Roof skin ideas

Hi all

The thing on my mind at the moment is changing my roof skin to get rid of the sunroof (6'3" so it hurts . )

This would be done at the same time as the respray but just wondering where would be the best place to get it done and properly. Also I. Wondering if a carbon fibre jobby is possible

What are peoples thought a of this situation

Carbon fibre would look awesome!

I know and also weight saving and lowering the centre of gravity abit so more on the plus side

2nd Jame5 - go carbon look and have it end similar to the F458 special edition - bottom of window line - and you can mask the boarder with a thin italian flag/stripe over the rear quarter panels

R00

I was in a Daewoo Matiz (a new one) the other day here in Uzbekistan. They all have them?

Anyway, this guy had done his in red alcantara leather - If I imagined this then I would think no - but - it looked good!!

To get a taxi here, all you need to do is stick your finger out at the side of the road, people then stop, you tell them where, agree a price and off you go. Actually, they are not taxi's, they are normal people in their cars. Just a way to make some money....

I like it

We'll keep an eye out for 'missing man' in the Uzbekistan gazette. Sounds risky.

Knight, I don't think actual carbon fibre is possible due to the shape. You could get a vinyl wrap though. Getting the hole filled will lead to distortion in the roof. It would probably be neater if Joe had a non sunroof roof you could use. Unpick it at the pillars and put the new one in. That's what they do with the 205 rally cars. But I don't know who you'd get to do it as the job would need to be first rate for safety reasons.

I've spoken to a few companies that have said they will do a full carbon roof but I need a roof for them to use as a plug so it can be done. If I was going for a normal roof then I would use a brand new roof skin and like you have said need a trusted body shop to do it

I wouldn't ever plug the sun roof hole because it will look pants

Making one won't be an issue. It's how you attach it safely to your car, and at what point do you cut the metal for it.

How will you bond a carbon roof to the metal body panels?

Don't forget carbon and steel (which is iron and other good stuff) are quite far apart on the periodic table so it will induce corrosion unless you really spend time preventing it.
Without changing the design of the roof, I think it would be difficult to make the conversion, just welding in a new non sunroof would be waaaay easier and cheaper.

I know its a lot of work but I'm still looking into it and seeing what is going to work best

Surely re-shelling would be far easier and cheaper?

I don't like the look of the sunroof on my car, if I was looking at getting rid of it I'd be looking for a straight, rot free non-sunroof car and transferring all my running gear across.

Though thats the least of my worries.

Removing a ( structural ) metal roof and trying to bond on a carbon roof wouldn't be an option in my book .... cost alone would stop me ---- apart from the myriad of problems that would follow ,,... fit , finnish ,cracking, window sealing etc etc etc ,if you want rid of sunroof re body or weld a plate over sun roof hole .
If you want a carbon roof ---- wrap it ,or.....
Buy a Zonda

re shelling would be alot harder than replacing the roof skin for a non sunroof

hmmm doubt it, i`d wager a small bet ( 25p) --you`d never get it to line up properly,amd you would lose rigidity as well

Might just be me but I know thats the route I'd be going rather than taking a tin opener to my car (unless a roll cage is going in).

You could re-shell over a weekend (or quicker) with a couple of pairs of hands.

re shelling will lose the LE which wont be the same anymore. with the carbon roof skin it will be the center strip like the honda crx has (well the one ive seen anyway) so it will still have the same strength because it wouldnt be structural

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/3458/3141/33644070007_large.jpg

theres loads of others but this is just one example ive found

Ok so your not chopping the roof off ?

Chopping the roof and you will already have killed any value it may have in being an LE -- so still better to re - shell

why not just fill the sunroof hole -smooth off - and wrap the roof with a carbon fibre wrap

because you can fill the sun roof hole with out it showing like a saw thumb, ive seen loads done even the top jobs sag after time and then just look pants

So are you talking about:

1. Cutting out the sunroof, plating with a section from a non-sunroof car and then skinning part of the the roof with some carbon.

2. Cutting the whole roof out and replacing with carbon section.

Could you maybe modify the seat/runners to give you more head room if thats what you're after? With a Sparco seat fitted I feel like a kid driving and I'm 6ft.