normansan

Hey, I'm new to the forums so I'll give a brief introduction.

I've had a modded '86 951 for over two years now, but it has been sitting for the past year due to California's emission standards. I'm planning on getting it back on the road soon and putting some money into making it really nice.

My question is has anyone successfully managed to make their electric sunroof into some sort of manual roof? I was thinking of installing clips on the rear of the roof and just getting rid of all the cables, gears, and motors.

V2Rocket

Yea I did it. Early 924's and the 1983 944s had manual roofs, you find the rear latches they had on those roofs and they are a direct swap onto the power roof. You don't have to remove the sunroof motor if you don't want to but the cable makes alot of noise sometime if it's not secured.

KuHL 951

It's a 30 minute job and is very easy. I've done two of my cars and about to do a 3rd. The latches don't lay down as flat as the ones on a true manual because the detents in the liners are shaped differently. Here's a pic of my old 83 with OE manual and a converted 86.

83 manual:



86 converted:

normansan

OK, so I've searched the main Porsche parts websites and went through a bunch of searches on this site and couldn't find where I could buy the necessary parts. Are they called "manual sun roof clips?" That's what I've been searching for and I couldn't find anything.

Where can I get these parts? Thanks guys.

V2Rocket

Manual sunroof latches. They pop up on ebay all the time, some guys on here occasionally have them. Contact Tim Comeau, he had a spare set when I was at his shop a few days ago.

Keithr726

So those of you that have converted what is holding the rear of the sunroof down when its in the raised position? Just the front latches? I remember my old 83 had a leather piece in the middle to hold it from bouncing around too much.

FRporscheman

The rear mechanism on the manual sunroof is different than the power sunroof. It looks just like the front mechanism.

V2Rocket

Just earlier today I finished retrofitting the leather strap/snap button stuff to my originally-powered roof. Looks like it belongs there


and sure beats the gangsta chain I had holding the roof on before.

gregeast

I recently bought a set off of Ebay and am very happy with the conversion. I left all the power stuff in place and hope to fix my roof when it's warm again but this was a great, easy fix.

PSUice944

Just curious, but from the looks of the conversion, you give up the "vent" feature? My power roof is all too tempramental and i'd love to go manual, but I want to use the vent feature

KuHL 951

The vent feature is just resting the rear latch levers in the roof groove and it stays propped up. I've driven with mine at 140mph with no strap and it never lifted once. The original strap isn't tight on the early cars so I think it's more of a feel good thing. On real bumpy roads though the latches can rattle and sometimes bounce out of the groove; an elastic strap would be the way to go. The front latches still have to be in good condition; no broken hinges or anything like that.

V2Rocket

The manual sunroof lets you raise the back of the roof about 2". The latches (seen in the pictures above) become the supports for the roof, they stick in the rain gutter in the roof hole.

Keithr726

haha that amazes me, it must have been a nice really smooth road (err track) and not these pot hole infested things when can roads in napa.

V2Rocket

Yea I've never had a problem with the roof lifting, the wind probably pushes the roof down enough at speed you wouldn't worry.

also you'd have to be doing some very serious braking from speed to make the roof lift, make sure your front latches are engaged and youll be fine.

i just have the strap on there for looks and for the hell of it.

KuHL 951

Yes, it was a good smooth location that shall remain nameless unless you ever make it over this way on one of our more 'spirited' runs.