9 replies to this topic

[infamos]

Are you a sunroof fan?

I wasn't aware that the SQ's with sunroofs is scarce. I have three and only one has one. I have three mk2 supras and all came with sunroofs. I like the sunroof at times.

Would you recommend or not recommend adding a third party sunroof?
I'm considering Webasto sunroofs, they are the best I've seen.

Check out the following link. I'm definitely putting one on my van but considering putting one one my Conquest.

[Burton]

I am all about the sunroofs.

As long as they're installed by a reputable sunroof place with talented employees, aftermarket sunroofs can be as good if not better than a factory one. Many of those places offer lifetime warranties too.



I've installed a number of sunroofs in my time. I like to buy entire aftermarket sunroofs out of cars at the junkyard if the seals and such look good, and re-install them in my own cars. My wife's Conquest has some aftermarket power slide-back that I got at a LKQ up in MI when I lived there for $31- $20 for the sunroof and $11 for the electric motor in it. Normally I would have argued that the motor came with the sunroof, so it should be included in the $20 price, but I wasn't gonna complain over $11. the next time I went in there, I got a power slide-back and 3 manual pop-ups for $20 each. I still have the power slide-back and one of the manual ones, and eventually the power one will be going in my Starion if I ever get the time to put it in. So far, I've been very lucky. Only one of the manual pop-ups leaked, but I got another junkyard sunroof to replace it with a couple months later that didn't leak.


All that being said, I wouldn't recomend doing it yourself, especially if it's a really nice car. A little leak from a used sunroof in a hooptie is no big deal, but it can be embarrassing to have water dripping on your head in your one-year-old $40k+ car. Not to mention the difficulty of laying out a used sunroof without a template. New roofs come with templates to lay out on the roof to make sure you cut the hole centered and squared, a used one doesn't, so you have to be really patient and good at measureing and laying stuff out, otherwise it may not look right  when it's installed. Sure, you could pony up for a new one that came with a template and try to do it yourself, but at that point it's worth the extra $50-100 that the sunroof places charge to instal.




Webastos are good, but you may want to look into ASC and Inalfa for power holes too. Those brands seem to have about the best designs, materials, and engineering out there from what I've seen. I got an Inalfa sitting in the other room too. I bought that one off Ebay new with the template and everything for $350 shipped, and that roof retails for $900. It's way too big for my Starion tho. I'm gonna be buying a 4 door baby hauler pretty soon tho, so I may have to base my car search on something that Inalfa will fit in LOL.



I know there's lots of sunroof haters out there tho. Maybe because when they has problems it was decades ago and old technology, or maybe it's just bad luck, but I've never met a sunroof, moonroof, T-tops or a Targa top I didn't like. Convertibles too! My 300ZX 'vert is a leaky SOB, but it never gets driven in the rain, and there's nothing like dropping the top on a nice day.

Edited by Burton, 29 March 2012 - 06:17 PM.

[infamos]

Burton, I will take a look at the ASC and Inalfa. I do plan to hire a professional to perform the installation.

Thanks...

[Frenchi934]

ive never liked sunroof cars. ever
on anything, new, old, sunroof, moonroof, anything.

I purposefully look for one without the sunroof, but thats just me.

The advice id give is that if you're going to do it, do it RIGHT instead of half---.

but it sounds like you're planning on doing it right anyways. Hope it turns out well for you!

[DryBear]

So how much would a good, professional sunroof install normally cost?

[infamos]

About a year ago I got a quote from two providers in the Denver metro area and it came close to $1200, including the webasto 900 electric sunroof. This was for my Dodge van. This quote was the higher of the two. So I would say about $300, give or take.

[TexasQuest]

I've never been a fan of aftermarket "add-on" sunroofs. I think they look cheap and sometimes flat out ghetto. Now factory sunroofs are fine imo.

[strang3majik]

^^^This.  Now, if it is all quality stuff and done so professionally no one would ever be able to tell it wasn't factory....then go for it.

But, not if its obvious it wasn't supposed to be there.

[Frenchi934]

the glass would have to look in place on the top of the car... it cant look like its 20 years newer or itll look funny, and they will have to brace up the roof of your car underneath the headliner.

[scotty]

the mechanisms on a lot of those aftermarket monkey sunroofs go bad, broken runners clips bad motors and god forbid the glass breaks some of these companies are not even in business any longer. Nothing like a hole in your roof you cant fix without scouring hundreds of junkyards .

I would want an entire spare unit as ten yrs from now when something goes south you will be under the bus.