How remove moon roof on wagons

Getting reach to paint my wagon has small bubbu I'mles of rust around moon roof I kno I have to remove the headliner and bolts that hold moon roof in and glued in what's the easiest way to cut out

The vista windows are a PITA to remove if they are urethaned in. If it is urethaned in, you will have to cut the urethane with a specialty knife. You can get them at a bodyshop supply house. They are basically a long handled box cutter. I got one at the local NAPA paint center about $18-25. Tape the edge of the body so that you do not slice your hand open when you slip. Keep the blade against the metal, and slice the urethane until you get the whole way around. Lowes has a sawtooth blade that will fit the handle, and it may make it easier, because it tears at the urethane. Be careful to not get under the outside reveal, because you will ruin it, and need a new window (you really do not want to know what the cost of getting another one is). Put a piece of tape on the blade at the maximum depth you can insert it without damaging the reveal. The reveal (black rubber) is formed around the glass, and is not removable.

You may get lucky, and find that it is installed with butyl, you can just push up on it, and it will separate with the butyl becoming stringy. I have found 2 with the butyl, and all the rest were urethane.

Good luck.

If the interior side of your vista glass is mirror like rather than dark tint looking, it will be set in Butyl.

Fred is dead on in his description. I ruined my seal and had to get another glass. Be prepared that you may have rust issues around the back fastners of the glass.

Ok it's tinted

I did not know that you could identify the difference by the type of glass. It is good to know. I will keep a lookout for the mirrored ones.

You prob already know...but don't forget to remove several of the 7mm nuts that hold the glass in!  You will feel the shafts as you go around the edge too...so be careful not to damage them while you loosen the glue.  

I've removed 2 vista glasses so far and I do it from inside the wagon with heat and a sharp putty knife working out carefully once the adhesive starts to soften from the heat.  I too didn't know there was a way to spot the different glass! I'm guessing mine were both butyl as they were not that hard to remove....

The picture is of one that was installed with butyl. That stuff sure is messy.

With butyl, you should not need any heat or knives. Just remove fastners and push up. It will be a lot less messy that way. Mineral spirits is great for cleaning off the butyl.

I'm gonna give this a bump as I'm about to remove mine...

I read the manual, and it said to use a j-whatever tool to cut the seal. I assumed they are saying to cut the rubber & I'd have to find a replacement; which didn't sound like a fun proposition.

Am I understanding that you guys have been able to cut the sealer without damaging the rubber seal? If I do damage the rubber, I need a whole new window assembly?

There's a RMW in a JY about 150 miles south of here. I may go practice there first!

When the FSM says to cut the seal, they are referring to the urethane adhesive. This is a really bum job if the opening is rusted.

Rev Bob wrote:

When the FSM says to cut the seal, they are referring to the urethane adhesive. This is a really bum job if the opening is rusted.

Well, I've got no visible rust around the opening, so I'm hoping it will go well.

I've heard about guys having troubles with leaks, and this one never has, so my bet is that this one is stuck pretty good... I just hope I re-stick it as well as the factory did when I'm done!

Some of the newer ones are put in with butyl. It is easy to remove them. Just take the nuts off, and they push off with a little effort. You must remove the cross piece for the roof rack that is over the back of the vista glass. The reveal/seal is molded to the glass, and can not be removed.

On a 91, they are held on with urethane. You can get a long handled box cutter at most auto paint stores for about $30. You and get long boxcutter blades at Lowes. They also have a toothed blade that may make cutting easier, but I have not tried it. The toothed blade will cut a little wider slot, just do not get it under the outside reveal, or it will damage it, and ruin the whole vista window. Between the two, you can slice the urethane along the body under the vista window. If you cut a little into the rubber at the seal, you can just add some urethane to fill the gap. Do not try to cut it from the outside, or you will ruin the reveal edge. Wear gloves, because you will probably slip, and the edge of the opening for the vista glass is not finished nicely, and will cut you like a knife. It will take some effort. You should put a piece of tape on the blade to let you know how far you have penetrated under the urethane, so you do not get under the outside reveal.

