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ddare Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:55 pm

I really want to make my non-sunroof Squareback a sunroof squareback. I like the kit that Air-Cooled Head put on that makes the whole thing slide back, but do any vendors sell a kit for that, or is it a totally custom job? Also, would it be crazy hard to convert my roof into a sunroof, stock style? Parts seem to be rare for this.

Any links/info/contacts would be appreciated. I get discharged from the Marine Corps on Friday and have two months of terminal leave (read: sitting at home, collecting a paycheck while ostensibly looking for employment) and my mother-in-law's garage in Cypress to work with...

-doug

Mr Maz Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:07 pm

I have been looking at putting in a sunroof in my 72 t3 sb :D and found this site for aftermarket soft top sunroofs.
Let me know if you find any other options.
http://www.donmar.com/sunroofs/fold.htm

Russ Wolfe Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:16 pm

Reminds me of a LeCar. :lol:

JaransenT3 has a rag roof, and so does Air_Cooled_Nut.

ddare Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:38 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...ename=WDVW


I was looking at that sunroof on ebay, but I have a bad feeling that it would be a shot in the dark. I'm assuming that's for an SUV, which probably wouldn't have the same roof contour as my precious squareback. It's either buy a cheap sunroof and have a shop professionally install it, or buy an expensive setup and do it myself :) That $800 hollandia setup that JaransenT3 has is beautiful, but, it's $800 :)

Russ Wolfe Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:55 pm

ddare wrote: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...ename=WDVW


I was looking at that sunroof on ebay, but I have a bad feeling that it would be a shot in the dark. I'm assuming that's for an SUV, which probably wouldn't have the same roof contour as my precious squareback. It's either buy a cheap sunroof and have a shop professionally install it, or buy an expensive setup and do it myself :) That $800 hollandia setup that JaransenT3 has is beautiful, but, it's $800 :)
Champagne appetite and beer budget. :cry: Just like the rest of us.

aussie01 Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:27 pm

I too will one day put a sunroof in my sqbk. The best I have seen is if you find a ragtop from a split window delux bus, then have it grafted in. It looks kick a$$, you get a ragtop that opens from front to back!!

Zarana-X Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:54 am

Look here... www.streetbeatcustoms.com
They come in different sizes, or you can use the bus one for the full length roof ragtop.

Air-Cooled Head Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:00 am

Russ Wolfe wrote: Reminds me of a LeCar. :lol:

JaransenT3 has a rag roof, and so does Air_Cooled_Nut.

Yeah, I have no roof opening, slider or rag. But I've seen Jaransen's, and it is sweet indeed.
I think he recently posted a link to install instructions.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=117477&highlight=ragtop

ddare Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:07 am

yeah, I think I meant air-cooled nut. Whichever of ya'll had the later model orange squareback :)

I keep looking at that ebay linked sunroof and thinking "I could make it work!" but I'm still hesitant. I contacted the seller and he said he had no clue what model vehicle they were for, but that he bought 50 of them. hmm!

Air-Cooled Head Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:25 am

After looking at the link, I think you could make it work too. But some questions come to mind:

Is the curve right? Hard to tell from the pictures.
Where will that honking a** motor go?
Won't you have to do something completely custom on the inside to attach the rails but have them hidden?
Headliner?
Power from? Via?

I know thses things could be figgered/worked out, but that's prolly why you're hesitant. :?

If my car were totally apart, I'd probably try it, along w/ power windows.

TheDDB Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:25 am

I dont think that using that electric sunroof would be all that bad, but you would need the clip from the GM car...the opening would be hard to re-fab...but if you had one to graft in, that is a bit easier.

I contacted Donmar about the ragtops they carry to see about buying a few and they were very hard to talk to , they are very reluctant to see them to any "non-authoized" shops.

The ragtop you want is the Britax version...wait and one will surface from time to time I have 2 fastbacks with them installed and they are kick ass.
The versions from street beats are ok, but have a few fit issues with them.

