Body Shop recommendation please

[garrett376]

Hi Guys,
I am looking to have a non-sunroof factory roof panel installed on my 996 - requires windshield and rear window removal, spot weld removal seam sealer removal to get it off, installation of the roof then finishing and repainting. Does anyone have a reasonable but knowledgeable body shop recommendation for me that's done 996 body work before? I've got the roof panel, just want to find someone who can do it!

Thank you!

[Ted Myrus]

I have no first hand experience, however, I have seen several of these procedures done at Qualtech. Call Mark Tyler 619-281-6024. I do know they have worked on 4 of my vehicles and do exceptional work.

Ted

[ChuckS]

Qualtech has done many of these conversions. Ususally the hard part is finding a non-sunroof panel. If you already have one, it should be easy!

[harnishclan]

three easy steps:

pick up windblown witness
find a body shop advert
make an appointment.

[mobonic]

Garret,

I have done this conversion on my 997 track car.

I had the work done @ West Coast Specialties (ask for Ryan)

He installed 2 of these for us (one in my car and the other in Gomez car).

You can not even tell there was even a sunroof ever there.

FYI, we used a 100% carbon fiber piece where the sunroof panel was (not the whole roof)

[mobonic]

pictures of the install can be found here.. just scroll down to mid page:

http://www.renntrack.com/forums/showthr ... uild/page5

[Dan Chambers]

I have no first hand experience, however, I have seen several of these procedures done at Qualtech. Call Mark Tyler 619-281-6024. I do know they have worked on 4 of my vehicles and do exceptional work.

Ted

+1. Mark Tyler was running a sunroof/non-sunroof conversion special there for a while. He's done many and has the procedure down. His price usually includes a matching paint re-spray. Victory Paint (housed at Qualtech) has done many cars nicely. Think "Smurf" Blue Kinninger car, Richard Park's 914 custom paint job, and many others.

[martinreinhardt]

I think Garrett is going to replace the entire roof panel, not just a sunroof insert as he is racing his car. The 997 above with the carbon insert look good, but the racing safety rules for PCA Club Racing, POC Cup Racing and most other organization will require to wear arm retrains or a net over the sunroof area IF a non-metallic and/or non-welded sunroof insert is installed.

As for local body shops, personally I have yet to find what I am looking for. What I'd expect from a body shop is that they deliver quality on the first time and work on my car as it would be their own. Race car or not, it needs to be perfect.

[martinreinhardt]

Looking at the 997's progress mentioned above on http://www.renntrack.com, it looks well done and clean. Very nice.

[Dan Chambers]

I think Garrett is going to replace the entire roof panel, not just a sunroof insert as he is racing his car. The 997 above with the carbon insert look good, but the racing safety rules for PCA Club Racing, POC Cup Racing and most other organization will require to wear arm retrains or a net over the sunroof area IF a non-metallic and/or non-welded sunroof insert is installed.

As for local body shops, personally I have yet to find what I am looking for. What I'd expect from a body shop is that they deliver quality on the first time and work on my car as it would be their own. Race car or not, it needs to be perfect.

Yes, Mark Tyler was actually doing a "clip" where he detaches at the A and C pilars of the panel and replaces the entire roof panel, then paints it. I'm pretty sure that's his procedure. Based on that method, it's a solid piece of steel, welded in place at structural pick-up points. Shouldn't need restraints/nets as it's an integral part of the car body.

[garrett376]

Hi Guys! Thanks for the great feedback - my email notifications must not be working since I never knew any replies were made to this!

So on a 996, the process involves removing the entire roof panel which is separate of the A/B pillars. I had obtained a factory GT3 steel roof skin from Porsche for a good price (Sunset, actually). I had previously run with a carbon plug in my sunroof, which looked OK, but would start leaking over time as the caulking broke down, so I wanted it done right for the best weight savings. I wear arm restraints anyways in lieu of a window net with the POC, but I like the idea of a metal roof over my head.

While Mark Tyler had not done this before on this model of car (he's been doing the early car roof-clipping procedures), I decided to go with him based on a lot of this forum's recommendations as well as some of my racing friends. The end result is fantastic - from the outside you cannot tell that my car was originally a sunroof car - it is perfect, and my color is a "fancy" silver color. He matched the factory spot welds exactly so the only hint that this panel is not original is that the inside of the roof panel is satin black versus being the body color (panel comes primed in satin black). The process took longer than estimated but I am so pleased with the result. Plus, my entire car came back cleaner than it's ever been - he even took the time to get rid of all the tire boogers! Thanks again, everyone, for the recommendations.