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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Glass sun roofs

My 75 c/b V8 is a factory car. However, it has a glass sun roof. I haven't been able to find out if this was a factory option at the time or whether some idiot fitted it later. Can anyone help?

Does anyone have any idea about eh availability/cost of having a full webasto type roof fitted?

Thanks!
Richard Saunders

Richard,
I'm interested in the same info. In any research I've done to date, I've never noticed a factory car with a sunroof as you describe. Do you like your roof? I'd like to install a webasto in my GT and wonder about funcionality as well as cost/availability.
It rains alot here. Anyone have a leak? I have seen webasto sunroofs advertized in "MG" magazine out of the UK, and, if I can find time to hook it out, I'll post the details.
Cheers, Angus
Angus

I'm pretty sure glass roofs were never an option when new.
The route for a Webasto or Weathershield fabric roof will be to find a secondhand one from a bgt and have new fabric fitted. There is someone providing a reconditioning service - there was a thread maybe a year ago, try the archive.
David Smith

Angus - Arguably, functionality of MGs and their systems, in this case of the Webasto system - is more important than originality. It's not dry here either Roger
Roger

Whether you have a glass roof or a Webasto type, a worn seal will leak. Period.
A new seal properly fitted will not leak. Comparing the V8/ Webasto with say a Montego / glass roof, I find that the glass roof seals will leak sooner in many instances.
David Smith

I've not had a Webasto but have had several cars with glass roofs (including my V8) and none of them have leaked. They weren't an option when new, I think they only came along in the 80s. I would've preferred a Webasto for originality (and considered replacing the V8s) but when I sat in a V8 with one my head was brushing the surround.

The Webasto (or Webasto style) are available again as someone recently bought the tooling. I saw an ad on the back of a bus for one the other week. Mind you, it was an old bus ...

PaulH.
Paul Hunt

More thoughts on glass versus Webasto type -
the glass roofs I'm familiar with (MG Montego for instance) allow for water to enter the runner assemblies when the glass is open or tilted. A drain pipe is fitted at all 4 corners, routed via the pillars, to drain the water to the outside. On reflection I believe many apparently leaky glass roofs are due to blockage of the drain pipes.
AFAIK the Webasto type design is totally different (and far simpler IMHO) and does not suffer in this way.
David Smith

The MGOC in Cambridge sells the Webasto roofs for aboyt $500. They look great! Depending on how far back your glass roof is the Webasto could eliminate the unfortunate addition of a glass roof.
Steve
Steve

Richard, The MG Owners club sell a webesto type sunroof i don,t know who,s make it is but it looks very much like the britex roof that i,ve just fitted to my GTV8
ian sowersby

The glass roof conversion was a late 1970's early '80's fad. Simplicity of fitting was the key and the use of a complete ready assembled assembly that fitted the hole in the roof. This meant that as long as the hole was cut right there should be no leak problems. However some of the monkeys who fitted these as a sideline for amny windscreen firms didn't always get the hole right and made up for it with mastic!!

The common production comparison for these glass hatches is with the Metro that uses a simple tilt/remove hatch.

I personally always felt that the Webasto style was best for the GT although I must admit to being tainted by the cheap and nasty image that the galss hatches had in their early days.

Rog
Roger Parker

I had a glass roof fitted in the 80s to my GT. The initial reason was that it was cheaper & easier to fit than air conditioning.At the time the was a lot of cheap & nasty ones on the market. I paid the extra for a Britax one because the shape & size suited the GT , plus Britax was the only make approved by GM Aust.I've never regretted having it fitted & would fit one onto any future GT I might buy. Barrie E
Barrie Egerton

The MGOC Cambridge does not list a webasto type sunroof in the on-line catalogue. Any other sources?
Angus

Gentlemen,

I was roaming around the local pick-a-part wreckers yard in Horseheads, New York when I saw a very early GT - 69-70??. While strolling the import car isles, I also spied a Honda civic CRX, a hot-hatch of late 80s early 90s vintage. Someone had already removed the entire sunroof assembly (4 bolts that secure the drain pan to the underside of the roof), but then just left it in the car. I carried it over to the BGT, dropped it on top of the roof, and it sort of looks like it would fit. This power roof is of the pop up and slide back variety, and the profile of the metal top looks roughly right. Certainly not a simple bolt in job, and the pop up roof may require some minor profiling work, but it does have a drain pan with drain tubes at the four corners, and Honda reliability. Certainly not the putists route, but has anyone considered a similar option?

Brian Corrigan

72 up on blocks with sills half done BGT
New York
Brian Corrigan

Angus - try Part No. V650 or Britax Sunroof. Listed but no price. Don't know whether that means it is temporarily unavailable or what.

PaulH.
Paul Hunt

angus
Try to contact mgb hive uk.There e mail adress is sales@mgbhive.co.uk i know that they can get webesto type s/roofs but i dont know the price
ian
ian sowersby

I have been asked by many people to supply Webasto type roofs.

The MGOC no longer supply these, the source of the Britax type dried up some time ago.

Yes there is a company supplying Webasto roofs, it was formed by ex Webasto engineers and will only supply AND fit their roofs they say that it is a precision job only they can do!! Their price is over £700!!

There is also a rumour going around that MGOC looked into manufacturing Britax types themselves - but there seems to be some EEC legislation getting in the way - perhaps someone knows the truth of this?

The only way of getting these nowdays is to find secondhand and repair - I have just acquired one which needs some work to the front and back plates and the material. Even so you are looking at least at £150 for one in tatty condition, £150 to replace the material and make fit for use.

It is destined for a guy in the USA, but if he drops out, I will put it up for highest bidder!!!

Chris

This thread was discussed between 15/12/1999 and 22/01/2000

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