Hi everyone

Just a query to anyone who has had experience of the sunroof fit at the front frame edge, which is clamping down too firmly resulting in damaged paintwork at the corners and along the front of the roof aperture?

I have just had my roof repainted due to the front corners of the sunroof frame wearing the paint away, it's not through movement but sheer pressure. There was also a wear line along the centre of the roof front again from the leading edge of the sunroof frame which presses down too much.

I have looked at the sunroof frame to see if it can be levered away from the body of the car slightly but it is too solid. The roof aperture is now fitted with a water seal that looks good but does not sit in the right place to lift the sunroof frame. The next place to work on is the actual sunroof lever catch lock. This looks to have some adjustment but on my car this looks to be fully used. Has anyone experienced this and if so what was the fix?

Cheers
Hugh Jarce

Where did you get the water seal from?

Labman said:

Where did you get the water seal from?

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Hi Labman

Ricambio UK, they have different colours and Van der Laan has them. See pictures

Cheers
Hugh Jarce

Hi Hugh Jarce,
This is a common problem as it was only ever a cheap basic design compared with modern sun roofs, my 500 had corrosion on the roof in the same points due to the paint had worn right through to bare metal. I havent got that far so i cant really suggest too much.
However you could always apply some clear sticky back plastic to the contact points on the paintwork. That would at least add some additional protection.

sounds like some adjustment to the frame required, was it a new frame?

I have just looked at mine and I have a mark each side about a 1cm long and 5mm wide, where I can see the pattern of the vinyl. I have to look quite hard to see them. At this stage it doesn't look like the paint is going rub off because there is no rubbing mark just the pattern that suggests no movement. No marks in the middle of the roof at all.

I have had the weather strip you refer to fitted from day one after my respray and it definitely raises the front of the sunroof up.

Before the car was resprayed it had similar marks, as Sean says its just a cheap solution for cars that weren't meant to be still around 40 or 50 years later.

Tony

Brilliant idea by Sean about that plastic. I have seen it on Ebay and it looks like you can get stuff that can sheet over huge areas (pardon the pun Hugh Jarce) and be almost invisible. I will be going for that now you mention it because even back in the 80s there was a bit of a mark on mine. Also, even on the present car there are very minor indentations where the central bar bears that I didn't even bother filling before painting.

Another idea could be to put some black Neoprene sponge/rubber self-adhesive tape onto the bits of the vinyl on the sunroof that are rubbing. This would add a tiny bit more in the gap that is between the sunroof and the roof but it would be less abrasive than the vinyl.

Hi Hugh;
I had my 500 re-sprayed earlier this year, and noticed the same problem. My method for getting round the problem was to put an 'L' shaped patch of clear 'anti-chip' over the areas where the corners of the sun-roof made contact with the body. Most body-shops stock this material, often in 6 inch wide rolls. This is the same material that is used to protect the front of cars (and the front of very wide Porsche rear wheel arches) from stone chips.

the hobbler said:

Hi Hugh;
I had my 500 re-sprayed earlier this year, and noticed the same problem. My method for getting round the problem was to put an 'L' shaped patch of clear 'anti-chip' over the areas where the corners of the sun-roof made contact with the body. Most body-shops stock this material, often in 6 inch wide rolls. This is the same material that is used to protect the front of cars (and the front of very wide Porsche rear wheel arches) from stone chips.

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Thank you Hobbler, I'll get some and give it a shot.

Cheers
Hugh Jarce