dealer installed or factory-----sunroof

[bugstrider]

Hello All,

Just attempted to post this question on the 912BBS site but for some reason it keeps kicking me out so I thought I would post it to all of you.

Have a 1968 912 that has a sunroof. When inspecting the roof I find that the edges are rolled and pressed on the top, and the actual movable section is rolled and spot welded in areas that seem and look a bit Porsche-ish. I am attaching some photos to see what you think.........















As you can tell, she needs some TLC. I plan on taking her down to metal and then bringing her back up. Now I just need to find a garage to do this in....

[JT912]

Are there drain tubes that exit at the rear of the car?

[bugstrider]

Hi John,

I hate to say this, but I don't know. I am looking but not finding anything. I will look through some photos of the engine bay to see some indicators. I guess I could introduce some water to the rails and see where it comes out.....

[Scott Douglas]

Do you have a zipper in the headliner at the back window?
It looks to me like you possibly have a 356 roof that's been grafted on.
I think this is what the dealers did when someone didn't want to wait for a 'roof to be built at the factory, but I could be wrong. I know my '67 had a 'roof that was added this way. It had advantages over the factory installed roofs as the front edge isn't as close to the trailing edge of the windshield so it doesn't catch as much air. This makes for nice freeway cruising without wind buffeting.

[bugstrider]

I will have to check to see if it has a zipper in the headliner. I just checked my photos of the car and I could not find any shots of the interior. Unfortunately the car is still in my parents garage/barn an hour away until I can find a cover location near my home to start working on the car. This is when I hate not having a garage..........

I will check tomorrow and take some more photos.

[bugstrider]

Nice picture of your 912...... forgot to say that in the last post.

[Jeff Trask]

Definately a aftermarket roof. These were done using the sunroof motor from a 356. The motor is behind the sunroof on all production factory sunroof 912/911s.

[bugstrider]

I finally determined where the drain tubes are. They are in the rear engine compartment. I had to add water and see where it came out, although it looks like the drivers side is plugged since nothing drained unlike the passenger side.

passenger side rear drain. Driver's side is plugged but located opposite side of the engine bay.

[Scott Douglas]

That's bad, you want to route that water out of the engine compartment and down to the ground. Not all over the sheet metal and into crevices to form rust.

[Scott Douglas]

See the tubes coming out of the body, just below the rear window in the picture?
That's where the dealer installed ones usually come out I believe.
The factory may have moved them to that location later on. Early cars had the drains located up near the rain gutter.

[bugstrider]

Thanks Scott,

I appreciate the info. I agree on the tubes draining into the engine compartment, are you aware of any fixes on re-routing the drains to the location like on yours. It's cleaner and looks a whole lot better. I will be tearing the interior out when I get around to that part of the restore and I guess I could work that into the project, I know I would be allot happier on the look and functionality. The tubes in the back just don't look right, who knows where they were originally located, it seems that I am getting a surprise every day I dig deeper into this little car.

Trevor