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Tue May 01, 2012 5:36 am

So while I am on my trip to pick up my Vanagon and clean it up and scavenge parts off of a couple of parts vehicles I ran across a late 84 (according to the production date in the door jamb, maybe it is an 85) with a huge hand crank factory sunroof. I have already purchased it, it has 81,500 miles on it. It is not running, in decent shape but has a bad repair job on drivers rear quarter that has some rust.

I am torn between having the top cut off at the pillars and placed onto my Vanagon which is very clean, or saving the new van for another project.

I know from reading conversion threads that going to a Westy usually the roof is cut out around the perimeter, but since this is a sunroof I was thinking it would be best to cut the pillars and replace the entire top. I searched for threads but could not come up with any.

Also, how rare is the sunroof, I know it is desirable, I would like it too, but does anyone know any production numbers? If I remember right it was built 8/84.

Tue May 01, 2012 5:42 am

Sunroof models were quite rare. Without any doubt more rare than westfalia models, thought I don't know actual production numbers.

Sunroof syncros are the rarest of the beasts, as I'd say 90% of all sunroof busses i've ever seen were '85 and older.

8/84 sounds like an '85 to me.
I had/have an '85 sunroof bus which got me into the sunroof scene, now have an '87 sunroof syncro.

I would highly suggest cutting at the pillars. The interior of a sunroof bus is 1'' lower as a result of the thicker mechanism to hide the sunroof. Evidence for this is that a westy cabinet that fit fine in a non sunroof bus had to be cut down to fit a sunroof bus.

I've known several busses which were clipped at the pillars, so it's not impractical to do. Any good body shop could handle it.

Tue May 01, 2012 6:00 am

:bay_blue: Do it! I want one soooooo bad. After a year looking for one just like the one you just found, I give up. Oh well I found a company in Phoenix that can put a nice slider in mine. Black cloth white perforated headliner for $575, ordered it, will be put in on May 15 cool I can't wait! Now I can stand up to cook dinner! And if we ever go to a high top we can close it off in the winter! Syncro sun roof really rare! At least with a slider I won't have to deal with the problematic cables. :D

Tue May 01, 2012 10:39 am

I would not cut the pillars, Instead remove the sunroof frame and install it on your roof much like the factory would. if done that way you would not have to repaint the sides of the van, nor mess with so much of the interior trim. You wont have to remove all the that glass either. the cost and ease of install will be much better too I would think.

Tue May 01, 2012 11:40 am

I've got a sunroof parts van that I'm planning on removing the roof from. I think the least work (and cleanest) transfer, will involve drilling the spotwelds around the perimeter of the roof.

Cheers,

Jay

Tue May 01, 2012 11:59 am

You need to familiarize yourself with the entire SR assembly, not just the opening and sliding panel. You'll need to ensure that the entire frame can be attached to supporting structure in the existing top. I recently pulled the complete SR frame from a Mercedes and will shortly be doing the same on an Audi I'm parting. It's a big job. I think it would be pretty cool to add a sliding/tilting moonroof to a fibreglass hightop van.

Tue May 01, 2012 3:45 pm

I am going back and forth on this whole idea... My tintop is in such great shape I almost hate to touch it... I guess i need to sit on the idea for a while. I think this would be easier if I was doing the work myself. But as it stands I would need to find someone to do the work.

The idea of not cutting the entire top off at the pillars is interesting, but I assumed the opening has a nice rolled edge from the factory that I would not be able to re-create.

Tue May 01, 2012 5:23 pm

Tooharsh wrote: I am going back and forth on this whole idea... My tintop is in such great shape I almost hate to touch it... I guess i need to sit on the idea for a while. I think this would be easier if I was doing the work myself. But as it stands I would need to find someone to do the work.

The idea of not cutting the entire top off at the pillars is interesting, but I assumed the opening has a nice rolled edge from the factory that I would not be able to re-create.

I am pretty sure the edge is covered by a frame. With the right inexpensive vice grip type pliers with a special nose, you should be able to roll the edge anyway I wuld think.

No real experience, just supposing, for what it is worth. going this way would be a heck of a lot less work, less welding (maybe none) no van wide alignment issues (all the window frames must be right as also the rear and sliding door openings, all nice and perfectly squared up), no re-paint needed, etc...

I am sure teh sun roofs were all added to regular tin tops, and you just need to remove them, screws, rivits, or spot weld, carefull remove them, take your time to not damage the frame. then cut the same shape hole in your existing roof, and dropp in (or raise up) the sun roof frame, just like they did at the factory and attach, if it was spot welded, you might be able to get away with alternate attachments if youdont want to deal with wleding (and hence paint) at all. maybe screw/nuts or rivits?

then it would be installed just like the factory did it, and you will have a cool sunroof!

Tue May 01, 2012 5:38 pm

I don't think it will be so simple. The sunroof bodies were built that way from the start, not added later. On the sliding roof models the two welded in roof support arches are different part numbers as is the main roof skin. There is more to it than meets the eye.

Mark

bluebus86 wrote: ...............
I am sure teh sun roofs were all added to regular tin tops, and you just need to remove them, screws, rivits, or spot weld, carefull remove them, take your time to not damage the frame. then cut the same shape hole in your existing roof, and dropp in (or raise up) the sun roof frame, just like they did at the factory and attach, if it was spot welded, you might be able to get away with alternate attachments if youdont want to deal with wleding (and hence paint) at all. maybe screw/nuts or rivits?

then it would be installed just like the factory did it, and you will have a cool sunroof!

Tue May 01, 2012 8:16 pm

And drains that must be added. That sunroof really doesn't "seal" in the traditional sense.

Tue May 01, 2012 8:44 pm

I think it would be easier/cheaper to repair the quarter panel correctly than graft the factory sun roof in. Get a quote for the headliner before cutting.

-Dan

Tue May 01, 2012 10:40 pm

the sunroof doesn't seal. it just drains.

but why not just fix up the sunroof 84 so it runs and leave the tin top alone.

it is a big job to remove the whole thing and graft it on to the other van, maybe if you had a really clapped out westy and wanted to install it into a good syncro . . .

there is a wbig subframe for the sunroof you need to remove, dont cut the roof off.

Wed May 02, 2012 1:13 am

I would start another project using the sunroof vanagon.

It's nice that it's original and still around!

Do the repair and rebuild it over time if you have the space.

Wed May 02, 2012 10:17 am

I am liking the idea of saving for a new project down the road. But I would like a nice single or double cab. Maybe 1 Vanagon is enough and I should sell and consider a different type of vehicle. Sunroof looks cool though...

Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:57 am

1 van is NOT enough.

Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:12 pm

The sunroof has a felt seal that runs around the entire roof when adjusted properly and with good seals it will keep water out and the drains will not clear much water at all. when the seal is bad or roof out of adjustment the drains are very much needed. The sunroof DOES seal.

The structure of the roof metal for sunroof equipped vans is quite different and the roof and all related metal is put together by series of spot welds. What makes it difficult to transfer to another van, is that many of these welds are done in series or assembly groups, and once each group of welds are done they are not accessible as the next series of welds will cover your access to drill them out.

If you wanted to "de-construct" the roof spot weld by spot weld in the reverse order of what vw did to put it together, you could get it all apart, and install it on another van after properly "de-constructing" It's roof spot welds.

It can be done, and it all fits, neatly and in a way that is structurally sound.
But, its a TON of work to do it right, or you end up with a hack job, just like doing the pop top conversion you can do them down and dirty, and you can do the painstaking work to do them right.

Much easier to use the van the roof came on,