CF roof for M Coupe

561design · 06-05-2007, 09:11 AM

I can't wait to see that roof after a couple years of UV exposure. I assume the clearcoat has some sort of protectant mixed in?

inTgr8r · 06-05-2007, 09:24 AM

^ I think they're getting better at that....
I've seen cheap hoods that yellow a bit with age.

There is definitely a difference in a quallity CF panel

inTgr8r · 06-05-2007, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

The CF roof panel weighs 7.9 lbs. Not sure what the stock roof weighs..but I'm guessing that since it weighs more than the roadie...it's a lot.

Weight loss, should be significant but not HUGE.
Don't forget, that the structural elements remain.
On the M3 an extra cross brace is also added.... but maybe not req'd with the smaller M Coupe roof.

SunnyD · 06-05-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 561design

I can't wait to see that roof after a couple years of UV exposure. I assume the clearcoat has some sort of protectant mixed in?

FYI, Carrera GTs are having that exact problem with the CF parts turning yellow.

sixspeed · 06-05-2007, 05:28 PM

I find that surprising, and the first i've heard. Any links?

If a good quality lacquer is used, and the car well maintained, i see no reason for the lacquer to yellow, any more than the clear-coat on your paintwork doesn't yellow....

SunnyD · 06-05-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixspeed

I find that surprising, and the first i've heard. Any links?

If a good quality lacquer is used, and the car well maintained, i see no reason for the lacquer to yellow, any more than the clear-coat on your paintwork doesn't yellow....

http://6speedonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85248

sixspeed · 08-05-2007, 06:01 PM

Didn't know which thread to update - so I picked this one...

Well I've had the roof for a few weeks now. We had a go at fitting it this weekend, but sadly were unsuccessful.

We got the trim out of the car and had the four bolts off in about 30 minutes though. For some reason I'd thought TCK had only told me the roof was bolted on. I somehow missed out in my head the bit that said it was glued/sealed on as well. With just the bolts off we tried to prise the roof away from the rest of the shell, but to no avail. A bit of closer inspection later revealed that the roof was indeed bonded on, or at least there was a bead of sealant running all the way around it.

We spent a good couple of hours trying to cut through it, but without the perfect tools for the job we decided to call it a day for now. I'll be booking it in with my friend who did the lacquer work on the roof - they have all the equipment necessary which would make short work of the sikoflex sealant that's holding the panel on.

On the plus side, I got to see the roof in the flesh now it's had a re-coat in lacquer and it looks stunning - far better than it did before.

A few pics....

The roof in all it's shimmering black lovelyness

My mate amazed that a roof can be just bolted in! (we were yet to find out the truth!)

Undoing the last of the bolts...

The headlining and all the bolts off - but still no joy!

It's a bit gutting we didn't get it finished as somewhere like BMW Festival would have been a great place to show it off. But it wasn't worth rushing and making a botched job of it. We'll get the right tools to cut through the sealant and take our time to do it properly another day.... Can't wait to see the finished article though

Dammmittt · 08-05-2007, 06:10 PM

I remember them saying it was glued on. The roof is friggin hot, I can't wait to see the finished product man. It's gonna be sexy as hell.

Dammmittt · 08-05-2007, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixspeed

Oh, and I had a bit of a closer look on the car, and had a bit of a more in-depth chat with the chaps at TCK, and they confirmed my thoughts - the roof is actually just bolted and glued/bonded on! I thought there might be some tack/spot welds, but not even that.

Remember this?

sixspeed · 08-05-2007, 06:36 PM

Yes, I do now after I went back through my emails llast night. But I'd somehow forgotten it over the last few weeks and was cursing them yesterday when it didn't just lift off...

Oops.

Dammmittt · 08-05-2007, 08:26 PM

So when do you think you'll have the project completed?

sixspeed · 08-06-2007, 06:06 AM

Definately before the 25th (as there's another big BMW meet locally on the 26th)...

But hopefully this weekend coming.

155MPH · 08-06-2007, 12:24 PM

Holly crap....that will look super! And truly unique!

sixspeed · 08-06-2007, 01:55 PM

Well I couldn't wait as long as the weekend! This afternoon I was determined to get somewhere with this roof (and I hate having half-finished jobs!), so I paid a visit to a windscreen fitters to see if they had any cheese/razor wire for removing windscreen glass. My mate and I had a chat about it last night and decided this was the easiest way to cut through the silicon bead around the roof edge...

A few quid in the RAC Autoscreen man's pocket for a few beers and we had a roll of wire...

Back home, and out came the headlining and trim for a second time, and we began cutting the rest out.

It's quite a scary job, especially when you're trying very hard not to damage anything!

But after 30 minutes or so.. we had ourselves a Roadster! ... ok well, a Targa!

It was surprisingly easy really, especially after the headache we had trying to remove it at the weekend. I've always said it makes a huge difference to have the right tools for the job, and this was certainly proved right today!

