Seeing all these modern cars with their nice fancy panoramic roofs I'm wanting to make one for my car using a heavy steel frame welded to my cars relatively flat roof and the glass then bonded to the frame.

Questions are… can anyone recommend an easy to use and strong glass mastic and does all glass need to be kite marked (wanting to use laminated windscreen glass for this, if I ever rolled the car I don't want my roof just vanishing!)

Any ideas?

Cheers

Surely you can just use Windscreen mastic?

Are you *sure* you won't be weakening the structure of the car?

How are you going to get the glass to match the existing contour of the roof?

[Edited on 18/6/14 by stevebubs]

Hi have visions of the Topgear Avantime:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/homemade-evo-2

1:00 min onwards!

Hi

Was wondering if there was something stronger than windscreen mastic as that's quite rubbery, maybe it's ok?

The steel frame is made from two 1 inch 3mm angle sections welded together and then welded to the roof skin in a kind of double frame, there's still the double skin box section that runs round the roof anyway so this is in addition to that. I think it would beef up the roof if anything, it's just replacing a thin floppy sheet of metal

The roof is really flat with only the slightest curve, I may even just make it totally flat with my hammer

This is kind of what I was thinking



Cheers

[Edited on 18/6/14 by Mr Whippy]

Why not put the angle bracket over the roof, that way you could paint it, and would not show any rough edges around the roof hole, would also reduce pooling of water.
The inner bracket thats supposrts the glass could be smaller so thickness of the glass lifts it over the bracket when finished, this would also reduce pooling.

like this:

yeah I know what your saying and did think about pooling the of water issue, idealy I'd like the glass to look like it is set into the roof rather than a after market sunroof frame so thats why the frame is under the roof panel

OE ones will be perfectly sealed, with pressed holes in the roof, custom seals and probably drainage channels. For a retrofit your almost certainly end up with a damp arse unless you seal it well.

what about like this:


Description


or this if you could manage it:


Description

[Edited on 18/6/2014 by mcerd1]

hmm perhaps I should make sure at each corner the glass is flush or very slightly proud of the roof skin so the water will run off

tbh I get a damp arse anyway as the currrent tilt and slide sun roof leaks due to dried out mastic, either that or it drips on my head when I go round a corner

[Edited on 18/6/14 by Mr Whippy]

quote:

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Originally posted by mcerd1

or this if you could manage it:


Description

[Edited on 18/6/2014 by mcerd1]

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^^ pretty much what I was thinking

having the old roof sheet folded under the glass is about the only way I can think of that would give you a hope of a neat watertight solution - because that way the glass is at least party bonded onto the roof sheet directly and you won't see any of the metal seems from the outside

yip a better solution all round

thanks

What about modifying a Joggler / Flanging Tool to give a larger step ?, perhaps it would leave the glass a little above the steel roof but worth considering.

If you bonded it in with sika windscreen bonder and followed the correct prep and priming procedures.......and assuming you had a big enough sucker attached to a large crane, you would be able to lift the whole car up with your new roof.




Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Hi

Was wondering if there was something stronger than windscreen mastic as that's quite rubbery, maybe it's ok?

quote:

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Originally posted by Myke 2463
What about modifying a Joggler / Flanging Tool to give a larger step ?, perhaps it would leave the glass a little above the steel roof but worth considering.

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In this day and age bonded windows are the main strength in coaches and buses
the only thing i can think of to not do it is will it pass a MOT ? and condensation dripping off the glass
Jacko