thoughts on plating up a pop up sunroof?

[steveo3002]

ive got a car that has the old pop sunroof fitted where they just jigssaw a hole in the cars roof

im thinking about getting rid of it and welding in a patch from a scrap car

whats the thoughts on

1, butt joint ..im thinking too hard to do for someone with average welding skills, big chance of bad warpage

2, oversized panel with the edge joggled ..easier to weld , the stepped edge may add strength to it ?

3, oversize panel with joggled edge , then some modern high tech panel glue ? how long does this take to go off? not sure how id hold the repair in place?

 

[keithski122]

I have done this on a beetle, did it using method 2. Spot welded on new panel.
Heres a link to my build and pics of how I repaired the hole.
http://www.bajaclub.co.uk/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1379
Whoops just checked and this just shows the after pics. I'll find some of it being repaired.

 

[keithski122]

Heres a new link for repairs.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/filling-a-beetle-sunroof-hole.23449/

 

[steveo3002]

just tacks around it? do you still own the car if so how has it held up ,

edit seen the 2nd pics now

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

I would plug weld over a joggled edge then seam seal with tigers seal or polyurethane. Theu glue windscreens and paneld on with polyurethane glue. Epic stuff. Roofs warp and ripple like a flag flying!!

 

[Spark plug]

If it's something you really want to be perfect like an old classic or a show car I would consider changing the roof skin. If you weld to it will warp and be a bugger to get right especially if it's black.

 

[keithski122]

Spot welded, car hasn't been used yet as I'm still building it.I think the results look good at the moment though.

 

[steveo3002]

yeah looks good , i think the fact you leaded it will help alot

anyone used the modern 2 part panel adhesives , they kinda sound ideal

its a white car , theres no way im changing the whole roof , it doesnt have to be million dollar show car perfect, just nice n tidy , i have plenty of bodyshop experiance on the filling and sanding side but i never did panelwork for a living

 

[Robotstar5]

Joggled edge then use PU to stick it in. We use PU to stick the glass to cars, robots only hold it in place/apply pressure for a few seconds or if manually fitted they use masking tape for a couple of hours. You have to apply decent pressure all round for a good seal and clean off any excess while it's still wet.

 

[steveo3002]

wouldnt pu flex and crack the filler ?

 

[keithski122]

I put a lot of thought in to it when I did mine.I'm with you in thinking pu would flex.My other thinking was that pu or any strong panel adhesive would have some sort of thickness to them leaving the repair section higher than the surrounding area even with a joggled joint.I was told of a panel adhesive that has small balls in it to keep the required distance for it to bond correctly.
Even with mine I ended up skimming the roof in filler and using guide coat and a long board to get the shape nice.

 

[steveo3002]

oh yeah without a doubt there will be some filler involved , not too worried about filler it doesnt seem to cause bother when used over sound metal