RP sliding roof panel

[Hugh Barnes]

In the project to get the sliding roof working correctly on my Box Saloon, I have a couple of different reproduction sliding panels. Sadly neither of them are perfect in differing ways. Does anyone have an original panel that they might be prepared to lend or sell so I know exactly what I need to make it all work effortlessly, perhaps?

Thanks for any offers..

Hugh

[Hugh Barnes]

So, at the risk of being a little hasty, it looks as if this plea has been seen by the majority of regular users of the forum to no avail. I have asked the same on a number of Facebook groups but no offers there yet either, though I continue to have hope... A pal has suggested to me that a Ruby sliding panel might also give the same information. Can anyone confirm that to be the case or not? Is there a great deal of difference between the two does anyone know?

Thanks in advance..

Hugh

[Henry Harris]

The Ruby sunroof is smaller (and the 10hp is larger)
I gave up trying to make a repro steel section fit as well as the very rusty original.
ln the end I spent a long time repairing the original!

[Hugh Barnes]

Thanks Henry. In that case, my search continues!

What might help me from a dimension perspective is if someone with an *original* panel could give me a measurement front to back. The best of the two panels I have I believe to be 1/2 - 3/4" short and therefore doesn't permit the shaped fillet of wood and rubber 'seal' to be fitted to the rear underside of the panel as it would foul the transverse metal rail to the rear of the roof opening..

many thanks..

[Ivor Hawkins]

Hugh, I have an original sliding roof panel and it measures 30 7/8” front to back and 36 1/4” wide. I have photographs of the whole roof section and sliding roof section from the bare bones through the rebuild using Martin Prior’s woodwork, if that is of any use?

[Hugh Barnes]

Thanks Ivor, just what I wanted. It confirms that the panel I am looking at, which appears ideal in every other respect, is exactly 1/2" short. As a result, I cannot add the wooden fillet and rubber seal that goes across the back of the panel affixed to the rear wooden rail in the panel as it fouls the transverse metal rail in the runner system. The solution I have come up with is to cut out the transverse metal rail and move it 1/2" forward in the runners. I will have to move/add material to the tranverse wooden rail it screws to, but I don't see that as a problem, or anything else in that plan. I'm going to think about it all for at least 3 more cups of tea before I jump!

What would be helpful Ivor is, if you have one, a picture of the rearmost wooden rail in the panel with the shaped fillet and rubber seal affixed to it, should you have one.

thanks again...

[Ivor Hawkins]

I will have a look, I know I had to massage the metal rail a bit to get the roof to clear it when I slid the roof panel back.

I haven’t put the rubber seal on yet, it’s one of those jobs that I’ve been waiting to do, as the rain doesn’t get in anyway!