[ISZach]

Even though this mod is purely for handling purposes, the visual results are the most noticeable, so I thought 'inside and out' was most appropriate. My IS is a NASA time attack car so handling is the most important attribute for my car. With quick switchbacks and chicanes, the car leans a lot more than it should, many fellow racers I talked to said it was due to the sunroof, so I broke out my wallet and the project began.


The process began like this:
Get a spot weld cutter bit about 3/8” like a rotabroach and drill away.

Once all the welds are gone pop the panel off and put on the new panel & reinforcements.

Once this roof skin material is gone, clean up all reinforcements. Use the body sealer on the reinforcements then place roof skin onto the car.

Spot-weld the new roof into place or if you do not have a spot welder then you can mig weld it then grind the weld spots down (which is what I did)

Then make sure the molding gutters are smooth so the moldings fit into the gutters nice and flat………line up and fitment is key.

Then use the bodysealer on the connected joints and you are ready for the paint shop.

Then put back all the interior pieces and tada, the solid panel swap is complete.

The handling difference is night and day, the car can snap into any line I want to put it without the excessive roll from the extra weight on the highest point of the vehicle.

Special thanks goes out to gcomb and superchargedis200 for their help.

 

[dirtyylicous]

Damn, props to you for having the balls to do this. Its not something that i would do since i love the sunroof. But, im sure there are some people that would love to do that.

 

[kayotik]

awesome. i am left speechless. :loveit:

 

[longnights]

great writeup, its good to see people standing up and doing these modifications and showing the rest of us it ca be done.

 

[Kaldes]

yeah this is just nuts + rep for you. I'm sure you're going to hear it over and over, but theres no way I would have it to that.

 

[mikefate]

did you actually buy a non-sunroof roof panel from lexus? how did they rape you for one?

this is similar to my project i started, except i was replacing with CF, but now i went and sold the turbo is300, and the n/a isnt worth the effort to me.

 

[02isjw]

Very nice write up and pix!

 

[ISZach]

did you actually buy a non-sunroof roof panel from lexus? how did they rape you for one?

this is similar to my project i started, except i was replacing with CF, but now i went and sold the turbo is300, and the n/a isnt worth the effort to me.

Got all the parts through Carson Toyota, wasn't that bad, but I did the complete swap so I got all the reinforcements, new front windshield and F/R molding and cowels, roof moldings, headliner, new dome light, solid roof map light, and a lot of other little parts. Only trick to the complete swap is you have to position the new center reinforcement perfectly before you tack it down so the dome light screws in to it when the headliner is in.

 

[chado]

amazing job!

 

[ALtEZZA_mANiAC]

amazing

Do I even want to know how much this cost???

+rep for you

 

[theonlyLeXuSintown]

sweet

 

[four_door_supra]

you should of done a trade. im sure it would of been complicated but you should of gone in on someone that wanted to pay for a sunroof. could of saved you some cashola but nice job very very nice job. if i ever track mine i would love to do this im not a fan of sunroofs

 

[four_door_supra]

Can this be done with a carbon piece? like the m6.

 

[kayotik]

Can this be done with a carbon piece? like the m6.

exactly. that would be amazing.

 

[ISZach]

exactly. that would be amazing.

It can, a local fiberglass shop said they could replicate the oem roof skin, however they wanted $3800 for the carbon replica :frustrate and it would have to use rivets into the sheet metal rather than welding it in place. The OEM roof skin without a sunroof is pretty light anyway, a carbon fiber roof skin wouldn't do much but look cool.


And Four Door Supra, you cannot swap roof skins, once the oem roof skin is rotabraoched it is full of holes and useless.

 

[irv_usc]

It can, a local fiberglass shop said they could replicate the oem roof skin, however they wanted $3800 for the carbon replica :frustrate and it would have to use rivets into the sheet metal rather than welding it in place. The OEM roof skin without a sunroof is pretty light anyway, a carbon fiber roof skin wouldn't do much but look cool.


And Four Door Supra, you cannot swap roof skins, once the oem roof skin is rotabraoched it is full of holes and useless.

nice job zach.

btw i think he was referring to finding a non-sunroof car and trading heh

 

[is_300guy]

Darn, that is sweeet! +rep to you for such a creative project and write-up!

 

[JPLexIS]

Wow that is awesome. Great write up.

 

[gcmbob]

Good Job man. + rep when i can for having the balls to do this mod.

 

[bbowers22]

Looks really good man!