1987 Town Car Signature Stars and Stripes edition with the full carriage top. This past weekend after a night of street cruising with some friends, I spotted a 2000 era BMW 5:40 entering the highway on ramp and and the race ensued. This was the first race I've been in. He put a good distance on me through the onramp because my car feels like a spongebath but when I entered the highway I began to keep equal distance as we both accellerated to over 110mph. He slowed down for me to catch up and as I flew by him I heard a loud bang that I intially thought was tire debris. When I got out of my car to my astonishment, my beautiful 25 year old navy blue carriage top was shredded and the roof exposed leaving the fiberglass around the rear window the only thing remaining .
I almost called it a write off, but I decided to go back and find what was left of the top. I drove 5 miles back to the spot it happened and luckily found the roof section off to the side of the highway in the grass undisturbed. With both sections sheered clean off I've reconstructed it and plan to fiberglass it back together stronger than it was and I am leaning towards giving it a smooth finish coat and a real paintjob and reinstalling it rather than reupholstering it. I have also found a company that supposedly keeps full tops in stock for carriage roof Town Cars and now that I know exactly how this thing comes apart I am considering the cost of a new top.
Now onto the factory moonroof install. I've located a 83' with a moonroof and I plan to go look at it this weekend. As far as I am aware there are only one size moonroof ever installed on these cars which is thankfully very large. I am going to size up the job, but I am looking for any info that you guys might have about these moonroofs. I figure the track and motor bolt into the bottom of the roof and I cut the hole in the roof, headliner and the carriage top. Measure twice, cut once. I wonder if I'd be better off getting the moonroof assembly out of a 90+ model town car? My roof is warped and wavy and the sheet metal is flimzy as if it has no structural bracing so and I'm wondering if cars that were sent down the line for the carriage top were not prepared with some of the same roof structure as cars that had atleast half of the roof showing. I can tell you that they didn't install rear glass and it wouldn't surprise me if they decided not to care about the roof metal.
The disassembly and removal of the fiberglass shell/top was very simple. There are only a main bracket holding the front down to the roof, about 6 more clips riveted into the shell that hook under the roofline, and the rear of the shell is riveted around the rear windows and are easily drilled out. Carefully removing the stainless trim around the windows and labeling it for reinstallation first.
Here are some photos below.
I almost called it a write off, but I decided to go back and find what was left of the top. I drove 5 miles back to the spot it happened and luckily found the roof section off to the side of the highway in the grass undisturbed. With both sections sheered clean off I've reconstructed it and plan to fiberglass it back together stronger than it was and I am leaning towards giving it a smooth finish coat and a real paintjob and reinstalling it rather than reupholstering it. I have also found a company that supposedly keeps full tops in stock for carriage roof Town Cars and now that I know exactly how this thing comes apart I am considering the cost of a new top.
Now onto the factory moonroof install. I've located a 83' with a moonroof and I plan to go look at it this weekend. As far as I am aware there are only one size moonroof ever installed on these cars which is thankfully very large. I am going to size up the job, but I am looking for any info that you guys might have about these moonroofs. I figure the track and motor bolt into the bottom of the roof and I cut the hole in the roof, headliner and the carriage top. Measure twice, cut once. I wonder if I'd be better off getting the moonroof assembly out of a 90+ model town car? My roof is warped and wavy and the sheet metal is flimzy as if it has no structural bracing so and I'm wondering if cars that were sent down the line for the carriage top were not prepared with some of the same roof structure as cars that had atleast half of the roof showing. I can tell you that they didn't install rear glass and it wouldn't surprise me if they decided not to care about the roof metal.
The disassembly and removal of the fiberglass shell/top was very simple. There are only a main bracket holding the front down to the roof, about 6 more clips riveted into the shell that hook under the roofline, and the rear of the shell is riveted around the rear windows and are easily drilled out. Carefully removing the stainless trim around the windows and labeling it for reinstallation first.
Here are some photos below.
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, All options except dual exhaust. Currently looking for 2 front seats: Heated, Memory, and Light Graphite color!!
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