Or just buy the sunroof clip i just posted for sale and graft in a factory style sunroof.. :D

LouisB Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:04 pm

Anyone tried grafting a Goldie sunroof into a T3? I happen to have a clip from a '63 and have been eyeing it for my fasty possibly. I am sure the curve is off, but I think it could be workable.

Louis

Tram Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:38 pm

LouisB wrote: Anyone tried grafting a Goldie sunroof into a T3? I happen to have a clip from a '63 and have been eyeing it for my fasty possibly. I am sure the curve is off, but I think it could be workable.

Louis

I have seen T3s with Golde roofs. It wasn't factory, but was an authorised dealer upgrade in Europe and Canada. Never saw one offered in USA, probably because we didn't "officially" get the Type 3 until August '65 for the '66 model year, although you could get 'em on European Delivery before that if you knew who to ask.
I remember an early Squareback my grandparents got on Euro delivery. I think it must have been a '62 or '63, because I remember (for some reason) Kennedy was President at the time. It had a Golde along with a Nardi wheel, another Euro dealer upgrade. I LOVED that damn car, even though I wasn't close to driving age yet...I think that was the first car that really made a big impression on me. Funny, but I hardly even remember the big '52 Mercedes 220A Cabriolet they had prior to that. It just didn't seem as "cool".

EverettB Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:50 pm

I had a power ragtop from a Renault Fuego that I was going to put into my '67 Squareback. I was going to have a local shop do it and they said the curvature was "close enough".

I ended up selling that car and putting the ragtop into my GTI myself. Worked great and didn't leak.

This was quite a while ago so I'm not sure you could find one of those assemblies but if you could... it would be a cheap solution.

Gutterslug Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:04 pm

Zarana-X wrote: Look here... www.streetbeatcustoms.com
They come in different sizes, or you can use the bus one for the full length roof ragtop.


Unless their quality control has been completely overhauled and they have changed their design over the past 8 years I would seriously have some second thoughts before cutting a hole in your roof for one of those useless things. The sheet metal in your roof is probably worth more than their roof is. When I was a young VW'er and was "catalog-crazy" I bought one and had it professionaly installed in my first bug. The installer said they didn't give him much to work with. Too bad I didn't still have the video because it was freakin' hilarious. Amateur at best.
Here are the problems I had:
- The latch system sucks and the latch broke within a month
- The framework is brutal quality and not rigid at all (fiberglass)
- The nylon sliders weren't smooth in the least and constantly were binding
- The roofs were "puffy", they stood about 1/2 - 3/4 inch over the factory steel roof at the front and back and about 1/4 - 3/8 on the sides because of the large fiberglass frame and front/rear bows.
- The canvas or vinyl in my case, didn't fit tight at all and left wrinkles all over the roof when closed.

That's my experience with them. I tried and tried to make it work but with no luck.
I did see a power top they did on a full-size Chevy for that "Trucks" show and it looked good, but it was also on TV so who knows really.

Cheers.
Mike

69sqbck Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:00 pm

We just sectioned in a power sunroof from a 1995 - 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse into a 68 fastback. We cut the entire section out of a junkyard car and then tore it down to just the inner frame and track and then used it as a template to cut the roof on the fasty. We sectioned it in and the motor fits perfectly up front where the rear view mirror should go. We are extending the drain tubes to run down the 'A' and 'C' posts and will have to find a shorter rear view mirror but all in all it was not to difficault to do. No pics posted yet but I have some to e-mail as well as a video of it working if anyone wants to see.

captainphil Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:40 pm

I was thinking of the grafting route as well.

Would the nice LONG sunroof section from a bus work? I like the idea of 2/3 of the top being a sunroof.

NuschoolAircool Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:43 pm

All this sounds way too intense to think about.

Soul Built Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:40 am

captainphil wrote: I was thinking of the grafting route as well.

Would the nice LONG sunroof section from a bus work? I like the idea of 2/3 of the top being a sunroof.

Talk to John at vwsunroofs.com

To do this with oem parts would be super expensive and not really worth it.

Erik G Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:26 am

I havent measured it out, but I'd like to do a late bay window sliding metal sunroof in a squareback. I've never seen that done, it might be too wide



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