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Sat Jun 21, 2014 6:48 pm

OK, so I have a 78 VW Sunroof Bus. After ripping out the headliner, cleaning out that drainage tubs, etc found that the chassis for the sunroof was totally rusted out and that's why water was just cascading into the car every time it rained. This is a daily driver and I don't have time or the money to mess around with big repairs. So... 8 months ago I duct taped some plastic over the sunroof and called it a day. Worked great until a couple of days ago when wear and tear eventually took its tole and the thing flew off on the freeway lol. Anyways, my idea, as it has been for the past couple of months is to get a piece of plexiglass and screw it to the roof. What my plans are:

1. Lay plexiglass sheet over the roof and use heat gun to let it mold better to the contour of the roof.
2. Remove sunroof, assembly etc.
4. Drill holes with special fiberglass bits around the edges of the plexiglass.
5. Build a square wooden frame to sit inside the empty chassis space so the area looks pretty when you look up sitting inside but also because...
6. I attach those rails that you use for drawers to slide in and out along the sides and create a sliding insulated cover to prevent heat and sun damage to inside of car.
7. Screw plexiglass to top of roof with metal roofing screws
8. Caulk the hell out of the plexiglass and roof meet up areas.

So... I know its a crazy idea. Look I'm not trying to have a show car. I don't want to seal up the roof because I like the idea of a sunroof, but I'm not getting any use out of anything right now and don't want to tape some more plastic up there and look ghetto. My main question is, will those roofing screws work? If I just straight up screw them into the top of the roof with they stay or is there supposed to be something on the other side that holds them in place? I already put a new headliner in so don't want to have to remove it but I could probably just remove pieces to just stick my hand it and get a little block of wood in there.

Any help or advice would be great.

Thanks!

Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:02 pm

Wrong forum :wink:

Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:23 pm

Try posting here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=5

Sounds to me like it could work - good luck on your project!

Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:55 pm

OK thanks!

Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:08 pm

is it a soft sun roof or a hard sun roof?

Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:29 pm

Stop! No plexiglass, Use Lexan instead-it is about 200 times stronger then glass! (plexiglass is about 4-8 times stronger then glass I think?)

Lexan comes in the same thickness and sheet size as plexiglass.

Lexan is also good to replace the window panes on the rear door of your house. Any thief is going to break their hand trying to smash it to reach inside and unlock the door. It's is also used in making bullet-proof glass.

Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:44 pm

For Hard top Sunroof.

Steve, I had someone else recommend Lexan but here is my issue with it.

1. plexiglass is automatically UV resistant which is a good thing because I don't want interior damage to the car from the sun and don't have to pay extra for UV tinting.
2. lexan scratches easily and those scratches can't be polished out like on Plexiglass.
3. Lexan yellows after 4 years or so while Plexiglass has a warranty on it for 10 years minimum from yellowing. Seeing as how it is going to sit in the sun this was a big factor.

I know Lexan s much stronger but how big a deal is that really? Rain shouldn't affect it, if it was snowing I'd park it in the garage or wipe it off, so only hail would be a concern to me. I'm not sure how large the hail would have to be to crack the Plexiglass....

Do you still think I should go Lexan?

Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:50 pm

if it's a hard top sunroof. I would leave it as is and run aluminum tape around the seams to seal it... for now

Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:08 pm

Ashley Bo Bashley wrote:

Do you still think I should go Lexan?

Yes, even if only for the safety factor of it being stronger. maybe use a good quality UV resistant wax on it?
I would also use 3m 4200 sealant available at a boating store like West Marine or Boat owner's Warehouse. The 4200 is good and not permanent like the 3m 5200 is. 5200 would be a real pain in the ass to get off if you can get it off the next time you change the glass! The sealant also comes in black as well as white.
When you apply the sealant, spit in the palm of your hand and rub the saliva on your finger, then run your finger along the edge of the glass where the sealant squeezes out to remove the excess sealant to give it that clean uniform "bead". The sealant will not stick to the saliva.
Watch out for metal slivers on the inside edge of the roof as well as splinters off the glass.

Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:15 pm

0t06- I did the ghetto fix for the past 8 months and wanted something more permanent but cheap. I'm never going to spend boat loads on this car to get something fancier done (got quoted from a company in St Louis that they could do this sort of thing and would charge me $8,000. Nope!) Plus the bus will be one of a kind!

Steve- Thanks for the advice. I think I will go with that Lexan. If anything, just cutting it and drilling the holes is much easier since its so much stronger. Would hate to spend $100 on a big ass piece of plexiglass only to mess it up drilling the hole and having it crack. Would be so pissed lol.

Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:46 pm

Ashley Bo Bashley wrote:
Steve- Thanks for the advice. I think I will go with that Lexan. If anything, just cutting it and drilling the holes is much easier since its so much stronger. Would hate to spend $100 on a big ass piece of plexiglass only to mess it up drilling the hole and having it crack. Would be so pissed lol.

How thick a piece will you use? Just thinking since it is stronger you might be able to use a thinner more flexible piece-experiment if you can stongly recommended! good luck with it!

Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:14 pm

I'd think you'll need a big propane weed burner rather than a heat gun.

Sun Jun 22, 2014 7:30 am

Well, why not layer it: plexi for UV protection over lexan for strength...???

I'm sure you <could> get some moisture between the layers eventually, but a
tube of good marine sealant would go a long way towards preventing that... :?:

Sun Jun 22, 2014 8:39 am

good tutorial for you
http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2263022

Mon Jun 23, 2014 6:40 pm

Someone suggested putting a camper top on the bus instead of going through all this ghetto-ness. I found one in good shape and decently priced and tried looking for instructions on how to install it but can't really find anything.... all these tops were put on sunroof buses so I can't imagine that no one wrote it down. Can anyone point me to some instructions? Or is it pretty self explanatory when I actually get the top and see it in person?

Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:29 pm

AB,

What top? Instructions and experience here are tied to a specific brand/type so you'd need to provide more info.

Doug

Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:06 pm

Like this?

Its here
http://www.vau-max.de/tuning/tuning_artikel/zahlenspiele__vw_bus_t3/id=479

Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:08 pm

Since this is a Bay, I assume the easiest poptop would be like the one on my old '70 Westfalia Euro import

Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:56 am

Rag top?

Have a local upholsterer make a custom retractable rag top.
Neighbor had one done and it did not break the bank... was under 400 IIRC.

Nice retro look to it, too.

Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:26 am

If you used 1/8" plexi you probably could just screw it down without trying to heat form it. It would be flexible enough to contour to the roof. Don't let others talk you into building a tank. KISS has always been my motto. Use a good quality foam gasket around the perimeter of the hole and screw that sucker down. Use large washers or an aluminum strip to distribute the pressure evenly. I think it would be fine for many years. Finish the inside however you wanted. Add a rib or two underneath for support of snow or ice. I wouldn't use caulk or adhesive, you'll just end up with a big mess if you need to remove it. Foam or rubber seals should be fine. You could even buy the automotive style stuff if you needed. http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Rubber-Hollow-Sealed-Strip/dp/B007ZVR44W