Technical Sunroof replacement

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Technical Sunroof replacement

Noah500

1971 Fiat 500L LHD
Joined
May 22, 2021
Messages
410
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Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
The sunroof on my car works fine and is in decent condition but at some point someone has had it near a white spray paint operation as it has loads of small paint dots and a couple of smears which I think detracts from the way it looks.

A couple of questions:

Is it easy enough to replace just the fabric part? I did search on here but couldn't find a How To.

Or buy a whole roof on frame? I would rather not since it is more expensive but could do :)

What colour to get? My car is blu scuro (dark blue) with, currently, a black roof which I think was the original colour (only colour?) available. Options would be black as now (same but maybe less smart?), burgundy to match the seats (not sure), dark blue (could look smart) or black and white chequered (not original but looks quite fun). Thoughts please.

Which supplier? There seem to be a number of the usual suspects e.g. Motobambino (black £34.74 + P&P), Ricambio (black £37.84 + P&P) and, on ebay, fiat500spareparts (black: £26.50!). Any experience of quality and fit from these or others?

Thanks in advance,

Simon
 
I honestly don't know if you can replace the roof fabric on its own, but personally, I would go with the dark blue or the chequer. I reccomend 'Motobambino' as a very sound supplier. When you DO fit the new roof/fabric may I suggest that you use rivnuts and 'button-head' allen screws to secure the rear outer corners of the roof fabric to the roof---makes for much easier replacement, if you ever have to. I seem to remember using 5mm screws for securing my sunroof fabric
 
Thanks for the reply. I assume that it must be possible to replace the fabric on its own, given how many places sell it! Good advice about the fixings. Also, I've used Motobambino for a number of items and also found him/them to be very good and quick
 
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The sunroof on my car works fine and is in decent condition but at some point someone has had it near a white spray paint operation as it has loads of small paint dots and a couple of smears which I think detracts from the way it looks.

A couple of questions:

Is it easy enough to replace just the fabric part? I did search on here but couldn't find a How To.

Or buy a whole roof on frame? I would rather not since it is more expensive but could do :)

What colour to get? My car is blu scuro (dark blue) with, currently, a black roof which I think was the original colour (only colour?) available. Options would be black as now (same but maybe less smart?), burgundy to match the seats (not sure), dark blue (could look smart) or black and white chequered (not original but looks quite fun). Thoughts please.

Which supplier? There seem to be a number of the usual suspects e.g. Motobambino (black £34.74 + P&P), Ricambio (black £37.84 + P&P) and, on ebay, fiat500spareparts (black: £26.50!). Any experience of quality and fit from these or others?

Thanks in advance,

Simon

Hi Simon...it's easy to replace the fabric. The screws on the bar holding it to the front stretcher worried me. I got them out OK, but I imagine they may be seized on some cars. The nuts at the back are fiddly but easy. The hardest thing to get just right is at the extreme right and left at the back where the contentious self-tappers live. Assuming you solve any issues there, there's then a subtlety to the tension of the fabric which I didn't get quite right. there are extensions to the fabric reinforcing banding stitched into the sides, and I think you have to pull on these before committing to screwing down. there may then be some surplus banding to remove.

I've gone against the grain and feel I was a pioneer with the checkered roof, but plain black was always the original. I got mine from Germany when it was cheaper to buy things from mainland Europe. Now things may be cheaper from the UK, but that doesn't really mean they're cheaper. :bang: Anyway, the quality was excellent.

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/422579-murphios-meanderings-14.html?p=4153155
 
Thanks, Peter.

I went out and took a closer look at my sunroof yesterday and it does seem fairly straightforward. It also looks like the metalwork and screws on mine are fairly recent so fabric only is the way to go!

Now, for colour.... given that the one on the car at the moment is not the original anyway, I think the chequered one may be the way to go.

Simon
 
Thought about white sunroof, couple that with white wall tyres and looks great, but I would say that . .
 

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I bought my red one from Motobambino and from memory it was a straight forward bolt on affair. I did have communication with Mark as the new one was a lot shorter and at first I didn’t want to fit it until I got clarification it was the right size. I fitted it and then had the nerve racking job of closing it, once closed it was fine and I just put the experience down to the old one being that stretched and baggy.

From a fitment perspective I repainted the front and rear metal bars and just bought new pivot hardware. Overall it was quite a simple operation to undertake.

Rob
 
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this may help in fitting a sun roof step by step go to Axel Gerstl parts site part number 13044/2 there you will find a youtube video in fitting a sunroof maybe someone on this forum can get it transferred across.
 
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