sunroof install in regular cab -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ok. i researched for days and never found anything to help me with this so just tackled it on my own. so here is my write up on the install of a sunroof and a new solid headliner. here we go!!!!!!!!!! my $25 craigslist find. now it was time to gather all my materials for the install. had this dresser taking up space and noticed the backing would be perfect for the headliner. $$FREE$$ next was to find the glue. you CANNOT use regular silicone for this!!!! this is why most aftermarket sunroofs leak. regular silicone is acid cured. you need to find neutral cured silicone or butyl tape. went to hardware store and found this. pretty much butyl tape in a tube and i think this works alot better than window weld and all the other expensive crap out there. $7.49 needed to find a spacer of some sort to fill the 1/2" gap between upper and lower trim rings. got a small piece of insulating foam given to me from hardware store. i cut this into strips. $$$FREE$$$ okay, now that is pretty much all i need for the install. i just need the material for headliner, but that can wait! now on to removing the old bow style headliner. you could just cut out, but i might end up reusing it, so i did it right. FIRST, remove visors, clips, mirror, door trim, oh **** handles, and pop out the top of rear window. take knife and pry the vinyl from the pinch welds. now there is three bows in there. just start from the rear and pull down each of the bows. they should pop right out. now the front has metal piece that is screwed to body above windshield. pretty easy to get out. this is what you should be left with. now on to the actuall sunroof! with this being a used unit, i did not have a template, so had to make one. pretty easy, not going into detail on that. then its pretty much putting template on roof and position where you want making sure its centered left to right and front to back. i actually did mine a bit further towards the rear. just my preference. once you have location, tape the roof up and transfer template onto tape. measure again and again and again. this is how it looks from above after this, i just put top part on to make sure my line was correct then i just took cut off wheel and cut right inside the line and ground what i needed off. no pics of me cutting cuz i was only one home at the time, but pretty common sense! after the hole was cut and trimmed all nice and clean, i test fitted everything. all was good so took all apart and put nice bead of adhesive and lowered in the top piece. this is with glass in. this does pop out completely, too! just gotta install rubber strip that hides the screws and do my headliner. but there you have it!! hope this helps whoever is thinking about doing this. i will tell you, the hardest part of this was making that initial cut in my roof, lol!
this is a pic from a distance to give you idea of what it looks like and my original design for headliner using the back of the dresser didnt work like i wanted so going a different route. used leftover 1/2" foam and line the whole roof with it. now its all flush with the reinforced metal around the edges. after 3 different shops and hours of driving, i finally found my material for headliner. spent more than i wanted, but got enough for door panels and dash too. going old school!!!! more pics to come as i get more done.
You make it look so easy lol! I am putting a Paseo sun roof in my truck some day, but am looking forward to the headliner process as I need to do the same with mine.
that is awesome i was wondering if people did this, all i hear when i bring it up is its bad news for leaks... what vehicle did that sunroof come out of? Looks like im heading to pick-a-part to find one lol
lol just went to pick a part and found like the same glass out of a single cab 81 toyota, 20 bucks, came with everything, even the stripping that covers the screws, cant wait to do this to my truck this weekend! thanks for the idea lol