UPGRADE from Automatic to Manual Sunroof 124 300e ???
 

Hi all,
I've got a 1987 300e with the infamous automatic sunroof. Over the summer, I went to close it one day, and it closed, but there was a severe clunking noise. I tilted it up and was able to pull out most of the driver's side lifting arm in three parts easily. The metal had literally sheared. These are supposed to be a challenge to put back together, three hours or $225 labor plus parts. Being the poverty stricken :( Benz owner that I am, $400 to fix the thing isn't worth it. However, it bothers me unnaturally to have a problem unresolved with my car. So what could be another solution? I was thinking that it might be possible to retrofit a manual sunroof from an older model into it, does anyone know how interchangeable sunroof trays are? Are there any cars made with a manual sunroof that would have a tray interchangeable with mine? Other ideas have been either to make a custom, permanently closed moonroof out of a piece of custom fit glass and then make just the headliner slide to cover it in the winter, or relinquish, decide a sunroof isn't crucial, stuff a shop rag in it to keep it level, and forget it, but that just wouldn't be any fun.:D Any ideas?

Scott