aftermarket sunroof installation

Wizard · Postby **Wizard** » May 18th, 2011, 1:29 pm

just wondering if someone can give me insight into the level of difficultly and downsides of installing a sunroof or moonroof into a car that did not come with it stock

are there non stock or aftermarket options that i should consider

the car is a civic so i am sure i could find a stock sunroof in the bamboo if thats what it takes

shaneelal · Postby **shaneelal** » May 18th, 2011, 5:47 pm

From the few persons I know who've installed sunroofs in their vehicle, it tends to leak after awhile. It could have been bad installations, if you do go ahead try to get some kind of warranty on the installation.

Postby **~VēġÃ³~** » May 18th, 2011, 8:05 pm

many many years ago I installed a prelude sunroof onto my PAU series 626 GLX.....

I had bought the entire roof.....what the installer did was to cut out all the metal from the prelude roof except the area where the sunroof seats..so all that was left was the glass and trach assembly with about 2" of roof surrounding the glass...I think he also removed the ribs.

Next he cut a hole in my roof slightly smaller than the space the prelude roof would take up, so that the remaining metal on the prelude roof would overlap with the metal on my roof......he tacked it in place and ran a bead of welding to seal it......he then installed the prelude roof ribs onto my roof to re-inforce it and to support the sunroof assembly.......I did the necessary electrical work.

It must be stated that my car was going to get painted and so the interior was gutted (which is a must in order to avoid burns from the welding)....the installer stated that I saved some money because of that.
My straightener did the necessary grinding down, neatning up etc, ran the hoses through A-pillars (although he ran the front hoses to the back which caused my interior to flood out one rainy day, parked downhill----it's usual for some water to seep in but the water could not run out up-hill and so overflowed and soaked interior)......I re-routed the hoses to the front and the sun roof never leaked subsequently......The installation was brilliant and looked so fkn original.....it must be noted that you need to get a roof that bears close resemblence to the curves of your stock roof if you are going this way.....

Hope this was of some help.

Postby **~VēġÃ³~** » May 18th, 2011, 8:08 pm

oh and the installer advised NOT to simply cut out the whole roof and re-place with another.....he said that it would have compromised the strength of the roof support or whatever.....remember that was like years ago....maybe 13-15 years ago!

VexXx Dogg · Postby **VexXx Dogg** » May 19th, 2011, 11:50 am

@Vega - you got it covered!
My first car had a sunroof that was poorly installed (bought it that way) and it was a nightmare.

Is it really worth it?
I barely use the sunroof on the scooby....

toybago · Postby **toybago** » May 20th, 2011, 9:56 am

i too have been wondering if to actually install a sun roof that i've purchased

i basically have the same concerns as Wizard

also vega, even though it was 10-15 years ago how'd you hook it up? i didnt get a switch with mine....

Wizard · Postby **Wizard** » May 20th, 2011, 12:59 pm

hell i am even considering an old school rag top like they have on old vw bugs to tell you the truth

but an install similar to what vega had sounds fine i am fine with having to repaint after and the necessaries

good to hear that is has been sucessfully done

should i go to a decent body shop as my next step or are there customizers that would specialize in this type of fabrication

Postby **~VēġÃ³~** » May 20th, 2011, 4:40 pm

toybago wrote:also vega, even though it was 10-15 years ago how'd you hook it up? i didnt get a switch with mine....

well it was a well known fact that the power window controls for those mazda 626's fail, so I bought another unit which had all window controls plus another 2 way switch.....it was just a matter of running the wiring from the sunroof to that switch.....you may purchase an aftermarket 2 way switch, locate your wiring for power window (I say this because the relay etc for this would handle such a motor....or you could tap directly from the battery) and do your connections......it's not that difficult but if you wish you may consult auto electrician.....can't precisely state if I grounded the sunroof right there or ran the ground wire to the switch....

Postby **~VēġÃ³~** » May 20th, 2011, 4:46 pm

Wizard wrote:hell i am even considering an old school rag top like they have on old vw bugs to tell you the truth

but an install similar to what vega had sounds fine i am fine with having to repaint after and the necessaries

good to hear that is has been sucessfully done

should i go to a decent body shop as my next step or are there customizers that would specialize in this type of fabrication

I don't know if the guy who did mine is still around but he specialized in sunroof installations......he was located, let's see, if you are leaving Debe and heading towards San Fernando, along the SS Erin Road (is it?), going up the hill, there is a road that is on the left....boy honestly I could find the place, but to say describe how to get there I can't.....Can't even remember the guy's name.....

minipresident · Postby **minipresident** » May 22nd, 2011, 3:43 pm

~VēġÃ³~ wrote:I had bought the entire roof.....what the installer did was to cut out all the metal from the prelude roof except the area where the sunroof seats..so all that was left was the glass and trach assembly with about 2" of roof surrounding the glass...I think he also removed the ribs.

its very important that you don't just buy the sunroof but the whole roof as vega mentioned. by installing the piece of roof just around the sunroof you buy it gives u the best chance at not ending up with leak/s as opposed to guys who make the lip from scratch and have these leaky issues.

toybago · Postby **toybago** » May 22nd, 2011, 8:36 pm

but what if, like in my case you didn't have the option to buy the entire roof?

isn't the track that's around the sun/moon roof supposed to catch and channel leaks?

Postby **~VēġÃ³~** » May 22nd, 2011, 11:55 pm

indeed it would. but it could only handle/channel off a certain volume of water entering it in the time......your installer/fabricator must ensure that the sunroof/moonroof seats well in your roof so that it minimises the volume of water that would enter between the sunroof and your metal roof.