We've called it a day for now as we'll want to spend a couple of hours getting the sealant and everything spot on (don't want any leaks!). But we couldn't resist a quick trial fit. Bear in mind that the roof is only bolted on and not sealed into place, so the final fit will be marginally better. However, even with just the bolts in place the shut lines are really good, and the roof fits like an OEM part. Very impressive workmanship.

Final install tomorrow!

Ski · 08-06-2007, 03:21 PM

That's pretty sweet, nice job..

Dammmittt · 08-06-2007, 08:11 PM

Dude you're brave as hell doing that on your own. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the finished product. If I wasn't in the process of buying a condo I'd be calling TCKline right now.

sixspeed · 08-07-2007, 06:19 PM

Well I won't keep you waiting too long then, the final installment is here! The roof came off again tonight, and we began the task of cutting away the old sealant to give us a nice flat surface to lay the new stuff onto...

All off and looking much better!

Laying down a new bead of sealant...

And then it was on with the roof! It fitted up fine, although first time round we noticed there were a few areas that weren't sealing as the bead wasn't tall enough to touch the bottom of the roof. So we removed it and ran another bead around on top of the previous. It was only in a few places, near the corners at the back, and half-way down the sides.

Here's a shot from inside. Obviously there's still the headlining etc to re-fit yet, but I'm waiting 24 hours for the sealant to go off and make sure there's no other problems before I refit the interior. I don't like constantly taking out and putting back the lining, as they can be rather delicate and prone to damage quite easily.

So that's pretty much it! Just a check tomorrow evening to make sure it's all sealed ok, and then I'll have to clean the interior up as there's still lots of bits of old rubber lying all over the carpets/seats, although nothing a quick vaccuum won't sort.

So a couple of external shots for you - dufus here forgot to shut the passenger door properly (doh!) but I will treat everyone to some better pictures once I've cleaned the car and polished her all up again

Dammmittt · 08-07-2007, 07:27 PM

Shaaaaaaawing!!! I'm officially jealous.

Update: My wife said I had to choose between my 50" plasma TV I was planning on or the roof...so unfortunately it'll have to wait for now...

epbrown · 08-07-2007, 11:10 PM

Did you weigh the steel roof? How much weight are you saving?

Rick Hunter · 08-07-2007, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

Shaaaaaaawing!!! I'm officially jealous.

Update: My wife said I had to choose between my 50" plasma TV I was planning on or the roof...so unfortunately it'll have to wait for now...

Yeah... you don't need to watch TV. Nothing good on anyways.

Dammmittt · 08-08-2007, 07:35 PM

Just wait till football season!

For now I'll just have to watch the Sox train wreck unfold.

Dammmittt · 08-11-2007, 11:06 AM

Still waiting for the photo shoot...

