Welding over sunroof! Engineers - help!

[Nick Read]

Im thinking of respraying the whole valver and I want to get rid of my sunroof - Williams style! Its drastic I know but think about this:

1. I dont like the sun on my head - ever

2. I want to get rid of those bloody rattling blinds

3. Im trying to lighten the car - surely the sunroof and mech must weigh quite a lot?

4. The roof has already creased slightly between the sunroof frame and the B-pillar because the rest of the car is set up so stiff. Soon a roll cage is going in as well.

So really all Ill need to do is rip out the sunroof and electrics/mechanism, swap the headlining for one from a non-sunroof Clio (early smaller engined Clios?), make a steel plate the size of the hole, weld it in, smooth it and spray it?

Comments invited - my main question is whether this is a whacky idea and if so, why? WIll this add strength to the roof?

 

[Colin_S]

I think it is a great idea, I want to do it to but never went ahead but I probable should have.

 

[scotty 16v]

would it not be easier and better to get a roof skin from a pannel place nick then no smoothing required and have the whole roof sprayed

 

[scotty 16v]

sorry didnt read the whole respray mate

 

[Nick Read]

I dunno, thats why I need advice. I know about the mechanicals of a valver but once were onto bodywork, I have no idea. Where would you cut the old roof out? Along the rails? Would a replacement roof be as strong?

 

[clean16v]

dont think it would be as strong, the welding, metal sheet and bog used would possibly weigh just as much as sunroof?????? these are just my ideas

 

[scotty 16v]

i should think so mate i used to work at a place called euro fleet they always used to put new roofs on mate thy put one on my old turbo looked fine

 

[lofty]

go for the whole panel, it will look seemless, but trying to chase all over the roof will filler would take hours to look reasonable, new roof is fairly simple, but i have no idea wat the panel would cost

 

[SteveJJH]

Most cars (the modern ones i work on anyway) have a reinforcement panel that runs around the sunroof, i dont know if the old valver had one. its a kind of corregated panel that makes up for the strength lost by having a big hole in the roof. This is part of the reason why sunroofs are such a bad idea in performance terms, they are very heavy all in all. add the fact that they are as high on the car as you can possibly get and you can see why theyre gonna hurt your cornering / braking ability.

Ive never liked them myself and would want to get rid of mine, but i dont know how much it would cost. i suppose you could just remove the sunroof parts and weld a sheet in there, but just bear in mind that there could be more to it than that if you really want to get rid of the weight, if there is a reinforcment panel however, it could help with the super stiff setup trying to fold the roof up.

 

[Colin_S]

Im really thinking about this now, ive asked my guy what it would take to do but i think my car is to far along now. Anyway ill let you know what he says.

 

[steve_rt]

do you remmemebr the sbarro clio in max power a couple of years back? they had chopped the whole roof of f and lowered its height (and angled it slightly i think) - if they did it no probs then i see no reason why you couldnt do it...i have a pic of it on my wall actually, but the mag has been thrown away a long time ago!

 

[Colin_S]

Yea it is a blue Mk2 with Megane Coupe rear windows i think. That was quite cool. I would go ahead with it if my car hasnt been painted but i think it is eaither pianted in in the fianla stages of painting.

 

[Colin_S]

Just off the phone to Renault and it is £290 plus vat for a full roof. That is the full retail price.

 

[The Monk]

nick this place can install new roof panel without the sunroof, they can seam weld the shell as well

http://www.mardigras.co.uk/http://www.mardigras.co.uk/

 

[Alex M]

Myself and a mate did this on his RS Turbo, roll cage was going in and he didnt want a sunroof, for similar reasons to yourself. We used a drill powered nibbler to cut out a square slightly larger than hole from another escort, which was then trimmed to just smaller than the hole left by sunroof (took a while this, as had to be just smaller all way round). Then with a MIG on a low setting, tacked it inplace. Then used MIG all war around, with loads of pauses to avoid heat build up, which would warp surrounding metal. Then tacked some bracing below across underside (just more flat plate). Then after carefull grinding of weld. Cause we took time, just a tiny skim of filler sorted it. And when sprayed you couldnt notice it, unless you knew it was there. Not quite as good as a new roof, but a lot less pricy. 290 plus vat is a lot for a single panel, large as it is, probably dont sell many me thinks.



ps biggest hassle with above was putting in other headlining, pain in the arse to make it look good



Alex M

 

[Tom]

cant you install a rally style air vent in the roof while your there?

rally maxis had em they were nice and usefull on hot days

http://www.kartodromo.it/images/cliomaxi1.jpghttp://www.kartodromo.it/images/cliomaxi1.jpg

actually silly idea sorry

 

[Nick Read]

Tom you read my mind. If i did do the roof I am seriously thinking about that cos I do like the ventilation, just not the sun. Already got the part numbers all lined up, I can get a proper carbon fibre one for about £250 including all the vents and stuff inside.

 

[Tom]

cool something like the recent fiesta rallye concept scoop would look very nice

 

[Colin_S]

I spoke to the guy that is doing my car and he said that just wielding over the sunroof is not a good idea. He said that the glass has a lot of strength for the roof and wielding a panel in would not give the strength required.

Nick when you say you have got a carbon fibre one lined up, is that just a vent or a whole roof?

 

[Nick Read]

The vent. Its in the new Demon Tweeks red catalogue.

 

[bondy]

y dont you just cut and shut the roof aint hard join it under the plastic rails then you will never c it

 

[GR7]

Nick

You should be alright for a discount from DT - just tell JH that you are a Cliosport administrator!

 

[big hp]

A whole new roof is the only way to go. My friend who works in a body shop did it to his mk1 fiesta rst conversion, said he wouldnt drive a car with a panel welded in place as its 60% weaker than when it had the sunroof. A new roof also makes a much tidier job. If a jobs worth doing its worth doing properly.

Scott.

 

[SteveJJH]

Nick, have you got CCC from either this month or last, they are converting a metro to stockhatch racing, and they mention getting rid of the sunroof, its the issue with the three 340rs on the cover.