I recently decided to put my background in design, manufacturing and global sourcing to use for myself, and potentially everyone else, to solve the sunroof seal problem on my 80s.
As everyone with an 80 knows, you can't get the replacement sunroof glass assembly anymore, and Toyota, in their infinite wisdom (and hubris, IMHO) decided not to provide the seal as a replacement part. And retail for the glass, when it was available, was north of $700.
And, as everyone with an 80 also knows, the seals are in need of replacement. Either your sunroof leaks, or weeps, now, or it will very soon. A few have even removed the glass and welded the sunroof closed, for lack of a better solution.
To add insult to injury, Toyota, realizing their mistake, decide to provide a replaceable seal for the 100 series. For $50 retail.
I've recently started discussions with suppliers to provide a replacement seal for the sunroof glass; not the sunroof assembly Toyota used to sell, but the seal they should have sold for the sunroof glass.
The replacement seal may, or may not, be the same design Toyota provided. The OEM seal isn't a simple rubber extrusion, like the door and window seals, but a multiple piece assembly, similar to the windshield gasket, except the sunroof seal isn't made of several prices of rubber, as the windshield seal is. The sealing face has a felt wiper on it, although yours may not have survived the ravages of time, it was there originally.
I thought I'd start locally, just to gauge interest for the suppliers I'm discussing this with. I don't want to post this globally yet, because the discussion isn't ready for prime time, but I do want to give the suppliers a taste of market viability. If there's sufficient interest in just NC, it'll give them an indication of whether it's worth their time or not.
