/4" to 1/2", when the inside frame was ready to be installed


Too late to look back now !!


Right on !! IT FITS !!!!


Another view, frame in place and sealed


Here's a side view


and a top view


and a REAL TOP view !! I'm wondering if I should go for three...



The clear silicone adhesive seems to work fine, and it's reasonably easy to get the roof out if you have to. They will come out for the paint job later this year, as will all the moldings and glass.

[GTSSportCoupe]

AWESOME!!! I love it!

[ARCHINSTL]

Sweeet, Moots! Another XLNT job!
Say, will that thar Easton Wheel System fit the Tercel?
Tom M.

P.S. I know, I know - you just used the Easton box for my benefit...

And the logo was so nicely centered - trying for some co-op here?

[Typrus]

Wow. That is actually kinda cool. Only problem its its manual >.< oh well.

I'd love to see them both open simultaneously on one of the old cranking styles. Lol.

Nice work!

[waynehoc]

Nice job, MootsMan, and great pics. Thanks for the inspiration - you've got me thinking again, as Summer is just around the corner (and I don't have even one sun roof).

Wayne

[MootsMan]

I guess that was the 5th sunroof I've bought at the junk yard. I have one in my gold Terc, and two more here at the house waiting for a project. I remember when i was in the car business, it'd cost us around $200-300 to have a pop-up roof installed.

Arch, I thought you'd appreciate the Easton box....I just wish it had the wheels in it when I got it !!

Typrus, it's not too hard to reach back and open the rear one from the front, but I guess that depends on how long your arms are.

[keith]

Good work, nice pictures too. Do those sunroofs make much wind noise when either open or closed? Do they ever leak?

[MootsMan]

No leaks from the new install....but I do have a little from around the front unit. It's not pouring by any stretch, just a few drops, so I think I'll wait 'til I take it out for the paint job and then re-seal it good. If you're extra careful to get plenty of sealer all around the frame, it shouldn't leak.

[forehead_04]

Thats awesome..... good job

[Mac]

if you had 3, that would be even pimper...

[MootsMan]

i'm thinkin' about it !! has anyone ever cut into the headliner above the cargo area ?? i'm not sure if there is any bracing up there for the roof or not. I'm even more anxious now to get this car painted. I think i'm going to go with gunmetal gray instead of olive drab, and put a set of 14" black sopke wheels on it with some semi-aggressive tires. Have a Weber coming, and hope to get a 4AC in there sometime in the next 6-12mos.

[scotisha]

Hey MootsMan!

I am wanting to do this soon as we have had some good heat up here (and it looks cool too ) and have a couple of questions to ask you.

Is there any particular manufacturer I should go with? or can you take any flip-open sunroof that is the right size and put it in? Do you remember what the dimensions were? Also did you use a metal-cutting blade on the jigsaw?

Thanks!

Scotty

Oh and what style roof rack brackets do you have? I have some but they stick up really high and I don't like it.

[neonsport]

Just a little tip for future sunroof installs. Instead of silicone, pick up a roll of butyl rubber (3M Windoweld or similar) from your local auto glass shop. You just roll a bead around the perimeter, and it squeezes down as you tighten it to seal. Butyl doesn't harden, which is the big advantage over silicone. It's an active seal, and isn't as likely to leak in the future as silicone.

You can also buy butyl in a tube for use in a calking gun, but it's messier.

[MootsMan]

Thanks for that tip, neon. I guess that's the adhesive that I've found sealing the sunroof's when I remove them from the cars at Pull-A-Part.....black and sticky. I'll latch on to some of that for the re-installs after the paint job.

Scot, i did use a metal cutting blade. The jigsaw I was using must be 40years old, but it still works OK, it just isnt' very powerful. I need to get a heavy duty one, it'd make the install go a lot better.

The sunroof I like the best is the SFC/Webasto. http://www.webasto.us/home/en/homepage.html
You can still get parts for them, although a lot more $$ than you'll pay for the entire unit at the junkyard. Any kind of roof that has a good seal and glass should work good, though, just make sure the latch is in good working order and fits nice and snug. The front unit measures 32 1/4" by 16 1/4", outside dimensions. The 2nd unit is 14 1/4 inches wide, same length. I'm going to have to find another one that size for the rear cargo area roof.

I have a Yakima rack, using the 1A Raingutter towers, I believe. Yakima's website can give you fit information. A couple of guys on here may have some of those towers, or you can get them on eBay reasonably cheap, or you can always visit your local bike shop for new ones.

Good luck !!

[thebigbread]

I was thinking about 3 sunroofs, but i thought it might weaken the roof.
Ill also keep the butyl rubber in mind when i do my sunroofs.