Sunroofs are arguably a bad decision from the factory at the outset, but they're made a thousand times worse by filling the grooves with RTV in an attempt to seal up a "seal" that isn't supposed to seal anything in the first place.

That is all.

 

The primary leak point is actually the body to sunroof frame connection, anyway. From all the reading I've done, it seems like some people don't realize this.

If the sunroof is working properly, and the body to frame is sealed, the pan and the drain tubes should actually NEVER contain water when the sunroofs are closed.

 

Yep yep. When we bought our Disco the PO did this. Ended up having to just get a whole new sunroof cassette off a junkyard disco. I'm just like... it didn't have to be this way...

 

Duck tape works surprisingly well. Make sure to get the weather-resistant/waterproof version.

 

Mine were stuffed full of RTV too when I bought it. This is how I solved the problem once and for all.

 

Don't use rtv to seal it, if you're going to back yard butcher the disco properly clean surfaces thoroughly with alcohol then lay a bead of 3M 4000 around the gap. It is a UV resistant marine sealer. Not sure they make 4000 in black. It is removable, although not easily. Mucho easier to remove vs 5200 but 5200 isn't uv resistant, that's designed for being glued into place until after the 2nd coming.

 

Correct; should be not glued shut. Should be covered welded shut. As the brilliant post #5. And transfer the 'no-reproduction' to the LR design team. Am curious about the treatment extended to the roof rails... Are those also rain ingress points ?

 

I removed the rails to make a lower profile roof rack. They weren't an obvious leak but the windshield was was so I had it pulled it and welded it up to. Here's the rack I built.

 

I like the idea of a slick top, that would look cool.

 

I had a beach neighbor that bought a 1994 D1 new - I thought it was so cool and decided I would get one - fast forward to 1996 I started trying to see what kind of deal I could get - I was living in LA but happened to be visiting some friends in the bay area - I went to a couple of LR dealerships and the Marin dealer happened to have a D1 SD that was ordered for a customer that decided to pass - it was bare bones with just automatic - cloth manual seats no sun roofs - it was a lot cheaper than what they had on the lot with all the options and because it was probably not a desirable optioned one they made me a great deal - fast forward happy I have no sunroofs - for a short while after the purchase I thought I made a mistake not getting the leather and sunroofs - not today