Swap out moonroof for OEM carbon one

[camaross305]

My car had everything i wanted from the dealer except for a carbon roof. So before you say i should have ordered it that way or just get another car i really didnt have that option . I traded in my 335i spur of the moment in october when i thought they were going to get rid of the .09% at the end of that month. Plus the 08's in my area were disappearing fast.

Any way tischer said they can get me the OEM carbon roof for 1280$. I thought it was going to be 4 times that price!

So my next question is i know BMW uses a special sealant to attach the carbon roof. How could i get this because tischer said they cant get it? Im Guessing a BMW body shop? I know a bunch of e46 guys performed the CSL roof swaps on their car with zero problems and it came out just like the factory.

Anybody know of a worthy shop in Florida to help perform the operation?

[Kev]

As I said, PM Auto_Armour335i and he can walk you through what you need.

They must sell the sealant in the US or else what if you need to swap out a bad roof on an M3 or M6. It doesn't make any sense.

[camaross305]

Oh at first in the other thread you said "autocouture" so i pmed him and he was like HUH i never did that lol

[Kev]

Sorry, had a brain lapse earlier

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by Kev

Sorry, had a brain lapse earlier

lol its cool....

Ok well i pmed Auto_Armour335i so he should be a great help. Still not sure i want to tackle the job myself and dont know who to trust in Florida. Might just get a quote from a BMW body shop but im sure that will be $$$$

[Kev]

Originally Posted by camaross305

lol its cool....

Ok well i pmed Auto_Armour335i so he should be a great help. Still not sure i want to tackle the job myself and dont know who to trust in Florida. Might just get a quote from a BMW body shop but im sure that will be $$$$

I don't know if you have tried this or not. Look up your local BMWCCA chapter and they should have a sponsor section. You should be able to find a good body shop that way.

[JMARS]

i think its gunna look like shit! I think your car looks like shit! And I don't know what it is about your face but I want to rearrange it.

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by JEMarsal

i think its gunna look like shit! I think your car looks like shit! And I don't know what it is about your face but I want to rearrange it.

LOL HA HA! Too bad i rigged your HID kit so that your car explodes!

[camaross305]

Ok so i talked with Auto_Armour335i and found out pretty much everything i need. Seems pretty straight foward. I guess ill find out the rest when i go to do it lol

[Kev]

Post some info buddy~

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by Kev

Post some info buddy~

Well first you have to remove your headliner.

Then remove your front and rear windshield by pulling out the rubber seals that hold them on.

Then remove each of the roof sills by lifting the "doors" on each side of the roof to expose and remove the 2 torque bolts on each side. These are the same points you mount ski racks etc. on. Then he said it will expose about 50 tiny tack welds on each side. You have to semi drill those to loosen the tack welds. After that you can remove the roof. Then just grind and smooth out the welds for a smooth surface.

Apply the adhesive to the roof and set it into place. He said with the OEM roof it will pretty much fit right into place and when you place the roof sills back on it will straighten out the roof and put it exactly where it needs to be.

[Kev]

Nice~ I want to preserve the sunroof for the wife so I'll probably go the CA route. I'll keep you posted.

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by Kev

Nice~ I want to preserve the sunroof for the wife so I'll probably go the CA route. I'll keep you posted.

Ok let me know because i still may try the CA too.

[Griz]

Originally Posted by camaross305

Any way tischer said they can get me the OEM carbon roof for 1280$. I thought it was going to be 4 times that price!

Damn. Less than these aftermarket lip spoilers?

[Kev]

Originally Posted by Griz

Damn. Less than these aftermarket lip spoilers?

LOL~ OEM piece is mass produced so the cost of manufacturing is lower and Tischer doesn't try to rip you a new one either.

[rzm3]

I'd rather not do it... these roofs are attached at the factory with very tight tolerances in a highly controlled enviornment, so I wouldn't mess with it. The roof is very important to the rigitity of the car -- BMW created an entire new facility just for attaching CF roofs.

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by rldzhao

I'd rather not do it... these roofs are attached at the factory with very tight tolerances in a highly controlled enviornment, so I wouldn't mess with it. The roof is very important to the rigitity of the car -- BMW created an entire new facility just for attaching CF roofs.

Yea that's what scares me

But then again it's not nuclear science either. The main rigidity for the carbon roof is there is a cross bar underneeth the roof. Thats really the main source of stiffness. The reason they have a seperate facility is because a different process is required than robotic tack welds

[lucid]

I doubt that the CF roof panel, or the sheet metal roof panel for that matter, has much of a structural role. However, I'd be highly concerned about the adhesion process. Having the materials/sealent does not mean you will get the bonding process right. I assume a specific pressure needs to be applied in a uniform manner for a specific amount of time under specific environmental conditions for proper long lasting bond. You might end up ruining everything. Not worth the risk IMO.

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by lucid

I doubt that the CF roof, or the sheet metal roof panel for that matter, has much of a structural role. However, I'd be highly concerned about the adhesion process. Having the materials/sealent does not mean you will get the bonding process down right. You might end up ruining everything. Not worth the risk IMO.

I'm sure someone knows how to adhere it. As I said one member already did it. And I'm sure in due time someones oem carbon roof will crack, leak, etc and it will have to be replaced and adhered by the dealer. They won't send it back to Germany for that

[Kev]

Originally Posted by camaross305

I'm sure someone knows how to adhere it. As I said one member already did it. And I'm sure in due time someones oem carbon roof will crack, leak, etc and it will have to be replaced and adhered by the dealer. They won't send it back to Germany for that

+1 Those are done at your local body shop. There are instructions that come with the adhesive. My guy does body work for a lot of BMWCCA club racing cars and races in the series himself, so he knows all the ins and outs of bonding carbon fiber panels to steel.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by camaross305

I'm sure someone knows how to adhere it. As I said one member already did it. And I'm sure in due time someones oem carbon roof will crack, leak, etc and it will have to be replaced and adhered by the dealer. They won't send it back to Germany for that

You might want to check with the M6 community to see if something like that has happened and what BMW has done for proper replacement. Just because the dealer might end up patching something together does not mean that it will be up to factory spec and last as long. Long time ago, before the car was released, someone posted saying he spoke to a BMW employee who works at the factory in Germany who said there is no sound replacement process for the CF roof. I have no idea if that is true or not. If you search the forum, you might find that thread. Also, BMW has major body work facilities at the ports of entry on each coast. Maybe, that's where these things are addressed if there is a need. Anyway, good luck!

[rzm3]

I guess it can be done, but it probably won't be up to factory quality. Just like when you get body work done, I have yet to find a body shop that does a truely factory-standard paint job -- there are always minor defects to the discerning eye. After all, robots are better at these high-precision jobs.