06-05-2007, 09:11 AM	#23
561design z4um Hooligan 140 Rep 586 Posts Drives: 3.0Si Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Woodstock,Ga iTrader: (1)	I can't wait to see that roof after a couple years of UV exposure. I assume the clearcoat has some sort of protectant mixed in? __________________ Charles flickr
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06-05-2007, 09:24 AM	#24
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	^ I think they're getting better at that.... I've seen cheap hoods that yellow a bit with age. There is definitely a difference in a quallity CF panel __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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06-05-2007, 05:28 PM	#27
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	I find that surprising, and the first i've heard. Any links? If a good quality lacquer is used, and the car well maintained, i see no reason for the lacquer to yellow, any more than the clear-coat on your paintwork doesn't yellow.... __________________
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08-05-2007, 06:01 PM	#29
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Didn't know which thread to update - so I picked this one... Well I've had the roof for a few weeks now. We had a go at fitting it this weekend, but sadly were unsuccessful. We got the trim out of the car and had the four bolts off in about 30 minutes though. For some reason I'd thought TCK had only told me the roof was bolted on. I somehow missed out in my head the bit that said it was glued/sealed on as well. With just the bolts off we tried to prise the roof away from the rest of the shell, but to no avail. A bit of closer inspection later revealed that the roof was indeed bonded on, or at least there was a bead of sealant running all the way around it. We spent a good couple of hours trying to cut through it, but without the perfect tools for the job we decided to call it a day for now. I'll be booking it in with my friend who did the lacquer work on the roof - they have all the equipment necessary which would make short work of the sikoflex sealant that's holding the panel on. On the plus side, I got to see the roof in the flesh now it's had a re-coat in lacquer and it looks stunning - far better than it did before. A few pics.... The roof in all it's shimmering black lovelyness My mate amazed that a roof can be just bolted in! (we were yet to find out the truth!) Undoing the last of the bolts... The headlining and all the bolts off - but still no joy! It's a bit gutting we didn't get it finished as somewhere like BMW Festival would have been a great place to show it off. But it wasn't worth rushing and making a botched job of it. We'll get the right tools to cut through the sealant and take our time to do it properly another day.... Can't wait to see the finished article though __________________
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08-05-2007, 06:10 PM	#30
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	I remember them saying it was glued on. The roof is friggin hot, I can't wait to see the finished product man. It's gonna be sexy as hell. __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-05-2007, 06:36 PM	#32
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Yes, I do now after I went back through my emails llast night. But I'd somehow forgotten it over the last few weeks and was cursing them yesterday when it didn't just lift off... Oops. __________________
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08-05-2007, 08:26 PM	#33
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	So when do you think you'll have the project completed? __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-06-2007, 06:06 AM	#34
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Definately before the 25th (as there's another big BMW meet locally on the 26th)... But hopefully this weekend coming. __________________
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08-06-2007, 12:24 PM	#35
155MPH Major 61 Rep 1,379 Posts Drives: E89 Z4 sDrive28i M Performance Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Jersey Shore iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW xDrive430i ... [0.00] 2014 BMW Z4 sDrive2 ... [5.00]	Holly crap....that will look super! And truly unique!
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08-06-2007, 01:55 PM	#36
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Well I couldn't wait as long as the weekend! This afternoon I was determined to get somewhere with this roof (and I hate having half-finished jobs!), so I paid a visit to a windscreen fitters to see if they had any cheese/razor wire for removing windscreen glass. My mate and I had a chat about it last night and decided this was the easiest way to cut through the silicon bead around the roof edge... A few quid in the RAC Autoscreen man's pocket for a few beers and we had a roll of wire... Back home, and out came the headlining and trim for a second time, and we began cutting the rest out. It's quite a scary job, especially when you're trying very hard not to damage anything! But after 30 minutes or so.. we had ourselves a Roadster! ... ok well, a Targa! It was surprisingly easy really, especially after the headache we had trying to remove it at the weekend. I've always said it makes a huge difference to have the right tools for the job, and this was certainly proved right today! We've called it a day for now as we'll want to spend a couple of hours getting the sealant and everything spot on (don't want any leaks!). But we couldn't resist a quick trial fit. Bear in mind that the roof is only bolted on and not sealed into place, so the final fit will be marginally better. However, even with just the bolts in place the shut lines are really good, and the roof fits like an OEM part. Very impressive workmanship. Final install tomorrow! __________________
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08-06-2007, 03:21 PM	#37
Ski Hockey freak 27 Rep 237 Posts Drives: Bimmer's Join Date: May 2007 Location: Zaino'd in Binghamton, NY iTrader: (0)	That's pretty sweet, nice job.. __________________ My Jet Black's '03 3.0i Z4 Loaded '02 325Ci Loaded
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08-06-2007, 08:11 PM	#38
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	Dude you're brave as hell doing that on your own. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the finished product. If I wasn't in the process of buying a condo I'd be calling TCKline right now. __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-07-2007, 06:19 PM	#39
sixspeed Z4M CSL 31 Rep 173 Posts Drives: Alpine White Z4M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Well I won't keep you waiting too long then, the final installment is here! The roof came off again tonight, and we began the task of cutting away the old sealant to give us a nice flat surface to lay the new stuff onto... All off and looking much better! Laying down a new bead of sealant... And then it was on with the roof! It fitted up fine, although first time round we noticed there were a few areas that weren't sealing as the bead wasn't tall enough to touch the bottom of the roof. So we removed it and ran another bead around on top of the previous. It was only in a few places, near the corners at the back, and half-way down the sides. Here's a shot from inside. Obviously there's still the headlining etc to re-fit yet, but I'm waiting 24 hours for the sealant to go off and make sure there's no other problems before I refit the interior. I don't like constantly taking out and putting back the lining, as they can be rather delicate and prone to damage quite easily. So that's pretty much it! Just a check tomorrow evening to make sure it's all sealed ok, and then I'll have to clean the interior up as there's still lots of bits of old rubber lying all over the carpets/seats, although nothing a quick vaccuum won't sort. So a couple of external shots for you - dufus here forgot to shut the passenger door properly (doh!) but I will treat everyone to some better pictures once I've cleaned the car and polished her all up again __________________
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08-07-2007, 07:27 PM	#40
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	Shaaaaaaawing!!! I'm officially jealous. Update: My wife said I had to choose between my 50" plasma TV I was planning on or the roof...so unfortunately it'll have to wait for now... __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-07-2007, 11:10 PM	#41
epbrown Colonel 60 Rep 2,128 Posts Drives: BMW M Coupe, Porsche Boxster S Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (0)	Did you weigh the steel roof? How much weight are you saving?
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08-08-2007, 07:35 PM	#43
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	Just wait till football season! For now I'll just have to watch the Sox train wreck unfold. __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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08-11-2007, 11:06 AM	#44
Dammmittt My favorite sign. 167 Rep 4,333 Posts Drives: 2007 M Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Der Autobahnen iTrader: (0)	Still waiting for the photo shoot... __________________ 07 ///M Coupe (Premium Package) Black Saphire Ext. Imola Red Int. Best Website EVER!
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