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Sunroof ????

barnfind

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Does anyone know the first year the sunroof was offered as a factory mopar option?
What model (s)?
 
webasto Germany 1933.... convertibles dominated after and sunroofs took off big time in the 60's sortta-kindda.... mopar sunroofs are found in many cars as to parts, VW-PORCHA,GMC, on and on same parts..
 
Thanks for the info, so sunroofs were an option on late 60s
B-bodies?
 
y-37 (sunroof) shows 71 only. Im wondering if it was available on other lines like Road runner in 69?
 
hmm, more questions than answers, I appreciate your expertise on this M&M and mike.
 
hmm, more questions than answers, I appreciate your expertise on this M&M and mike.

The option code was M51 for the '69 Charger, and the cost was $461.45.

The M51 code for a "sunroof-power, w/vinyl roof" was first used in '69 and last used in '71.

OK,
the M51 code shows up again in '72 thru '74 for a "sunroof-power", but evidently no vinyl roof was required.
M52 code from '73-'74 was for "sunroof-manual", but again no mention of vinyl.


M51 code from '75-'80 was for "sunroof-steel-power".
M52 code from '75-'78 was for "sunroof-steel-manual".
M53 code from '78-'80 was for "sunroof-glass-power".
M54 code from '79-'80 was for "sunroof-hinged w/removable glass".
 
Thanks, Ill be checking the fender tag on this one. The next time I get out there
 
It was available in '69 on the Charger. May not be the first though.

Back in the mid 1980's, a guy just a few miles from me here in central Maryland had a '69 Charger for sale out on his front lawn. My wife (at the time) and I were looking for our first muscle car to own/restore so we stopped to take a look. It looked 'tired' but still pretty solid, and I remember it being a 383 with an automatic transmission. The owner was asking what I thought was a fair price (back at that time) for it, but the reason we DIDN'T buy it was because it had a sun roof in it which we thought was aftermarket.

The owner claimed the sun roof was factory, but he didn't have any documentation to prove it. The Charger's VIN was there, but I can't recall if the data plate was or not. The Internet back then wasn't like it is today (if it even existed at all in the mid 80's), and I don't think I even owned a computer then. So my 'research' on the car was limited to calling my local Dodge dealer and talking to to the guy in the parts department. I asked him if he had any parts listings in his books for a sunroof option in a '69 Charger and he said 'No'. That convinced me that the sun roof was cut in long after the car had left the factory, so I walked away from it.

I often still wonder today whether the car was legit or not, and what ever happened to it.
 
Factory sun roofs are SUPER easy to tell apart from aftermarket.
 
This one appears to be a (factory type) They were all sub contracted out, to my knowledge. This is in a car that wasnt supposed to have one. This car has been off the road alot of years, but does have one respray. Its not a pep boys pop up special, but a factory looking flush metal type (no vinyl roof), like Ive seen on other mopars...how else can you tell? Ive seen the 69 charger sunroofs, just not in other car lines.
 
Is it by chance a Lynch Road car? Not all options were coded on their tags.

If it is metal, lowers, then slides back into the roof....99.99% factory.

Another possibility is that the car got "re-roofed" with a factory sunroof roof.
 
Barnfind is right, T-Tops and sunroofs were subcontracted out in the early days. There was a company called Cars and Concepts (Previously Hurst Performance) in Brighton, Michigan that had the lion's share of the factory T Top business, but I'm not sure about sunroofs. They may be a source of reference for you on the net.
 
Barnfind,

First year the "factory" power sunroof was available was on 1969 Chargers. I put factory in quotes because the sunroof was installed away from the factory at American Sunroof Corp's facility. The sunroof was available again on the Charger for 1970, along with the new 1970 Challenger.

In 1971, it was expanded to several different models. Charger/Superbee and Challenger, Satellite/RR/GTX, Fury line, Newport/New Yorker/300, and Imperial.

In 1972, it was expanded to Cudas/Barracudas.

M51 is the option code for the power sunroof, but you will not find it on most 69-72 fender tags (there are just a few exceptions). Most of the time you can identify a factory sunroof car by the VON on the fender tag. Depending on the year and make, the VON on the fender tag will start with a specific number or letter/number combination.

If you have any other questions pertaining to sunroof cars, send me a PM and I will try and answer them.
Scott.
 
...and that's the same ASC (American Sunroof) as in ASC/McLaren, that built the two seat fox body mustang and capri conversions and race car bodies.
 
Many years ago when our cars were not too old, while scrounging salvage yards I ran across several 72-73-74 Plymouth Dusters that had manual roofs too. This was in the late 80's and early 90's.

I removed one complete assembly from one of the Dusters, to use for spare parts for my U code 73 Charger SE. My Charger was a factory sunroof car that had a manual hand crank style operating handle and was not power operated. The parts were identical right down to the drain tubes that went down into the rear quarter panels.

There is an aluminum guide track for the cables. It mounts directly above the crank assembly. When it gets worn down it allows the cables to jump past the gears on the hand crank. Then you will have a very hard time trying to get the roof to close all the way. The rear portion of the sunroof will then have a tendency to stay low and not raise into its fully closed position.
 
Unfortunately this ride was sold off before I could get a glimpse of the tag. Thanks to all who replied, and special thanks to sdweatherman.
 
I've had 2 M52 code manual sunroof chargers one 73 and one 74 , the 73 did not have a vinyl top the roof was painted black car was gray this was factory , the 74 (I have now) has a vinyl roof in it if any pics are needed of a factory correct sunroof I can gladly take some agen mine is a manual setup hope this puts a little light on the subject
 
I worked at Wixom plnt in brighton,FORDS DOING CONCEPT CARS. when they did hurst shifters "started in 1968 after 3rd roadrunner was produced I own number 2 'inland shifter' 383 RR B-5 blue.
They did not do Sunroofs, but was started 4 miles away in another plnt for Sunroofs T-tops etc. Forgot name of place.... WEBASCO owned.
 
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