Background
Sunroof Beetles have drains at the front and rear corners that are connected to tubes running down the A- and C-pillars. When the rear section of the Beetle roof is removed, a new drain setup is required.
To maximize sunroof movement, the tube outlet must be moved 90-degrees from back-facing to B-pillar facing. Surgery can be performed on the original part, but a complete re-design of the drain plug is a more elegant solution.
3D printed drain plug
The plastic drain plug snugly fits into the aluminum sunroof rail.
A revised 3D printed part incorporates two elements: a side-facing tube outlet and an end bumper to stop sunroof movement. This adds about one inch of sunroof movement by efficiently changing the tube outflow direction.
Sourcing
3D printed drain plugs can be created from two STL format files:
LEFT SIDE https://krissmotors.com/shared/downloads/LEFT%20sunroof%20drain%20Beetle%20Ute.stl
RIGHT SIDE https://krissmotors.com/shared/downloads/RIGHT%20sunroof%20drain%20Beetle%20Ute.stl
These .stl files are calibrated in inches and most 3D printers should be able to fabricate plugs from them without any modification. A good third party 3D print vendor is Craft Cloud 3D and their approximate cost is $10-15 per plug for inexpensive PLA, ASA, ABS, and PETG plastics (you need two for left and right, so the total cost should be under $30 plus shipping). Nylon is probably the best material, but more expensive.
Please note that these files remain the intellectual property of Kriss Motors Corporation and are being made available as downloads exclusively for personal non-commercial use only without warranty or support. Copies of the files, or products made from them, cannot be sold or distributed in any manner. Any installation, modification, or fabrication is entirely at user’s risk.
Installation
Refer to the substructure, drain hose, and roof skin cut discussions.
Prepare the sunroof rail by trimming along the support bolt that secures the rail to the roof substructure, and then angle forward towards the rail end; leave an extra length that will be trimmed to fit.
Trim around the rail until the 3D drain plug fits just under the support bolt.
For the final installation, use an appropriate metal/plastic glue and secure the drain plug with a small set screw.
The set screw provides more stability for the drain and also acts as a stop for the sunroof step motor. The design of the drain plug insures that the sunroof will not hit the back of the cab surround.
Great idea! How do I order a set?
At this point we only have a prototype and we are not set up for manufacturing and distribution of very small batches. If we get interest from more than 25 ute builders we’ll investigate how to get the cost down to something manageable. Thanks for your inquiry.
I’m interested in the roof drains also.
Going to be in the process of building a beetle ute. Would be interested in a set.
For all those interested in the sunroof drain plug, we have just made the files available for free download. Please, these files are ONLY FOR PERSONAL USE. NO RESALE OR DISTRIBUTION PERMITTED.
Hey, thanks for posting the .stl files so we can print our own. That is VERY much appreciated!
Most welcome … and good luck!