Products in this Video:

Video Overview:

As promised, Sam pulls the Sunroof and all the parts out of our 1967 Sunroof Beetle and lays them all out, literally. Every screw, cable, cover, guide and piece needed for a VW Beetle sliding sunroof is laid out on a table and Sam goes over them all. If you've ever wondered what pieces or parts your VW Beetle Sunroof might be missing or how to assemble or repair your sunroof, this might be what you're looking for. Once all the pieces are covered and explained, Sam re-installs them back into the roof of our Beetle and walks you through how to set the gear assembly, cables, slides, sunroof height adjustment and more. We hope this video helps you figure out what parts or pieces might be missing or damaged on your VW sunroof. More importantly, we hope it helps you get your sunroof back in working condition so you can enjoy the open air feeling in your Vintage Volkswagen!

Video Transcript:

Hello, I’m Sam with JBugs.com, and as promised, I’m going to walk through what it takes to reassemble the sunroof in your Volkswagen Beetle.

To begin, we’ll start by pulling this apart from all the cables and components we’ve already reinstalled. When we picked this car up, all we had was the sunroof itself sitting inside the metal housing, sliding back and forth. Originally, there would have been a metal panel and a section of headliner material covering this. You would normally crank or slide the sunroof back—if it still functions enough—to pull the headliner back and remove that panel. Once the panel is out of the way, you can crank the sunroof back further and access the screws and levers that hold the rear of the sunroof in place.

These levers twist out and clip over the top of the springs. There’s a groove specifically for the tension springs to sit in, and it’s much easier to remove them when the sunroof is in the lowered position. As the sunroof opens and closes, small ramps inside allow the cables to pull against them, raising the sunroof flush with the roof when closed and dropping it down when opened.

After removing the screws, the guide brackets can come completely out. With the cables still attached, the sunroof will continue sliding back and forth, but at this point the assembly can be separated and removed from the inside as much as possible.

The gear mechanism only turns a limited number of rotations in either direction. Once removed, you can identify the full-open and full-closed positions. When reinstalling, you want all cables forward and the sunroof essentially in the closed position. Turn the gear fully clockwise to its stop, position it correctly, and reinstall it so the drive is properly indexed.

I’ve laid out all the parts involved in the sunroof assembly. This is an earlier version Volkswagen used around 1964–1966. These two designs perform the same job in different ways. The later style is easier to adjust—simply loosen the screws, adjust height, and retighten. The earlier version requires unbolting the bracket, adjusting height, and reinstalling it, which is more time-consuming.

Working from the outside in, we have the left and right outer rails. Each has an alignment pin at the back edge that positions it in the roof opening, along with four small screws on each side. The front corners of the sunroof have clips that slide into oval slots in the roof, where screws spread them outward to hold them securely. These components sit over the cable guides, which route the cables from the gear assembly into the rails where they cross and operate the sunroof.

The gear assembly mounts through the bottom of the roof and attaches to the center guide with two screws. The crank handle attaches with a single screw, and inside the car a trim plate covers the opening in the headliner. Corner and side guides are secured with small countersunk screws.

Each cable runs through dedicated channels and tubes. One channel is for the main cable mechanism, and another carries the return portion. It’s critical that these guides and channels are clean and properly lubricated so the cables can move smoothly. Whether using white lithium grease, silicone, or another suitable lubricant, the goal is to ensure free, consistent movement.

The later sunroof design includes a larger boss and screw for front height adjustment, making it easy to raise or lower the panel. The earlier design uses a different slide and adjustment method, requiring partial disassembly and limiting adjustments to 180-degree increments. Volkswagen transitioned to the improved adjuster around 1966.

At the rear of the sunroof, height is adjusted by loosening a screw and repositioning a small post within an oval slot. This allows the rear edge to sit flush with the roof and prevents it from dragging during operation—an issue that can scratch fresh paint if not properly aligned.

With all components cleaned and lightly lubricated, we can begin reassembly. The cables are installed into their guides, ensuring the correct orientation. The right and left sides are identifiable by the direction the flippers move. Once inserted, both cables are routed into the housing and around the center guide.

The assembly is then placed into the car, aligning with the dowels at the rear so it sits in the correct position. Cable lengths and positions are checked before installing side covers and securing them with screws. The top plate and cable covers are installed, followed by the gear assembly from inside the car.

Before installing the sunroof panel, make sure both cables are aligned at the ramps and in matching positions. Once the panel is set in place and pinned, the gear assembly is installed in its fully closed position. From there, the front slides are added, and the height is adjusted as needed to achieve even gaps and a flush fit.

Fine adjustments may require removing and reinstalling the gear assembly if cable alignment is slightly off. Even a small mismatch can cause the sunroof to close unevenly. After correcting alignment and making final height adjustments, the sunroof should operate smoothly and sit flush when closed.

That wraps up the reassembly. I filmed part of this over two days due to a microphone issue, but the sunroof is working properly again. For those who need to understand how this system works and how to assemble it correctly, I hope this walkthrough is helpful.

Next, this car will be completely disassembled again—engine removed, interior stripped, windows and fenders off—so bodywork can begin. I’ll handle some of the Volkswagen-specific repairs here, then it’ll go to a professional body shop for paint. The goal isn’t a show car, just a clean, solid weekend cruiser with a simple white paint job.

This video is being released on Black Friday, and we’re running one of our biggest sales of the year. It’s a great time to pick up Volkswagen parts for your restoration. During the holidays, we’ll likely post fewer videos as we focus on processing and shipping orders, but we’ll continue working on the engine build and other projects when possible.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday season—Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And remember, the world’s full of good people. If you can’t find one, be one. Later, guys.