New Sunroof

[barrycoll]

well finally, (after having started a sunroof thread some weeks ago) Dave from LondonSunroofs, came to the house, and fitted the new roof in about 3.5 hours

I was quite worried, in all honesty, as to whether I would just end up with a broken car in the drive, but ultimately I was very impressed with the degree of confidence and professional-ness of the company

After using the template to describe the cut lines, which was done extremely cautiously but certainly NOT nervously, I made myself scarce when the cut started, and when I next went outside, I couldn't believe just how neat the cutlines were....I had imagined a ragged edge, with chipped paintwork etc, but not a bit of it, as the cut was all done by 'hand' as it were, with scissor like sheet metal cutters...so no possibility of cutting through roof strengtheners, and none were obvious

the frame went in very neatly indeed, and then weatherseal, and setting sealant adhesive, when the whole thing was clamped up, inside to out, probably leaving an even less flexible roof than previously..

then it was a case of fitting up the electrics, which again looked very professional, with no maybe/perhaps/lets try this, sort of approach...Dave definitley knew what he was doing....

finally the little motor drive, and the glass roof itself, and the headlining trim, which fits "just so" around the pathetic interior light....

a few adjustments, and the whole this was working perfectly, and to tell you the truth, I was tickled pink

when fully open (and there IS a nice big opening) there was little drumming a a specific speed, but by closing it a tad, that disappears

.so there is now draft free ventilation, and other than if you were driving the car, on the equator, AND at mid day, zero chance of the feared skin cancer!!

recommended, but only if you want (another) unique IQ

cheers barryc

[s44gtw]

Really pleased it went well and you are happy..

What a well written post on the procedure, thanks for that.

I must have been the biggest sceptic on having one fitted, happy to have been proved wrong.

george

[Guest]

Barry, well done for taking the plunge. I think when cutting began, I would have made a sharp exit too -no pun intended. Are you going to upload any photo's for us to see the results of your braveness? Would like to see.

[tarquin]

Hi Barry

Really glad your pleased with the results. will be great to see. Was you around when they did the electrics? would be interested where they took the feed from.

David

[sweet-dentist]

Good story broh....

Nice to hear this.... Please some ... ... photo's ...

Peter

[Lorna2]

Glad to hear your sun roof worked out well :)

Can't wait to see some pics

[barrycoll]

thanks for all your support folks, and I understand the universal appeal of pics.........and of course, I took quite a few during the 'operation', and I even tried to attach some to the last mail..

..but as I am a bear with a small brain, it didn't work.........my pics are edited and in folders in a free editing suite by Google called Picasa.....and of course stored in My Pictures in my XP laptop

having written the piece, I then went to My Pictures and opened the folder...I then clicked on AttachmentThis File below , and browsed the options, but there was no opportunity to 'attach' the whole folder' so I highlighted one pic, and came back to this site, but there are no buttons to say 'load this pic' or similar..........so basically I can't figure it out, as it isn't helpful nor intuitive

I feel lost!

HELP!!!!

cheers barryc

[sweet-dentist]

Use "photobucket.com" ... load up your photos...

Then take the HTML code... it will copy if you click on it...

Then "ctr-V" to paste it in the text...

Easy as... "Andrea" ....

[barrycoll]

many thanks Peter.........I have just had a look at photobucket.com, and with all due respect, it was all double-dutch to me! (apologies!)

...........everybody seems capable of putting up pics, but I had the same trouble with autotrader.com when selling a motor........I succeeded eventually, but buggered if I can remember just how...

I need step1....step2...step3 instruction, including all the 'apply' and 'ok's' that need ticking

barryc.

[tarquin]

Ok Barry Here goes

You say your pic's are on your hard drive on your computer, thats where mine are.

You type your post as normal, Then underneath the box it says Attachments. Under that is a box saying Choose File. Click on it and it will open a location on your computer. Navigate as normal and find the jpeg you want to upload. Next to the choose file box you will now see the file you have chosen. Click the black box saying Attach this file. Wait a while up to 30sec or longer depending on how big the file is. when its upload you will see your pic as a small icon. repeat this for all your pics. when done, go to the bottom as normal and click Add reply.

Hope this helps Barry

David

[sweet-dentist]

Ok Barry Here goes

You say your pic's are on your hard drive on your computer, thats where mine are.

You type your post as normal, Then underneath the box it says Attachments. Under that is a box saying Choose File. Click on it and it will open a location on your computer. Navigate as normal and find the jpeg you want to upload. Next to the choose file box you will now see the file you have chosen. Click the black box saying Attach this file. Wait a while up to 30sec or longer depending on how big the file is. when its upload you will see your pic as a small icon. repeat this for all your pics. when done, go to the bottom as normal and click Add reply.

