FITTING THE SUNROOF

1 This sunroof was removed prior to the respray, but had been leaking in service and subsequently taped up in a attempt to keep water out.

2 Removal was a simple matter of removing these plates holding the headlining and unscrewing the aluminium inner frame from the outer.

3 This split in the upper sealing rubber was part of the leak problem, but the seal was otherwise hardened and generally perished.

4 The original upper main seal had been bonded into the outer frame with sealant, which is normal, though it’s a devil to get out.

5 This smaller seal on the underside of the top frame seals against the roof panel. It was removed and the surface cleaned, but won’t be renewed.

6 New upper seal (RTC 5942) for this early lift handle type is obsolete, though I found a source (see PARTS USED panel).

7 To fit, this lip is tucked under the inner groove on the frame before locating the seal’s outer edge. Sealant is supplied for the frame recess.

8 With the seal’s inner lip engaged, the back edge of the seal is pushed outward and down using a trim tool to apply gentle force.

9 The seal is slightly long to allow for later shrinkage, so it needs to be compressed lengthways as it is being fitted to avoid excess at the corners.

10 The job needs a lot of patience. It’s best to fit the corners first while there’s slack, then fit the long sides, compressing as you go.

11 With the seal in, we applied lubricant and fitted the glass panel to compress the seal, before repositioning the seal edges all around.

12 We applied Tiger Seal to the underside of the frame, instead of the standard rubber frame-to-roof seal (white to match the roof paint).

13 It’s a two-man job to lower the assembly into the roof without getting everything and ourselves covered in sealant (we had a dry test run earlier).

14 The sunroof is curved, but the roof is flat. So, when fitting the lower frame, the screws pull the roof into shape to match the curvature.

15 When tight, the white sealant exudes from the frame all round, proving we have a complete seal. The excess is carefully wiped away.

16 And that’s the whole job done; the Ninety is now fully glazed with new seals – and should be watertight for the next 20 years.