The carbon slicktop thread

[Cronenberged]

I had a Lang roof if you're looking for the strongest one assuming they're still putting a foam core in it, it's an alright roof. If you're looking for best I would go Karbonius or Bimmerworld. Bimmerworlds is made by Randy who made all of PTGs parts back in day and still has all the molds. He prepregs his own cf with the resin he's designed and I've found it to be stiffer than the Lang roof with foam core. BW and Karb roofs will also have the marks just like an OEM roof where the spot welds go so you're getting a roof that will be closest to OEM. AWE46M3

[Feffman]

UPDATED PRICING:

Here's a list of carbon fiber roofs, links to the respective web site before shipping. Karbonius and Geoff Steel reflects recent exchange rates to the US Dollar.

https://www.bimmerworld.com/E46-M3-C...-Roof-RHR.html ($1,799)
https://ajhartmanaero.com/e46-carbon-roof/ ($1,799)
https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1...2x2-e46-coupe/ ($1,999)
https://store.vacmotorsports.com/rhr...-m3-p3217.aspx ($1,799)
https://store.langracing.com/bmw-e46...er-roof-panel/ ($1,450)
https://dtmfiberwerkz.com/index.php?...product_id=259 ($1,295)
https://www.geoffsteel.co.uk/shop/e4...r-roof-skin-3/ ($763)
https://karbonius.net/producto/bmw-m...al-roof-panel/ ($1,736)
https://ind-distribution.com/collect...bon-roof-panel ($2,195)
https://www.aerofunction.com/2001-2006-BMW-3-Series-M3-E46-2DR-Carbon-AF-1-Hard-Top-Roof-CFP-1-Piece.html ($999)

All appear to be 2X2 carbon fiber, but I've no experience with the quality or fit. Any others I'm missing, feel free to suggest.

Feff

[Nate047]

Yea basically the things I would want and need to do first would be a cooling system refresh and MK60 ABS retrofit. Other than those items, I’m in pretty good shape for the first part of my build. I also already have the sunroof plug so I feel like that job makes more sense and achieves what I need for the time being. Later on maybe the CF roof would make more sense, if I’m doing lighter body panels and going further towards track only. It definitely falls into the novelty category and is a super cool personal touch on the car.

[AWE46M3]

I know right, it's basically like a nice set of wheels but they never have to be replaced (theoretically)

TBH the wait time is the killer for me right now. I don't know if I want to wait another couple months. Does anyone make a high quality panel that's more readily available?

I hear great things about Lang Racings roof panels. Ayed at Kings has installed a handful and speaks highly of them. He's installing a Lang roof on a track E46 he's working on as a side project in his shop (the blue one, you might see it in his IG stories). Not pre-preg carbon, but they do a good job with their roofs in terms of fit and finish. They come un-cleared so you have to get them clear coated prior to installation which can be a tricky process as the roof absorbs a lot of the clear coat during the spraying process. It has to be sprayed several times for a smooth finish, and even then it will likely have some notable blemishes from what I've been told. The Karb roofs finish is immaculate. I know some people opt to sand and re-clear their roof but I decided to leave it as is - it had no flaws. I got the roof wrapped in Suntek PPF so even if there were slight imperfections the PPF would do a good job of filling in the gaps. Highly recommend Suntek if you opt to get PPF done - the finish is glass which looks really good across the roof panel.

TBH, the roof is a huge pain in the ass. I almost got cold feet and sold off all my parts. It's a big leap of faith and you're putting a lot of trust in the shop (or yourself) to do a good job. Overall, I am really happy with the end result. It really sets the car apart in a world where all of our cars have very similar setups (nothing wrong with that either tbh, I think the current cohort of owners represents the car well). It's a conversation piece with fellow enthusiasts and really changes the look of the car in the best way. I'm glad I went for it.

