I loved the custom shop made electrical tape roller wheel! Boy, you might make it out here in the sticks 40 miles from anywhere! Big ole ATTA BOY to ya! Way to geterdone.

I reckon you didn't have no bailing wire to make that missing handle pin....better ya get some!

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Mark
1983 300TD Wagon
Even a broken watch is right twice a day

Those clips are what the manual mechanism fastens to at the rear of the sunroof.

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a few mb diesels

Even though I'm a farm boy, I have to draw the line somewhere.

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a few mb diesels

ok.. that makes sense now Bruce.. I can see them on my part I pulled..

I finally got around to doing it on my 300 (since it will be a summer car). It def needs new seals but at least it works now. The motor would only close the roof even though it was getting proper voltage both ways. I ended up having to make my own "ramps".

i'm trying to get this project done and i have two questions for anyone who has done this:

1. are the two "ramps" that are cut out of the donor car completely, 100% necessary for the functionality of the manual sunroof? is there any way to avoid using them? i don't have them, nor do i have a rotary cutter like that or a riveter...

2. the two black "rails" shown in picture 1 at the very top of the picture of all parts needed from the donor manual car are never described or referred to in the write up. what are they and do i need them? was it just a mis-photographed item that doesn't belong or am i missing something?

i've got everything else i need that came off of a donor car that i think someone did this to before. i don't see those ramps anywhere...

thanks!

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

The ramps are necessary; they hold the rear of the panel up when closed. They also adjust the rear height of the panel.

The "rails" are also necessary. They not only hold the side felt seals against the edge of the SR opening, the rear stops are flush riveted to them as well. You could use the original rails by deleting the electric stop and adding the manual stop, but it must flush riveted to the rail. There is no room for a pop rivet.

I would also recommend spot welding the ramps to the SR tray rather then riveting to avoid leaks. The welding can be done - carefully - without removing any of the headlinner.

Otherwise, nice tutorial.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

first off, thanks for the answers. so these "rails" pictured come off of the donor car and are on the sides of the frame, not on the sunroof itself? do i need the rails and the felt then?

anyone got an extra set of ramps and rails and felt to sell me?

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

Yes and yes. The felt seals are the same for both manual & electric, so you can use the existing felts if they're in good condition.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

It usually helps to see all this stuff mounted in the car, so since I had the SR panel out today to replace the front seal, I took a pic: The panel is out. Right side: The upper black strip is the felt and just below it is the rail with the stop attached at the rear (2 rivets & 1 screw in the middle). The black thing with the adjusting screw in the middle below & forward of the stop is the support/adjuster (ramp) for the rear of the panel.

Happy converting!

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

Above and Beyond!

thanks a lot man, very cool!

looks like i'm missing those pieces, guess i'll need to post in the parts section...

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

UGH. Those black springy things went flying yesterday when I removed the sunroof. I did manage to find one of them today at lunch when I was covering the open hole in the roof.

Anyone have an extra???

I understand now that the "rails" are on the sides and hold in the felt edge.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

for customer in Pennsylvania.

Bumping this back up.

I have the entire manual sunroof assembly in my garage and I am wondering if it is easier to remove the power sunroof pan and install the manual one? Any thoughts?

Bruce, bravo - a concise but very effective explanation. I want to convert the defective electric sunroof of my 1969 W108 into manual and friends told me to use the manual sunroof mechanism of a W123. I does make sense. However as there may be a difference in width between sunroofs of W108 and W123, I assume that the only thing for me to do is to adjust the length of the "arms". What do you think? If so, could you give the website or emaill address of the salvage yards who have the W123 manual sunroof mechanism, please.Thanks Bruce,
cheers, Tony Tumbelaka