E30 moonroof/sunroof is cool when it works, but when it does not work and plastics fail than it becomes annoying problem. It is very difficult to source new parts for this and parts alone may cost more than whole e30.
I decided to simply do sunroof delete and get rid of the brittle headliner.
My solution is very simple and it takes about one day to do it, only advanced tool that you would need is MIG welder.
1. Remove the headliner, it just tears out, remove the sunroof panel, 3 torx screws on each side, remove the rest of the mechanism.
2. do not cut out cassette shell, it provides stiffness to the whole roof, you want to do this in the easiest and most reliable way
3. install 6mm bolts at the location that you see in my photo, rear should be long like 3 inches and front one only and inch long, with the 3mm nuts the height can be adjusted, simply put the panel back on and adjust the nuts so that the panel sits flush. Mark the location were bolts meet the panel, remove panel, grind off the pain, put the panel back on, install spacers were panel seal to roof go to have proper and equal spacing, weld the panel to the bolts, welder should hold wet cardboard under the panel to prevent sparks falling down and melting the seats or carpet. Remove panel, put more weld on the bolts.
4. install panel, adjust 6mm nuts for nice flush look, prior to this panel edges should be slightly sanded down so that the sealant can adhere properly. Once the panel is nice and flush with the rest of the roof, apply professional windshield installation compound. I used Sika tital P2G polyurethane silicone. It is a stiff silicone when dried it is like stiff rubber. Make sure silicone runs all the way down in the channel, then smooth it all down with a pad. Wait few days, then trim it flush with the roof with razor blade scrapper. If your car has good paint, then protect the edges with masking tape before applying compound into channel.
5. secure the 6mm nuts, apply some sealant to prevent them getting lose, trim down the bolt.
6. trim and install 1.5" foam pad into cassette for insulation. Use 3M 90 strength spray adhesive and bond the foam on the bottom of the sunroof panel.
7. For headliner, I went to local cloth store and bought 2mm thick black felt fabric, it can be stretched slightly and it is very durable material. You would have to remove the glass from the whole car as well as the seats, then protect the rest of the interior. Place the cloth on top of the roof and cut out the proper size, leaving more material than you need. Insert headliner inside the car, it is difficult to do alone, but you have to start from the center of the roof and alignment is critical. Holding the fabric up, spray adhesive on both sides, wait a minute then press in the center, then stretch the cloth and work your way around. Mine came out slightly wrinkled but that is because I was doing this by myself.
I decided to simply do sunroof delete and get rid of the brittle headliner.
My solution is very simple and it takes about one day to do it, only advanced tool that you would need is MIG welder.
1. Remove the headliner, it just tears out, remove the sunroof panel, 3 torx screws on each side, remove the rest of the mechanism.
2. do not cut out cassette shell, it provides stiffness to the whole roof, you want to do this in the easiest and most reliable way
3. install 6mm bolts at the location that you see in my photo, rear should be long like 3 inches and front one only and inch long, with the 3mm nuts the height can be adjusted, simply put the panel back on and adjust the nuts so that the panel sits flush. Mark the location were bolts meet the panel, remove panel, grind off the pain, put the panel back on, install spacers were panel seal to roof go to have proper and equal spacing, weld the panel to the bolts, welder should hold wet cardboard under the panel to prevent sparks falling down and melting the seats or carpet. Remove panel, put more weld on the bolts.
4. install panel, adjust 6mm nuts for nice flush look, prior to this panel edges should be slightly sanded down so that the sealant can adhere properly. Once the panel is nice and flush with the rest of the roof, apply professional windshield installation compound. I used Sika tital P2G polyurethane silicone. It is a stiff silicone when dried it is like stiff rubber. Make sure silicone runs all the way down in the channel, then smooth it all down with a pad. Wait few days, then trim it flush with the roof with razor blade scrapper. If your car has good paint, then protect the edges with masking tape before applying compound into channel.
5. secure the 6mm nuts, apply some sealant to prevent them getting lose, trim down the bolt.
6. trim and install 1.5" foam pad into cassette for insulation. Use 3M 90 strength spray adhesive and bond the foam on the bottom of the sunroof panel.
7. For headliner, I went to local cloth store and bought 2mm thick black felt fabric, it can be stretched slightly and it is very durable material. You would have to remove the glass from the whole car as well as the seats, then protect the rest of the interior. Place the cloth on top of the roof and cut out the proper size, leaving more material than you need. Insert headliner inside the car, it is difficult to do alone, but you have to start from the center of the roof and alignment is critical. Holding the fabric up, spray adhesive on both sides, wait a minute then press in the center, then stretch the cloth and work your way around. Mine came out slightly wrinkled but that is because I was doing this by myself.
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