[lemoose]

It’s been a long time, Berli’s Auto Body in Pflugerville/Austin. It’s gonna cost you but their work was impeccable. It’s been 10 years…not sure if it’s gone downhill. Haven’t heard anything bad since.

i got my m5 repaired there from a curb incident and it was a borderline hack job…… abs sensor not torqued, wrong paint on the strut tower, oh, and they didnt seam seal some welds. I took it back to have them correct it and instead of taking the car apart again they simply repainted as much as they could on the strut tower and slapped on whatever seam sealer they could without disassembling.

ive been meaning to take it back but its pulling teeth with them to get them to do anything right on their dime (see above) and when they do agree to fix the work, its like the car goes into an black hole where things are wndlessly delayed because some VIPs bentley keeps on hopping you on the priority list.

[SQ13]

Yea I keep going back and forth on it. Of course I want to do it, and I know I wouldn't regret doing it. But the practical side of me sees other areas to spend the $$$ first.

That’s fair. What else do you need to do to your car?

Installing the roof during windshield replacement and while the interior has been taken apart for Vincebar and alcantara headliner conversion made sense to me. Knocking everything out at once. I’ve reached the point where the only major things I’ll want for the car in three months are CSL trunk, red interior, and Euro bumper (currently NLA).

[jet_dogg]

Yea I keep going back and forth on it. Of course I want to do it, and I know I wouldn't regret doing it. But the practical side of me sees other areas to spend the $$$ first.

Practical 😂

[Nate047]

Yea I keep going back and forth on it. Of course I want to do it, and I know I wouldn't regret doing it. But the practical side of me sees other areas to spend the $$$ first.

[SQ13]

I know right, it's basically like a nice set of wheels but they never have to be replaced (theoretically)

TBH the wait time is the killer for me right now. I don't know if I want to wait another couple months. Does anyone make a high quality panel that's more readily available?

When I called IND earlier this week, they said they have an RKP roof that just needs to be clear coated. Would be ready to ship in 1-2 weeks. Karb told me 8 weeks.

IMO, do it right the first time and skip the sunroof delete panel. My delete panel creaks all the time.

[SQ13]

Thin layer of adhesive should be enough to weather proof any exposed metal.

Also, good luck getting the BMW adhesive. I tried multiple places and was told by all of them that it's no longer available. Ordered SikaForce 7888 L10 (which is the same thing as the BMW stuff) from a Belgian vendor (only place I found that would ship to the US), but have yet to receive it. They supposedly are getting shipment in on the 5th of July and then they'll send it over.

I don't see why the epoxy/rivet method wouldn't work for the roof bow. I actually have a cf slon one in the garage for whenever I get around to doing this project and plan to epoxy it in. I was told by someone I trust with these sorts of things (Bry5on) that if the adhesive is good for CF-Steel, it's also good for Steel-Steel, so you should be good to use the same stuff for the roof and the roof bow. Here's the datasheet if you want to read through it: https://deu.sika.com/dms/getdocument...zc_GTjvGWhOTGY
And here's a cool paper I found earlier exploring the mechanical properties of the adhesive: https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ckness_on_the_

Oh and keep in mind that the shelf life of the adhesive is only six months.

Edit: One last thing. The TIS instructions for replacing the roof on a CSL have a ton of useful info for this job: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...1-roof/4K9opCv

Awesome, thanks for the info! I went ahead and ordered the SikaForce adhesive. I bet the BMW branded adhesive will be back in stock at around the same time as the SikaForce adhesive. Planning to do the install in August.

Good to know that epoxy + rivets should be fine for the bow. I’ll just do that instead of bringing in a mobile welder.

That TIS link isn’t working for me. Would you happen to have a PDF file of it or know where I can access it without having to pay a dumb amount of money? I’m curious how the CSL roof instructions compare to the F87 CF roof instructions.

[Nate047]

I know right, it's basically like a nice set of wheels but they never have to be replaced (theoretically)

TBH the wait time is the killer for me right now. I don't know if I want to wait another couple months. Does anyone make a high quality panel that's more readily available?

