Fellas:
What can I use to replace the sunroof weatherstrip on my GL? The existing one (original) is badly weathered/dryrotted. Thanks.
Denny

Hi Denny,
Best thing to do is to buy the two piece kit from the dealer. One surrounds the front and sides, and the other covers the rear. Take out the sunroof lid by cranking the sunroof back a bit and pulling down on the front of the vinyl cover. The clips will release, and then you slide the vinyl, with it's frame backwards to expose the mounting hardware. remove the hardware and slide the sunroof lid out of the car- 5 minutes does the job-don't scratch the paint)
Next, remove the old strips and as much glue as you can from the rear of the lid and around the opening. Using contact cement, coat the SEAM SIDE of the new seal(EXTREMELY IMPORTANT*) and the body and, once dry, apply the seal just a milimeter or so below the surface around the front and sides. Same goes for the rear seal on the sunroof lid. Install the lid and vinyl frame and you'll be back in business. *If you glue the non-seam side of the felt, the up/down motion of the sunroof when you open and close it will pull the seam apart eventually leaving you with a damaged seal. Good luck, and if you need any clarification, feel free to email me.

Rob

I did this job in August, so I am fairly famiiiar with it. I bought both weatherstrips from FCPGroton. They were original Volvo parts. The prices Logan quotes are about right. My sunroof leaked, even though all four drain holes were open. The front and side weatherstripping was in bad shape, leaving lots of gaps. My rear strip was still pretty good, but I replaced it anyway. I spend a lot of time cleaning off the old glue. I took the sunroof out completely, which made the job easier, although to just replace the front/side strip you don't have to remove it. One thing I messed up on a little was the rear strip. I installed it a little too high/pround of the top of the sunroof. When I first turn the crank to open it, that rear felt catches on the rear opening in the roof, and doesn't let the sunroof drop down and clear the opening. I sometimes have to reach out the window and push down the rear of the sunroof while cranking it open. Once it drops down, I don't have a problem. Hopefully the rear felt will wear in and resolve this. The Volvo green book has a good description and diagram on sunroof removal. It's pretty easy. I think Bentley also describes it.

Jim Egelston - Seattle

The correct weatherstripping is still available at the dealer, but its not cheap. There are two pieces, one on the front and then one that covers the other three sides. I THINK it was around $20USD for the front bit and more like $50 for the other one, but it was a couple years ago that I looked.
I don't know of a cheaper source, but I'm sure there is one out there.
Good luck.
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1981 242GLTi 1967.5 122S Automatic (tempermental)

I found replacement weatherstripping on www.volvopartsdirect.com I think the total for all the parts was under $50. The labor involved in replacing the seals takes at least three hours, and there is a significant risk of damaging the cables. Is your sunroof leaking yet? My mechanic told me it wasn't worth the time, considering the risks involved, unless it was starting to leak. If you do it please let me know how it turns out, I've been considering it.
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Matt J. 84' 240 323,000mi.