Opinions: Aftermarket Sunroof
Posted by RiftHunter4@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 18 comments
Has anyone ever had one of these done aftermarket? Apparently "universal" kits exist for adding a sunroof, even panoramic sunroofs. One of my family members stopped by a shop to get some work done and was told about it.
Sounds sketchy AF to me. Some models have sunroofs as options so I could see cutting the hole and installing an OEM one. But fully aftermarket? I looked on YouTube and every example I see is either really questionable or VERY custom.
Anyone here ever added a Sunroof where it wasn't? I'm just curious because it sounds insane.
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
This used to be the way all sunroofs were done before OEM'S caught on.
Almost every feature you love on/in a car was once only available aftermarket. Carplay, seat warmers, sunroofs, LED/HID headlights...etc.
RiftHunter4@reddit (OP)
That is true. I never realized people were still doing it.
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
I certainly wouldnt do it nowadays. If having a sunroof is a deal breaker, just buy a car with one.
Its going to be very invasive any way you try it. They gotta cut a giant hole in your roof skin and headliner, and hopefully seal it up correctly.
ILostMoney@reddit
My wife's car about 3 cars ago had one when she bought it. It leaked big time. It would fill up with water when it rained and when you would take a sharp turn it would coming spilling out on you. When I pulled the headliner down to see if it could be fixed you could see where they just sawzalled through all the structural rollover supports in the roof. Good stuff.
I personally would never own a car with a sunroof for any reason ever again. I had a car once with a manual sunroof that would pop up from the change in air pressure. At 60 it would start hissing. And above 110 mph it would pop all the way open violently. They ended up making me remove the sunroof at the track if I wanted to keep running for fear it was going to come flying off.
RiftHunter4@reddit (OP)
I always find sunroofs reviews to be kinda funny. Its a mildly nice feature but can spiral into a nightmare that turns people off of them for the rest of their lives lol. Meanwhile everyone else is like "yeah, it was ok".
Threewisemonkey@reddit
I saw someone add a full glass pano from a modern car welded into the roof of a G body Monte Carlo - free will is a hell of a drug
Beginning_Ad8663@reddit
I installed hundreds and taught car dealership mechanics how to doe them.
rudbri93@reddit
They used to do it a lot at the hyundai dealer where I worked. I cant remember the brand but we didnt have any problems, though we also didnt have any that were 10+ years old yet.
NoseResponsible3874@reddit
Hyundais usually unalive themselves before that point, so that tracks.
D-Dubya@reddit
Your not going to cut a hole and install OEM components. The roof is stamped differently compared to a non-sunroof car and the factory stuff won't install since the mount points aren't there. Aftermarket is fine for the most part.
pancrudo@reddit
Can't remember his IG, but there was a guy who put a full mini Cooper sunroof on his e30. I believe it was fully functional as well. It was more a slammed/show car, so no need to worry about the weight, he wasn't trying to go fast anyways
Envoyager@reddit
if you plan on keeping the car forever, sure.. but I would absolutely never buy a car that's had one installed because it most likely devalues the car, you'd have a tough time selling it
HSLB66@reddit
It’s possible, but I don’t recommend sunroof even OEM because they eventually leak
qkdsm7@reddit
Basic glass flip-up aftermarket deal in several mini trucks back in the day.
Never had an issue but figure it'd be fun to find replacement glass if you popped one ...
UnbelievableDingo@reddit
AVOID
These are crap and installed by hacks.
pistonsoffury@reddit
Sounds like a terrible idea. On every car I've owned that's had a sunroof, I've kept the shade closed 99.9% of the time.
Yousernaim@reddit
Super common
NorthernMan5@reddit
LOL, decades ago on my first / second car, a very beat 1978 Honda civic that I had purchased for $200, I installed a sunroof kit. Just took a jig saw to the roof, cut the hole with the provided template, and installed the sunroof. Worked well and didn’t leak at all.
And I think it increased the value of the car as well, win win