[EthanolTurbo]

Gotcha thanks

TBH I am on the fence about whether I do this, or just do the CF sunroof plug I have. Mainly do I want to add several thousand bucks and a few months if wait time to an already drawn out build…

Sunroof plug is pretty good. Do you want to spend $3500-4000 for a carbon roof? That's about what it's gonna cost.

[Nate047]

He mentioned above that he used a Karb roof. The $1500 is for labor alone.

Gotcha thanks

TBH I am on the fence about whether I do this, or just do the CF sunroof plug I have. Mainly do I want to add several thousand bucks and a few months if wait time to an already drawn out build…

[heinzboehmer]

Some questions for those who DIY’d the install.

What solvent can I safely use on the carbon panel and the exposed chassis metal after sanding/grinding?
Edit: The official BMW F87 CF roof install instructions call for the use of R1 cleaner for the metal (83192211217) and R2 cleaner for the carbon panel (83190417324)..should I just get these?
Edit 2: Per MSDS, R2 is just 70% isopropyl alcohol lol.

What tool(s) did y’all use to grind down the welds, as well as expose the metal prior to bonding?

How did y’all go about protecting the exposed metal from rust? Would a thin layer of the adhesive on all exposed metal be sufficient, or do I need to apply some kind of protectant on the exposed metal before I apply the adhesive? Fwiw, I’ll be using the OE adhesive. 83190417144

If I’m using a thin layer of OE adhesive to cover up the exposed metal using a brush (rather than using a separate sealant/protectant), should I still apply a bead of adhesive in a zigzag pattern afterwards to ensure the roof panel makes a good bond around the entire perimeter?

Any reason to avoid epoxying and riveting the roof bow on? I don’t have a welder.

Thin layer of adhesive should be enough to weather proof any exposed metal.

Also, good luck getting the BMW adhesive. I tried multiple places and was told by all of them that it's no longer available. Ordered SikaForce 7888 L10 (which is the same thing as the BMW stuff) from a Belgian vendor (only place I found that would ship to the US), but have yet to receive it. They supposedly are getting shipment in on the 5th of July and then they'll send it over.

I don't see why the epoxy/rivet method wouldn't work for the roof bow. I actually have a cf slon one in the garage for whenever I get around to doing this project and plan to epoxy it in. I was told by someone I trust with these sorts of things (Bry5on) that if the adhesive is good for CF-Steel, it's also good for Steel-Steel, so you should be good to use the same stuff for the roof and the roof bow. Here's the datasheet if you want to read through it: https://deu.sika.com/dms/getdocument...zc_GTjvGWhOTGY
And here's a cool paper I found earlier exploring the mechanical properties of the adhesive: https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ckness_on_the_

Oh and keep in mind that the shelf life of the adhesive is only six months.

Edit: One last thing. The TIS instructions for replacing the roof on a CSL have a ton of useful info for this job: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...1-roof/4K9opCv

[SQ13]

Some questions for those who DIY’d the install.

What solvent can I safely use on the carbon panel and the exposed chassis metal after sanding/grinding?
Edit: The official BMW F87 CF roof install instructions call for the use of R1 cleaner for the metal (83192211217) and R2 cleaner for the carbon panel (83190417324)..should I just get these?
Edit 2: Per MSDS, R2 is just 70% isopropyl alcohol lol.

What tool(s) did y’all use to grind down the welds, as well as expose the metal prior to bonding?

How did y’all go about protecting the exposed metal from rust? Would a thin layer of the adhesive on all exposed metal be sufficient, or do I need to apply some kind of protectant on the exposed metal before I apply the adhesive? Fwiw, I’ll be using the OE adhesive. 83190417144

If I’m using a thin layer of OE adhesive to cover up the exposed metal using a brush (rather than using a separate sealant/protectant), should I still apply a bead of adhesive in a zigzag pattern afterwards to ensure the roof panel makes a good bond around the entire perimeter?

Any reason to avoid epoxying and riveting the roof bow on? I don’t have a welder.