A funny thing happened the other night...

Mark351 · 24-04-2006, 01:27 PM

After picking up a pizza enoute from the train station to home, I opted to take a slightly different path home, which means travelling down one of the back roads of Lara to our property. As usual, I was at the wheel of my trusty F100.

The backroad has a 100kph limit, so after entering the road from a roundabout, I put my foot down to get the beast up to speed. At about 80kph, the was a huge "WHOOMP" sound, followed by the icy cold wind blowing in over my head.

...that's right, the truck's bodgy old sunroof decided it was no longer for this world, and flew open - and off!

:

I doubted it would have landed intact, and after a good laugh at home and a couple of slices of pizza, I drove back did a quick check, confirming that the roof was indeed history.

So with a sunroof size hole to fill, I was lucky enough to spy an eBay auction selling almost identically sized sunroofs for what seems like a very good price. Hopefully I can do a swap without too many dramas and get the truck back on the road.

luke · 24-04-2006, 01:31 PM

I'm sorry I know I shouldn't laugh... But that is pretty funny. Good luck with the repairs.

:Reverend:

FPV8U · 24-04-2006, 02:03 PM

Good luck with the repair mate.

LUXO_8 · 24-04-2006, 02:07 PM

ahaha ooops...

Dav0 · 24-04-2006, 02:10 PM

kodak moment :P......have fun with your new sunroof

Tote · 24-04-2006, 02:12 PM

Had a similar experience with the back window on a TF Cortina, most disconcerting indeed. good luck with the fix.
Regards,
Tote

MrSparkle · 24-04-2006, 08:03 PM

And here I was thinking it would be your STEREO that did your roof in mate!

AUIII XR8 MAN · 24-04-2006, 08:56 PM

Oh well, good luck with the new hole in the roof.

Brute6 · 24-04-2006, 09:19 PM

Hope it doesn't rain before you get it back in there!!! Maybe the umbrella out the roof might help!!

:

Dav0 · 24-04-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brute6

Hope it doesn't rain before you get it back in there!!! Maybe the umbrella out the roof might help!!

:

just gafa tape the old one back in

:

Woz · 24-04-2006, 11:14 PM

I'd be interested to see how well a cheesy pizza box will stick down over the hole. Mate, it's called recycling. It's encouraged worldwide. :hihi:

Seriously though, this sort of thing never happens when there's a camera around though, does it?

:

Would have loved to have seen it all unfold. Good luck getting it fixed before the next rain.

OLDFORDNUT · 24-04-2006, 11:15 PM

years ago when i was living in Melbourne,i had a 1974 corrola 1200 panel van, when i hit exactly 120kmh the roof popped down onto my head,scared the bejesus outa me as i swerved across two lanes(lucky no one was beside me)just to test it out i did it again a few days later and yes around same speed bang roof dropped again,no one believed me so i used to do it as a party trick.

Tote · 25-04-2006, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholas

years ago when i was living in Melbourne,i had a 1974 corrola 1200 panel van, when i hit exactly 120kmh the roof popped down onto my head,scared the bejesus outa me as i swerved across two lanes(lucky no one was beside me)just to test it out i did it again a few days later and yes around same speed bang roof dropped again,no one believed me so i used to do it as a party trick.

When did the flux capacitor start working????

Mark351 · 25-04-2006, 11:24 AM

Despite being a LWB F100, it does fit in my shed (would hold 4 cars...) so it's safe from the rain!

Whoever installed the first sunroof (or was the one responsible doing the bodgy black paint job) has smeared sikaflex or somthing similar around the outside of the sunroof ruber seal - any ideas on how to remove that stuff, thinners and a scraper? I'm not worried about damaging the paint job, it needs redoing anyway. It's not a show truck, just a tow monster/load lugger/train station taxi (albeit a big one).

xbcool · 25-04-2006, 11:42 AM

thinners could possibly damage your paint
try prepsol (wax and grease remover ) its not as agressive as thinners but should soften the sikaflex etc enough to wipe off(could get messy)
plastic scrapers wont damage paint like metal scrapers either
good luck

steve

smciner1 · 25-04-2006, 05:48 PM

If you weren't particularly worried about the Paint, I would Use Acetone. Use Gloves though, as it is particularly hard on the skin.

Mark351 · 25-04-2006, 05:57 PM

Thanks guys. I'll try prepsol first, and if it's particularly tough, will hit it with acetone. That's my job for the weekend lined up!

JC · 27-04-2006, 12:22 AM

Mark - the trick with removing sikaflex/silicon is to hit it with prepsol or wax & grease remover, and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then it becomes softer and a plastic scraper should get rid of most of it. Whatever is left should come off with more prepsol and a cloth.

Mark351 · 02-05-2006, 02:55 PM

Well, the new sunroof is fitted. Width wise, it was exactly the same size as the old one, however it was a few mm shorter length wise - still enough overlap to ensure a good fit though.

I ended up using more acetone as suggested by Shane on the sikflex than prepsol, as it was a real pain to remove. The paint on the roof of the truck is perhaps the most shocking on the whole vehicle, so I wasn't concerned with making it a little bit worse - unless you're well over 6'ft you wouldn't notice anyway. One day I'll get the truck repainted.

The instructions that came with the sunroof are, frankly, utter rubbish. Most of it is concerned with cutting the hole in the roof, not the actual install of the sunroof - and I already had a hole. The instructions referred to several diagrams, but no diagrams where to be found. I enquired with the supplier of the sunroof (as did the eBay seller, who was very helpful) but the supplier was as useful as tits on a bull.

Nonetheless, armed with a tube of black sikaflex, I installed the new roof, and yesterday it got the best possible test - all day rain, including some very heavy showers, whilst the truck sat at the station carpark. When I returned, not a single leak whatsoever, so I'll get around to refitting the cardboard headliner (top class interior, for sure!)

Overall, I'm pretty with my home (re)install job. Relatively cheap, and the truck is fully usable again. Now, to finally get that 351 clevo dropped in!

Mark351 · 03-05-2006, 08:11 PM

Just further on the sunroof, it was a Sunraker Sunroof, which is imported and repackaged by a company called Australian Auto Accessories. As I mentioned above, the instructions with the roof clearly reference a number of figures (diagrams) but are no where to be found.

Australian Auto Accessories have been extremely disappointing in their response to the lack of the referenced diagrams after enquiring about them. At first they recommended the use of a professional installer, but that doesn't explain the missing diagrams! I pointed out that they promoted the sunroof to the Do-It-Yourselfer. The response was that they don't, so I replied that their website page listing the sunroof clearly does! They've passed the buck to the reseller (guy on eBay who was very helpful) so they've all but put their hands over their ears and gone 'la la la la'. If I bought a lego kit from K-Mart that written instructions with references to digrams, but no diagrams, what would I expect K-Mart to do? Have the checkout chick draw the bloody things? It's no different really.

So, I'm going to avoid Australian Auto Accessories in the future, they clearly don't give a rats flying . I suppose as an importer, they wouldn't expect to deal with average Joe public, and it's obvious they have no idea how to. If anyone does buy that sunroof, and wants install advice, PM me.

hsv8 · 04-05-2006, 05:58 AM

just read this and the picture in the mind ROFLMAO

sorry but bloody funny