Hope this helps Barry

David

Yes this is (as David says) the easy way to do it .... ha ha ha ....

You MUST be possible to do this... or otherwise you are still making photo's with real "film" / developing and having them printed ... ha ha ha

Sorry... I had to laugh....

Peter

[barrycoll]

thanks David for your detailed advice........just in case it doesnt work, below is exact pics from the Webasto site of an exact same roof

http://dealers.webasto.com/pages/ShowRoom/Sunroof/Showroomdetails.aspx?assemblyDataId=19861

but, lets see now [attachment=10766:IMG_1391.JPG]

well I have no idea what this looks like, other than a dogs dinner, at the moment..........it seems like all my files are over 3 mbs which take too long to load, but I dont know how to reduce them in size...

so thanks again David, but as for the electrics, well when the trim is stripped off, it looks like a BT junction box inside, and all I can say about Dave and his multimeter, is that sometimes it went "blooop", and sometimes it went "bleeep", and sometimes Dave grunted, but that is probably not much help!..........except that it all worked, and so does the rest of the equipment!!!

cheers folks barryc.

[sweet-dentist]

WOW... thanks Barryc....

Very funny... that first "hole" in your roof .... that must have felt strange... cutting in you car...

But after all it fits very nice...!!!

[Guest]

Barry, hats off to you. A brave man having someone cut a hole in your prized possession.

Good progress pictures and by the sound of it, a good well trained fitter. I bet you were so relieved when it was done and working but, obviously a job for a dry day. As you said at the beginning though, a professional job, and it does look good. Do they give you some kind of warranty with it? Like maybe a working parts warranty and/or 'sealed from the weather' warranty?

Did you test it yet with a hose or buckets of water? You know what? I think I'm paranoid about things like this, not working, failing... possibly because... well, no reason really. Yep, I'm paranoid.

[Marcos Ch]

It seems well worth it Barry! Yes, you are a brave man indeed but now you can reap the benefits of being so. looks very nice.

[tarquin]

In deed Barry it looks very good and am very pleased for you. If you have time can you identify further for me the location of the "junction box"

cheers mate

David

[DFish]

Barry, I followed the link just before the pictures and it certainly looks like a good kit. Maybe once the warranty is up it might be worth looking at.

Yet I still think you're brave for doing this on such a small car. :)

Fish

[barrycoll]

thanks for all your kind words folks, but I suppose that my reasoning was that Webasto have been around for more than 50 years, and are now made in Germany.......knowing that any motor accessories have to pass their stringent TUV laws, and that London Sunroofs have been doing this work for 20 or so years, my reasoning was that someone here, must know what they are doing

David, (Dave) the fitter had the panelling off in both the footwells, so just where he took his feed from I couldn't say

But I think a short phone call to Dave (which he sort of expects, after all the uploaded [pics), would give you the info you would like...

cheers barryc.

[tarquin]

Ok Barry I thought you implied it was a junction box within the roof area. I am very familiar with the left and right junction boxes in the foot wells, cheers. I have uploaded a screen shot of the workshop manual showing how to replace the roof after a crash, It shows the middle cross member I think I spoke about previously which if you were having a new roof I guess they MIG weld to. Strange because you said there wasn't any.have a look.

David

[marcandsebe]

Looks really good, but I don't think I'm brave enough to have hole chopped in to an almost new vehicle.

[marcandsebe]

Ok Barry I thought you implied it was a junction box within the roof area. I am vert familiar with the left and right junction boxes in the foot wells, cheers. I have uploaded a screen shot of the workshop manual showing how to replace the roof after a crash, It shows the middle cross member I think I spoke about previously which if you were having a new roof I guess they MIG weld to. Strange because you said there wasn't any.have a look.

David

It looks like you have a Apple Mac David, sensible lad.. Also looks like one of the cross members would be in the way of the new roof.

[barrycoll]

sorry for the confusion David...

your thumbnail of the roof section is interesting, as the fitter was using sheet metal scissors, and couldn't have have gone through any crossbracings pictured without (effing & blinding) and a power tool.....and there was no sign of any cut sections, when examining the original hole...

I had imagined a jig saw, blasting through everything in its way, leaving chipped paint and a ragged edge........but thankfully, No

cheers barryc

[tarquin]

Ok Barry I thought you implied it was a junction box within the roof area. I am vert familiar with the left and right junction boxes in the foot wells, cheers. I have uploaded a screen shot of the workshop manual showing how to replace the roof after a crash, It shows the middle cross member I think I spoke about previously which if you were having a new roof I guess they MIG weld to. Strange because you said there wasn't any.have a look.

David

It looks like you have a Apple Mac David, sensible lad.. Also looks like one of the cross members would be in the way of the new roof.

and an iPad 2 etc etc. I dual boot the Mac book because I need windows for circuit drawing

David