Lubricate the blade (WD 40 should work) so that it has less friction with the urethane. If you can make a shallow V from the inside, and remove a sliver of urethane, it will make cutting the urethane easier. The urethane is about 1 inch wide at the body.

If it is rusted under the seal, you have a whole new set of issues to deal with. You have to fix the rust, paint the area, use urethane primer, and then install the glass. While you have it apart, check the back of the rear support of the vista glass, for rust. I found holes big enough to put my finger in, and the vertical part looked like it got peppered with a shotgun. That said, it is probably easier to remove the vista window if it is partially rusted under it.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

That said, it is probably easier to remove the vista window if it is partially rusted under it.

lol... Thanks, Fred. I've got the roof rack off already - only 2 rivnuts wanted to spin in the sheetmetal! Just a little rust staining around one of the rivnuts, nothing terrible, which is amazing considering the amount of crap those plastic pieces hold underneath them!


So far, I've found zero exfoliation above the beltline. The only trim left to remove is the moon roof and the rear quarter glass assemblies, and those look pretty good from the inside so I don't expect any issues there.

One other area that rusts is at the very back of the window at the corner where it turns up. The corner and about 3 inches along the bottom is a notorious rust spot. It can allow a leak, and the glass still appears to be tight.

The area that I found the holes in is the part toward the back of the car under the rack cross piece.

The rivnuts can be tightened from the outside. Get a long screw, nut, and washer. Put the nut on the screw, and the washer over the nut. Thread the screw about a half inch into the rivnut, with the washer between the nut and rivnut, then tighten the nut against the rivnut while holding the screw from turning.

Dr.Oldsmobile wrote:

So far, I've found zero exfoliation above the beltline.  The only trim left to remove is the moon roof and the rear quarter glass assemblies, and those look pretty good from the inside so I don't expect any issues there.

I am not sure what "trim" you are referring to, but the trim around the vista window is not removable, nor is the rear quarter glass trim. They are both permanently attached to the glass.

Sometimes leaks can occur in the channels where the roof rack side pieces go down into. I scraped the old sealer out, and resealed them. Just do not fill them above the level they are currently, or you will not be able to get the side rails back in. You can tape both sides to keep sealant off of the paint. I used my finger to push the sealant into the channel, and smooth it, but a popcicle stick, or screw driver would work as well.

[quote="Fred Kiehl"]

Dr.Oldsmobile wrote:

I am not sure what "trim" you are referring to, but the trim around the vista window is not removable, nor is the rear quarter glass trim. They are both permanently attached to the glass.

Right. I'm just saying that the only bits where I may find hidden rust is around the 3 fixed window assemblies. In the de-trimming process, I'm completely removing the window assemblies. When the car gets to the paint shop, the only glass it will have is in the doors & the windshield.

You can only remove the quarter glass from the inside, or you will damage the reveal...same deal as the vista window. I used a vibrating cutter tool with a custom knife blade made from a narrow saw blade, and sharpened. Make sure the blade does not extend out beyond of the edge of the reveal, or it will scratch your paint. Be careful around the pillar for the vent window, it is easy to remove the black coating on it. The coating is soft.

I would have used the vibrator tool on the vista glass too, but it does not go deep enough to get to the seal.

Well I'm getting ready to cut one of these vistas out of a 1991

Only because a buddy needs me to cut out a portion of the roof to fix his rusty one

After that to the scrapper it goes

Anyone interested in the 91 harness...I was told years ago that its a one year only harness for 91

so I got it out...

vista goes pop by BUICKNUTT, on Flickr

Well...It will be cheaper to ship it that way.

Wagoninabox noticed that the "mirror" glass is the one that is installed with butyl. The others can give you the glass shower.