Back In The Day, Sliding Ragtop Sunroofs Were The Coolest Thing To Do On Your VW. Be It A Bug Or A Van, It Didn't Matter What It Was Because It Just Needed A Mammoth Hole In The Roof To Let The Sun Shine In. Things Haven't Changed Much Since The '60s. Sliders are just as cool now as they were then. It's one of those mods that really puts your truck over the edge and makes it that much more custom. Plus, there's nothing cooler than cutting a big hole in your roof and letting the sun in while you drag body down the local cruise strip.
Here it is, a '99 Chevrolet...
Here it is, a '99 Chevrolet Silverado with its entire roof intact, in all its glory.
With this truck, the owner wanted a huge slider, as big as he could get. After taking a few measurements, a call was made to Street Beat Customs in Phoenix. The cool thing about Street Beat is that the shop can custom-make a sliding ragtop in any size, any color, and any material you want. By far, the most popular option is a black canvas top, and that's what the owner chose for the truck to complement his interior. Another option he chose was a plain finish on the ragtop's frame. Normally, Street Beat powdercoats its frames black, but the owner wanted a different look, so he left the aluminum rails raw.
Follow along as we cut a mammoth hole in the roof of a '99 Chevrolet Silverado extra-cab, and let the sun shine in.
1.First thing we did was remove...
1.First thing we did was remove the factory headliner. It's pretty easy to do. All we did was pull down the pillars and disconnect the dome light.
2.What we were left with was...
2.What we were left with was a mostly factory panel. The owner had previously sprayed sound-deadening material and welded box tubing to the roof to prepare for the sound system. That's all going to change soon.
3.The easiest way to design...
3.The easiest way to design a hole is to measure the perimeter of the frame and make a template out of construction paper. Once we had that, we taped it to the roof and marked our hole.
4.With our hole marked, we...
4.With our hole marked, we began the process by drilling holes in each corner. If we had angled corners in the roof, we'd run the risk of having stress cracks.
5.After a few minutes with...
5.After a few minutes with the air-powered reciprocating saw, we had a big hole ready to accept the frame.
6.We used a series of clamps...
6.We used a series of clamps to brace the frame to the body, aligning the holes in the roof and allowing us to eventually bolt down the frame.
7.Once all the holes were...
7.Once all the holes were drilled, we started bolting down the frame using the provided studs. Notice the cut marks in the frame? We did this to let the frame curve with the shape of the roof. We also bolted the slider tracks to the roof at this time.
8.With the frame in place,...
8.With the frame in place, we used the provided silicone and ran a bead around the inside of the frame. This will seal the frame from the body and keep everything watertight.
9.Next, we reinstalled the...
9.Next, we reinstalled the headliner so that we could mark the hole.
10.Here's the finished product,...
10.Here's the finished product, ready to be wrapped in suede.
11.After the headliner was...
11.After the headliner was wrapped, we cut out the middle hole, pulled it up along the sides, and hammered pinch molding around the edge of the frame, which gave us a nice, tight headliner.
12a.And here's how the ragtop...
12a.And here's how the ragtop looks when its open and closed.
12b.
13.And, here's the all-important...
13.And, here's the all-important view from the driver seat.