MX-3 Sunroof Interchange DISCOVERY!!!
 

Hey all!! Here's a good one for you that you're all sure to enjoy & use!!

Before I get any further let me just say that I didn't purchase anything or install it in a vehicle I own & try it, I just did this in the junkyard as a test- would have purchased but all parts had rust on them. Lets begin!

Someone told me a Mazda 3 sunroof will fit in an FC. I thought I heard "MX-3", as I was corrected by my GF. I did a search on RX7club and came up nearly dry, except for one post years ago by some nobody claiming they'd done it. No big write up or announcement like I'm making now, haha. So technically they deserve the credit.

So, right now in my local yard there's a '94 MX3 and a '90 GTU. I pulled the entire frame/panel from both cars, & set them on the ground. The "foamed outline" of the track matched. Like, identical. So were the centerlines for all the bolt holes, except for the 4 slots on the "tangs" which hang off, on the hatch side. They're on center in one direction, but the tangs either have to be bent, or the slots lengthened for them to land where the screw holes are. Motor itself appears the same, but the wiring is different.

Now, the panel itself is VERY similar. Same centerlines for all 6 M6 threaded studs attached to the panel, & same locations as well for the plastic clip inserts wehre the cloth panel attaches for the headliner! It will fit as a direct replacement to the FC sunroof frame, or you can (I THINK) swap the MX-3 sunroof frame as well!

What I'm hoping for is that the MX-3, being produced 91-98 per wikipedia, has better quality anti-rust features to the panel, and that the 10 year age difference will yield a huge influx of previously unknown parts.

Here's some pictures for confirmation!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-p...ZA/s767/13+-+2
MX-3 frame in the FC. Note the rear 4 tang slots are what doesn't line up. I mean, the holes are on linewith them, but the slot has to be lengthened for them to fit. I'm holding it up via the 4 height adjustment nuts which have the huge countersink lead in & are E-clipped on to the frame & can't fall off

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j...Gg/s575/13+-+1

MX-3 frame in FC from the outside. Identical!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d...ck/s767/13+-+3

This shows the snaps are in the same locations for attaching the headliner from the RX-7 to the MX-3.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O...sA/s767/13+-+5

MX-3 roof as viewed from below, showing the spacing of the M6 mounting studs. I tried mounting the panel in the FC frame before I removed it from the car, & it worked just fine in that too! I just swapped the entire frames to see if that whole unit was interchangeable

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f...jc/s767/13+-+4

Lastly, here's the MX-3 panel installed on the MX-3 frame in the FC. There's been no allignment or anything done to center it. Also, there's a rubber trim around the sunroof like ours, but it was removed prior to photo to check for rust. (which was bad lol) The compound curvature is either spot on, or so close that I couldn't tell it was off. Ha!

So yea! Snatch up! Hopefully someone can benefit from this! I think we're still going to run into rusty ones, but now when searching, there's twice the amount of potential parts out there.

You derped the pics.

They're there now. Oh & I meant to post in the original thread- thanks to CLOKKER for the Junkyard inspiration! Our hero!

That is a remarkable find, excellent sleuthing skills.

For your next trick, Landon, can you find evidence that either S4 or S5 TIIs were available in the US from the factory without a sunroof? I would really appreciate it :)

This is a nice find though.

great find. I will try to keep this in mind the next time I happen to get out to a yard because I will actually need roof at some point.

thanks.

neat find! i'm glad that Mazda was lazy enough to not change the sunroof panel or hole or anything. makes you wonder if a 626 roof fits?

since i was just in there, the Rx8 has a Webasto roof mechanism, so its German, and is right out.

Seems that the MX folks have discovered that Escort GT glass sunroofs are a direct swap. Could it be then, that the same swap follows for an FC?

WTB: Escort GT glass sunroof

man.... i got all excited when i read the title thinking they had a glass moonroof. i will probably never need a replacement on the west coast but it would be nice to have a glass moonroof.

get to work on the escort check, i want to see that fit!

In for an escort roof

I saw that earlier about the Escort GT roof. Still not finding a 100% yes it fits answer anywhere on the internet though! It's worth a shot for sure.

It'll be sweet to have a glass roof supply that's a lot more common, but at the same time, it'll suck because those w/ pacific glass tops like myself, will be morons for paying that much for them. haha.

And so it begins...look familiar?

1998 Ford Escort 2 Dr ZX2 Hot Coupe - Interior Pictures - Car open with sunroof - CarGurus

http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/arc...p/t-27867.html

Still not 100% sure haha. I need to run to the yard pronto, shame it's easter or i'd go today

Good luck finding a non rusted MX3 sunroof. These weren't the most popular cars around....and with sunroof option.
But, hell of a find though.

dangit. lol.

Well I did a on-line used car part search for the '91-96 Escort GT / Tracer LTS glass sunroof. One came up at a local salvage yard only a couple miles from work. So I stopped in after work this afternoon. Their computer showed that it was a complete glass sunroof assembly (not just the glass panel). It noted that it had been removed from the car and was stored inside, but it also noted that it had been there for a total of 5,361 days (that's 14 year and 8 months). Not likely! So the manager went out to the "other building" to try and find it. Sure enough it was there - covered in dust, but complete and intact. They only wanted $50 for it, so I bought it and brought it home :nod:

I will clean it up and take it apart to find out if it fits/works in my S5 over the weekend.

Aww SWEET good find!!!

Nice progress. Can't wait to hear the result. Fingers crossed.

Pictures make it look a little long for our roofs, no? The whole assemble I'm referring to, not just the glass.
Hope it fits though, would be a great help for our broken sunroof tracks.

Those were my thoughts as well. Hopefully the tracks and panel are interchangeable, but the external frame work itself looks to be for a longer sedan type roof.

I came across a zx2 glass panel on eBay a few days ago and by the pics it did not seem to have the 6 studs (3 on each side) like ours do. It appeared to have 6 holes (3 on each side) in the perpendicular plane to the studs. Unfortunately I am unable to find the add Anymore. I hope I am wrong though

An update to my last post:

Here are some pics from the ebay add for 1999 ford escort sunroof. No idea of the dimensions but i think the pics speak for themselves. maybe this is not the right model of escort?

Attachment 675485


Attachment 675486


Attachment 675487


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Attachment 675489

Measurements are 31 3/4" long and 21" wide. (as stated in the add)

That's the wrong sunroof.

Yes, as noted that is not the correct sunroof. The one you should be looking for is out of the 1991-96 Ford Escort GT coupe.

I will be heading out to the garage shortly to start looking at the one what I dragged home earlier this week.