Actual weight of sunroof and cassette?

[e21pilot]

How much does the power sunroof actually weigh? As far as panel options, to be spec e30 I have to replace it with the same thickness and size panel so ignore that. I'm just talking the rails, gearbox, motor, etc...

[ddavidv]

to be spec e30 I have to replace it with the same thickness and size panel

Well, sort of.
The size is kind of 'open', because it can be larger than the opening if you elect to just rivet a panel in place over the opening.
While it should be similar gauge sheet metal to the original, the original panel is also double thickness, which you also need not duplicate from all the cars I've looked at. I think the rules are written mostly to say that the replacement panel must be of the same material (steel) as the original.
As for the weight, I have no idea. Most of that was either sold or thrown in the dumpster.

[Eric]

I have most of the sunroof tray sitting in my barn. if I had a scale i could tell you how much i've stripped from the car. maybe i'll get a home scale and weight them.

my guess is that the sunroof and tray weigh at least 50lbs. my friend that helped me remove it concours

[jlevie]

I got a 35lb weight off the parts I tossed after removing the sunroof stuff on my Spec E30. I reused the sunroof panel to fill the hole, but it can't weigh more than a few pounds.

[Scott///M]

I got a 35lb weight off the parts I tossed after removing the sunroof stuff on my Spec E30. I reused the sunroof panel to fill the hole, but it can't weigh more than a few pounds.

35 lbs is what I lost with mine as well.

Reuse the panel. Once you drop the tray and liner... all you're left with is a piece of metal that has nicely finished edges and a very snug fit.

You can use existing tabs on the panel in conjunction with the additions of 4 small welded tabs and generic windshield gasket to make a very finished looking weather proof setup.









Scott-

[Scott///M]

I've added pics...

[JRKOUPE]

s roof

.........nice fit.....thnx!!!!!!!!!!

[Eric]

the factory sunroof skin weigh's more than i thought. I have a CF skin comming that will be bonded in with black silicone. at the moment the car has no sunroof and it's raining perminently here for probably the next two months : (

[nando]

my FG panel weighed like 2lbs..

[DSP74]

Scot///M that looks really good.
Did you install the panel as a double skin, or did you just install the outer skin?

Guys with CF or FG panels how did you install them? Bonded in I got, but how did you hold it there etc?

I don't have mine out, so I don't know what to expect. Just going off the pictures above. Mine will be a SM autox car not a track car so the intereior must stay.

[RangerGress]

Scot///M that looks really good.
Did you install the panel as a double skin, or did you just install the outer skin?

Scott did double skin. I've seen some single skin installs and that's a better way to do it. I removed the whole darn thing and riveted a piece of sheetmetal on. Separating the two layers from the sunroof, without hosing up the outer layer, didn't at the time strike me as do-able. Later I met John and Nat Black, FL SpecE30 drivers, who did a good job of separating the layers.

If you don't separate the layers, it's pretty darn heavy. The whole sunroof delete effort might not be worth the trouble if you remove only the cassette and motor and leave the OEM dual ply sunroof.

[LTDScott]

Funny that this thread came back to life... I have the sunroof cassette in the hatchback of my (non-BMW) car right now to throw away in our dumpster at work tomorrow.

[Tim Flat4]

Scott did double skin. I've seen some single skin installs and that's a better way to do it. I removed the whole darn thing and riveted a piece of sheetmetal on. Separating the two layers from the sunroof, without hosing up the outer layer, didn't at the time strike me as do-able. Later I met John and Nat Black, FL SpecE30 drivers, who did a good job of separating the layers.

If you don't separate the layers, it's pretty darn heavy. The whole sunroof delete effort might not be worth the trouble if you remove only the cassette and motor and leave the OEM dual ply sunroof.

Is there a more illustrated version of how to separate the the sunroof's layers? I'm in the process of taking out the interior (and learning to weld ;)) and I'd like to give this a shot soon.

[jlevie]

I personally think it is a pain in the you know what to separate the outer skin from the reinforcement. And I doubt that there are very many E30 drivers whose lap times would improve from the insignificant difference in up top weight.

[Erik]

Coolest picture ever is in this thread.......... btw