Skytop! Stuck Sunshade!

[JavierB]

Hit a snag on my SkyTop re-bonding project:  The sunshade won't budge.  Its open all the way, as it has been since i got the car.  I got the glass out, and figured that would maybe help dislodge the sunshade.  No dice.  stuck fast and completely.  any advice?

I've tried moving the power bar forward and back and that changes nothing.  there were some shredded bits of weatherseal, fabric liner, and some cloth tape up there, so it could be gunked up, but not sure what to do about it.

[JavierB]

A couple of hours of WD40 later it came free!

For some ungodly reason there is a cloth liner on this that is held on by cloth tape that goes all the way to the edge, meaning it sits in the slider channel.  So after 40 years it had gotten shredded and folded and gunked and then it sat for a decade hardening.

But now its FREE!  one step closer!  on the plus angle, the leather side is spanking new looking.

[JavierB]

So who has an opinion on the purpose of this canvas material?  I'm obviously replacing it, but is it here just to prevent an accidental scrape on the glass or what?  I would rather spray mount something than have this flimsy tape-based deal.  Advice?

 

[JavierB]

UPDATE:

I forgot about this posting, but what I wound up doing is gluing down a thin reflective insulation and it has worked out great.  The panel is noticeably cooler to the touch on a sunny day.

The whole moonroof works well now.

[Desert Driver]

Looks like Red Green worked on that shade by all the duct tape!

[pantera928]

On 5/26/2022 at 11:35 AM, JavierB said:

UPDATE:

I forgot about this posting, but what I wound up doing is gluing down a thin reflective insulation and it has worked out great.  The panel is noticeably cooler to the touch on a sunny day.

The whole moonroof works well now.

How hard was it to remove that panel and install that reflective insulation? It seems like that would make the car easier to cool in the Summer

[JavierB]

4 hours ago, pantera928 said:

How hard was it to remove that panel and install that reflective insulation? It seems like that would make the car easier to cool in the Summer

Well, I removed it as part of the entire moonroof repair process, so it came out AFTER removing the glass.  once the glass is removed you slide the metal panel forward and then push up to bow it out of its tracks.   Not hard.  But you have to be willing to do the whole removal and replacement of the glass panel, which again isn't too hard, but it is a bit finicky to realign.

[pantera928]

18 hours ago, JavierB said:

Well, I removed it as part of the entire moonroof repair process, so it came out AFTER removing the glass.  once the glass is removed you slide the metal panel forward and then push up to bow it out of its tracks.   Not hard.  But you have to be willing to do the whole removal and replacement of the glass panel, which again isn't too hard, but it is a bit finicky to realign.

So do you think it makes the car cooler?

[JavierB]

On 5/29/2022 at 12:29 PM, pantera928 said:

So do you think it makes the car cooler?

Can't say for certain.  Fixing the skytop was the first thing on my list when I got the car, so not much to compare it to.

[pantera928]

44 minutes ago, JavierB said:

Can't say for certain.  Fixing the skytop was the first thing on my list when I got the car, so not much to compare it to.

Just curious to know. did you find a replacement seal for the Skytop sunroof? They tend to go bad after time

[JavierB]

On 6/4/2022 at 6:13 PM, pantera928 said:

Just curious to know. did you find a replacement seal for the Skytop sunroof? They tend to go bad after time

I used a seal for an airplane door I found here:

https://www.brownaircraft.com/product-p/ba-4555.htm

and because I thought it needed more depth, i put a 1/8" flat rubber strip behind it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WR1WG72/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've never seen a good image of the exact profile of a new stock one, so I went off what my battered old one looked like to the best of my ability, and this sandwich looks like a good match.  It seems to work well so far after a year.

I literally scoured the entire country for an original seal and called dozens of dead ends, so I dont think originals are to be found anywhere.

Edited June 8, 2022 by JavierB

[pantera928]

17 hours ago, JavierB said:

I used a seal for an airplane door I found here:

https://www.brownaircraft.com/product-p/ba-4555.htm

and because I thought it needed more depth, i put a 1/8" flat rubber strip behind it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WR1WG72/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've never seen a good image of the exact profile of a new stock one, so I went off what my battered old one looked like to the best of my ability, and this sandwich looks like a good match.  It seems to work well so far after a year.

I literally scoured the entire country for an original seal and called dozens of dead ends, so I dont think originals are to be found anywhere.

Thanks!