Club126UK
Fiat 126 Chat => Fiat 126 Mechanical Problem Solving => Topic started by: Minijohn on July 28, 2021, 09:49:30 PM
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Has anyone done this and have any photos?
I've just bought a 500 sunroof so will take some photos as I sort it out.
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Hi Minijohn, it’s been done on one of my cars and because it us under canvas you can’t tell the difference. All the parts are the same apart from the sunroof frame. The 126 frame is flatter, tye 500 frame is curved. The chap that did mine straightened out the curve and made it fit. Ricambio sell all the other parts you need to fit a sunroof frame and have a dedicated section on their site.
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Hi Bar Vitelli
Thanks for the reply.
I've bought the complete kit for a 500.
At the moment I've taken the fabric off the frame which is now clamped to my work bench like this...
(https://i.postimg.cc/JH83bPd4/IMG-20210729-184929.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JH83bPd4)
I'll release it in a couple of days to see if it's any flatter.
I could cut & weld it but I'd prefer to avoid that if I can
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That looks like it should work, the general dimensions for the 126 frame and the 500 frame appear the same apart from the curve. As far as I know the 500 frame on my 126 did not need to be cut or welded. The only thing to watch out for is the seperate stainless steel piece with screws in that the canvas attaches to. The ones that Ricambio sell always seem too long for my original sunroof 126 so we generally cut about 1 inch out and weld to make them fit.
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I checked it this morning & after releasing the clamp it certainly didn't spring back as far as it's original position.
I'll give it a while longer & if necessary, I'll pack the ends to be a bit higher off the bench so I can put more pressure in the centre.
Thanks for the tip about the rearmost bar - I'll check that carefully when I get to that stage.
What strengthening did you put in your roof (if any)?
I'm obviously going to have to fit a raised lip all the way round but just wondering if more is needed.
Could you tell me the dimensions of the hole in the roof?
Also, my front bar fixings are 75cm apart - does that match yours?
My plan is to cut the hole undersize, mount the front bar & then open up the aperture so the front bar drops neatly inside the hole. Then I can weld in a lip.
Thanks
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Hi Minijohn, my sunroof was original so I did not need to put in any strengthening, as far as I can tell there is not any, just the raised lip that you describe. I’ll take some measurements over the weekend once it stops raining and send them over.
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Oh sorry I misunderstood - I thought you'd put a 500 sunroof into a non-sunroof 126.
I've been watching a video about fitting a sunroof in a 500 and notice the roof appears to be double skinned around the aperture.....just wondering if the 126 was the same
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y4053WxK/500roof.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y4053WxK)
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I’ll check in the morning, I live in my cars but it’s amazing the little things that you miss!
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It’s been a busy weekend, wedding anniversary, so I’ve not had chance to take the measurements but will post them tomorrow! I did sneak a photo though and yes there does seem to be some strengthening on the inside at the back of the sunroof where the screws attach the canvas to the roof.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqB0Y0Fp/0241-E5-B9-7-DC0-4-C7-C-9388-266-FBE397590.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqB0Y0Fp)
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Great - thanks.
I thought there would be something similar in the 126.
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I've had the frame clamped down for a few days now and for the last 24 hours with blocks of wood under the ends so I could bend it further.
I think it's near enough now - the front lip follows the 126 roof nicely.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QHssXYtq/IMG-20210802-153355.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QHssXYtq)
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I’ve measured the sunroof opening (the gap in the car roof) on a standard sunroof model and the measurements are approximately 60 cm long and 75.5 cm wide. Sorry it has taken so long to come back to you, I’ve been flat out at work.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/Wh04mRBd/6-BA635-F6-A7-F8-4-BF0-8-EB1-937-F079723-E4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Wh04mRBd)
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That's excellent - thanks.
Neat pair of "bookends" you have there.
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A couple of pictures of the sunroof aperture which may help…
(https://i.postimg.cc/4mvf7MjD/2-E84-B456-9-DCA-4188-ACC6-4-AFD9-B2-EA577.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4mvf7MjD)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7Czw4W1t/E8-A4-D1-A7-3-C07-4904-B546-8-FF8-DC54-C25-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7Czw4W1t)
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Bar Vitelli
That's great, thanks for the replies and photos.
