pwnmastap

so, ive been speaking to my dad and have been contemplating on trying to make my own. he thinks its a good idea. i just need to find some decent pics to use as a template and give me ideas on how to customize my own, and make it fully operational without having to modify the car. simple plug and play.

what are your opinions and how difficult do you think it would be and if i do make a good one. would you guys be willing to buy some since i know they are scarce and pricey. im trying to do the whole afordable yet durable and reliable.

thank you for taking your time to read this and for your opinions. if you are thinking about flamming this plz dont. im not looking for negative feed back. so, thank you again. looking forward to your ideas.

Dougs951

I hope you can.

I have been playing with making one, but it would be manual.

woot 2k!

pwnmastap

lol ty

roman944

well, maybe you can find one of those fiberglass replacements and use one of them as a template?

a glass replacement would be nice, even if its not as nice as Saratoga

Korsair970

Well how much do you know about glass working? A possibly cheap and easily made replacement might be clear plastic that's cast, or maybe lexan?

Perhaps a project to add to the list?
https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...-war-room.html

I'm sure someone with more skill with glass or lexan or something could give better advice.

bonus12

pwnmastap, if you make more than one of these, i would be quite interested in buying one if it wasn't expensive. my moon roof is powered; will your creation fit this?

pwnmastap

im trying to make powered and manual

pwnmastap

i have a post in turbo forum with more info if you would like to check it out but to update here it is that it seems like its gonna be a very possible thing and i think it will definitely happen. i was figuring i could price it at 400 for a guess right now. if it comes out cheaper to make then i will drop the price

jtsporsche

Ooooooooh lord

pwnmastap

i see you still stalk renn haha

lovemyp-car

i know that one of the things you will have to deal with is sun and weather damage...i know one of the reasons lexan is popular is because it's light, but i've seen firsthand the sandblasting and hazing that occurs from use in the outdoors. That's one thing that makes the original saratoga's awesome; they are glass therefore the sun doesn't really damage them (not nearly as horribly as lexan or some plastic alternatives) and they're very durable to everyday use. Do also keep in mind that the original sunroof's on these cars are some sort of fiberglass/composite material (don't remember what off the top of my head) so don't expect to lose a TON of weight with your project!

Other than those issues power to you! This idea has floated around for years and it's never really come through spectacularly, so i'm going to give my advice.

Search is your friend! this has been discussed before, and ideas have definitely been tossed about concerning materials and cost etc...

Don't get discouraged! a lot of people who undertake this project (actually almost all) get discouraged by the seemingly huge amount of work needed, but once you build it, people will buy it!

Don't be afraid to keep asking questions in this thread! i will read it, as well as others who frequent the forum...just don't run us around and get our hopes up!!!

Also don't be afraid to call various manufacturers concerning the durability of their products...ask questions like "will heating to create the proper curvature of the sunroof cause problems with any protective coatings or void any warranties?"

Good luck!

pwnmastap

ty very much with the advice and i definitely will ask questions. i am planning on getting this project started in the next few months and am just posting my ideas to get feed back. i believe i have access to the necessary tools so its down to time and money lol

Marcquito

I know the idea has been tossed around before, but nothing much has been done about it. I've thought about making one myself, but just haven't had the time to get around to it.

My father and I are in the marine business - we make custom offshore powerboats and hand build everything from the hull and deck to... you guessed it... the windshield! I forget what material we use - it's like a very thick plexiglass/lexan type and also bulletproof. The process is quite simple - we build wooden molds and cover them in a velvet fabric. The windshield material is then heated with a torch (or in an oven, depending on size) until extremely "rubbery" and is laid on top of the mold. Before it returns to room temperature, we cut off the excess, grind it on a belt sander, then torch the edges until they flow out crystal clear. No reason to buff - the fire does the work.

In a nutshell, that's pretty much how we do it.

I would do the same for the sunroof of the 944. It would take a bit of work, but I'm sure the results would be rewarding. Good luck!

pwnmastap

ty marcquito

Korsair970

Ah I knew it! and someone with a lot of experience with lexan comes along and we know it can be done!

However the involved labor might be a lot. Well if you're willing to go for it, I'd suggest doing some research to see if there are major differences in year or auto/manual. You could go about making a 'mold' a couple of ways, wood like Marc uses, or perhaps a A/B mold and use the male side to get an exact match, just need to do it in something that won't melt while the lexan dries.

Make a proof of concept, put some tint on it and take it for a spin. Lexan would be lighter than glass so that's nice, but the biggest issue I see is labor.