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What To Do With Sunroof Hole


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#16 RedRuby

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 08:47 PM

I think you may cause quite a bit of distortion, but there is a Frost product that you could use to prevent heat runs so minimise the possible distortion. It may be worth a try as if it does distort badly you could cut it back out and either have a new roof skin fitted or I believe that you can get a fibre glass/ carbon fibre roof skin that is bonded on.

 
Is this the stuff http://www.frost.co....14oz-414ml.html ?

Yes that's the stuff.

#17 midridge2

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 11:01 AM

No one has mentioned yet, but if you plug weld a section in the roof it is a MOT failure.



#18 dyshipfakta

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 11:29 AM

No one has mentioned yet, but if you plug weld a section in the roof it is a MOT failure.


How would anyone know without digging out filler and removing headlining.
I would put the sunroof back in and call it a day . Lol

#19 midridge2

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 12:32 PM

And if you plug weld a patch on the cill and cover it with underseal, or plug weld a patch on the floor and cover it with underseal it would pass its MOT.
These would be classed as bodges by people on here so were do you draw the line?
Imagine you had a plug weld patch on the roof and you skimmed it with filler and painted it, you then had a severe accident and the filler came out, would your insurance be now void?
It has to be continuous weld for a reason.



#20 Scousemouse

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 12:48 PM

Yeah I'd be tempted to just reinstall the "SUNROOF" and seal it up, I personally HATE so called sunroofs,but had to settle with the one (factory fit) on my Mayfair because I could not find a decent Mini around WITHOUT ONE.

Mine has leaked once after the last big storm we had,so I used "SEEK AND SEAL".

Seems to have done the trick.

Just to add it never leaked until the lad at the garage opened it against my wishes ie I'd put a piece of gaffa tape across the interior sunroof handle/lock, with "DON'T OPEN" wrote on in felt tip pen.

 

Typical YOUTH, if it say's DON'T GO THERE ....they do.....DO NOT TOUCH..etc etc. :mmkay:



#21 dyshipfakta

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 01:27 PM

And if you plug weld a patch on the cill and cover it with underseal, or plug weld a patch on the floor and cover it with underseal it would pass its MOT.
These would be classed as bodges by people on here so were do you draw the line?
Imagine you had a plug weld patch on the roof and you skimmed it with filler and painted it, you then had a severe accident and the filler came out, would your insurance be now void?
It has to be continuous weld for a reason.


Given that before you plugged the hole you had a sheet of glass that opens I don't see strength being affected particularly the floor and sills don't tend to have factory fitted holes( at least not big ones)

#22 midridge2

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 01:37 PM

The sunroof surrounds are made of a piece of metal that has various folds to give it strength before the glass is fitted, a patch is one sheet of flat metal with a slight curve.
The cills also have a angle bent  it to them and a long curve and the flutes have strength with being a pressing, the floors have many pressings in them to give them strength.



#23 dyshipfakta

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 01:55 PM

The sunroof surrounds are made of a piece of metal that has various folds to give it strength before the glass is fitted, a patch is one sheet of flat metal with a slight curve.
The cills also have a angle bent  it to them and a long curve and the flutes have strength with being a pressing, the floors have many pressings in them to give them strength.


I'm not arguing just playing devils Advocado. Unless you rebuilt your mini nut and bolt from bare metal the reality of it is the vast majority of us will have the odd surprise such as deleted sun roofs, dodgy welding etc so you just have to do what best suits your abilities.

#24 JakeJakeJake

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Posted 22 March 2017 - 08:40 PM

The sunroof surrounds are made of a piece of metal that has various folds to give it strength before the glass is fitted, a patch is one sheet of flat metal with a slight curve.
The cills also have a angle bent  it to them and a long curve and the flutes have strength with being a pressing, the floors have many pressings in them to give them strength.


The one I removed didn't seem very strong at at all, the frame that was bolted to the room is a single piece of metal bent to the shape of the hole, was probably aluminium, with the glass out you can easily squash it in the direction that it is supposed to provide strength. Yes it's bolted to the roof but that's not going to be any stronger than plug welds?

#25 tiger99

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Posted 25 March 2017 - 12:56 PM

Not the point! You HAVE TO DO what the MOT requires, daft or not, or face the consequences sooner or later. If the structure is non-standard your insurance company HAS TO be told or your policy becomes invalid in law as you have not disclosed a material fact.

 

The roof panel is secondary structure as although nothing will fail immediately without it, it has a significant effect on the torsional stiffness of the shell. That makes it unarguably a part of the monocoque.

 

Somerford list the roof at £407.11 including VAT so on a Mini worth what they are now, a new roof may add much more value than its cost. I would suggest fitting a new one, or finding a good used one on a scrap car, Then it truly is a fully legal plug welding job in place of the original spots, or hire a spot welder for a day.

 

Edit: The reason I take that view is that the average person, including me, is going to spend an enormous amount of time trying to make a welded repair invisible, with no guarantee of success. I would hope that a professional would also go that route to minimise the time charged to the customer. A professional panel beater or amateur with good skills in that area might go for the welded job on their own car to save money, if they have the time, knowing that they have the skill.


Edited by tiger99, 25 March 2017 - 01:02 PM.


#26 Cooperman

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Posted 25 March 2017 - 10:32 PM

The roof panel was roll-welded during manufacture.

When fitting a new roof panel the best way is to drill a 5mm hole every 20mm around the edge of the roof flange and MIG-weld the new panel on.

 

The replacement of the entire roof panel is really the only way of making a good job if deleting a sun-roof. Roofs with patch panels welded in have so much filler they usually look poor and the entire roof has to be re-painted anyway.

 

A good roof from a scrap car is a very viable option. If welded on properly it is a very strong repair.

 

Contrary to a lot of what has been stated, patch repairs are permitted so long as the welds are continuous. For example, if the trapped nuts holding the rear sub-frame trunnions in place become stripped or detached, it is acceptable to cut a rectangular hole in the sill to gain access, weld in new trapped nuts, then make up a patch repair for the sill, weld in, grind back & paint. There are lots of patch repairs to the boot floor, inner front wings, lower rear quarter panel and floors and these are all OK if done properly. After finishing there is nothing to identify these areas. With the roof, which has a compound curvature, it is more difficult to get it to the correct profile unless a lot, and I mean a lot, of filler and high-build primer is used.



#27 tiger99

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Posted 28 March 2017 - 03:21 PM

Ah, the dreaded roller welds! Did they do that right up to the end of production, and what about Heritage shells? Just curious.

From what I have heard, the roller welder was hated by those who had to use it because the welding head was hot and heavy, with rather inflexible trailing cables. It would be interesting to see one in action. Automated versions are still widely used in the manufacture of fuel tanks, but modern bodyshells which need a continuous weld in certain areas for crash protection seem to be done by robotic MIG nowadays.

#28 GT Jimmy

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Posted 28 March 2017 - 03:48 PM

I will be reinstalling my sunroof on the GT. The work involved filling the hole to me is just not worth the hassle. Controversial, but I don't get all the hate aimed at sunroofs

#29 Cooperman

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Posted 28 March 2017 - 08:27 PM

I don't think sun-roofs are 'hated', but they are a bit disliked because they can leak, rust can form in the roof skin around the edges, hey are noisy compared to cars without them and they deteriorate more quickly than a steel roof panel.

 

The question about how to replace a roof and remove the sun-roof is valid, but really the only way to make a good job of it is to replace the complete roof panel, a relatively easy job. 






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