Here's a few photos of where I'm up to making roof strengthening from 20mmx20mm box section.
John
(https://i.postimg.cc/2bDDkxgf/IMG-20210826-135521.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2bDDkxgf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/w39pn0hX/IMG-20210830-160951.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w39pn0hX)
(https://i.postimg.cc/646xRp9j/IMG-20210830-162254.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/646xRp9j)
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More pictures which hopefully help…
(https://i.postimg.cc/RNFdff5x/4-ABB95-C8-590-F-42-AC-B8-BC-1-E055-E98210-E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RNFdff5x)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7CvnpWCq/8-CAF6-C6-F-FA29-4-AE8-8-CD4-31560570-AAE3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CvnpWCq)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/Q9hkMKkP/564-C9-A49-7812-47-E3-ADCD-AA7-E64613-FFA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Q9hkMKkP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hhCbSjJy/FF5-EF4-D1-4-CD1-4-D27-9062-7064277-FC8-FF.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hhCbSjJy)
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That’s excellent , you’ve also answered another query regarding the catch - thanks.
I’ve almost finished the roof strengthener/sunroof frame which will be welded in once I’ve worked out the front frame hinge fixings
The lip will be 10mm tall.
This actually far more work than I expected. A few years ago I had a Citroen CX with a rusty sunroof. I grafted on to it a big section of roof ( with sunroof) off a Land Rover Discovery - that was much easier!
(https://i.postimg.cc/vg0X6HvN/80749011-DA7-D-4-BEB-968-C-87514-C6-DF669.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vg0X6HvN)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mhrmWCLf/97-BCED9-B-7864-4-E0-C-B670-F77-DAF6-A6-BFB.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mhrmWCLf)
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I’ve now welded in the roof frame/strengthener and sorted the catch, which closes with a nice ‘spring’ action.
The hinged frame didn’t line up too well with the front of the roof - so I’ve cut a notch in the side arms and bent them to improve the fit. I’ll weld those up after I’ve tried the roof with the fabric fitted.
(https://i.postimg.cc/JGhnW86h/0916-B77-E-9517-4938-B000-5-A915-FD3995-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JGhnW86h)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CRBxzNVT/75-F86-FFE-009-F-4-C86-86-DF-ED718-A243880.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CRBxzNVT)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZWGK3dT9/C944-B0-AD-450-D-4-B97-898-E-65495-CE69400.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZWGK3dT9)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MXqHdV1V/F7-C062-A0-DA7-C-4-D97-96-F0-27119-CDC058-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MXqHdV1V)
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Stunning work, John, I’m looking forward to seeing this done!
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Great job :good:
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I put the fabric on the frame yesterday and drilled through the roof for the rear fixings.
As seen an an Axel Gerstl video, the fabric needs to be stretched for a good fit.
I set it up so the roof was very tight and would only just close. That pulled out any "bagginess" which I had in the front corners.
After leaving it closed overnight, it now opens/closes much easier & the fabric is smooth.
(The rear corners are not yet fixed as this was just a trial fit)
(https://i.postimg.cc/t7SGgvy2/IMG-20210911-102303.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t7SGgvy2)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wywZ73K7/IMG-20210911-102420.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wywZ73K7)
Once I have the sunroof finished, I'll start on the headlining !!
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Later today......just about finished.
I'm not sure how watertight it will be but the car probably won't be used in the rain anyway!!
(https://i.postimg.cc/23vnv2gh/thumbnail-IMG-20210911-184056.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/23vnv2gh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9rhZByjS/thumbnail-IMG-20210911-184121.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9rhZByjS)
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That looks brilliant, John, don’t worry about the rain, I’m sure it will do the job, it’s the sun yiu need to think about, we need some so you can enjoy it! Stunning job, well done!
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LOL - thanks for that, I’ll put some photos up of the headlining when I get round to it.
Of course the paint needs sorting but there’s a full respray coming up.