sunroofectomy?

[greg donovan]

i hate sunroofs. i dont like the loss of headroom. how hard is it to have the roofs swapped between a non sunroof sedan and a sunroof one? how mch headroom do you loose between the sunroof cars and non-sunroof cars.

would a body shop even do it? i would imagine they would as long as you werent monkeying w/the A,B,andC pillars.

could it be a DIY project? i imagine all you would have to do is drill out the spot welds pull the skin off and swap the new roof skin and appropraite bracing in. this is what most rally prep shops do when installing a good custom cage, so it has been done before.

everything sounds simple in theory of course. in actuality it is probably a much bigger deal than that.

[Legacy777]

I would think it's a pretty big deal. You'd have to cut the roof off and swap it over. IMO....no way worth the effort.

[Subaru_Nation555]

Like Legacy777 said I just don't think it would be worth the money or effort, but thats me.

I don't think you would loose a noticable amount of headroom

[BAC5.2]

You would probably gain maybe .5" or so. Not worth the trouble.

The only reason I wouldn't want a sunroof is to increase chassis rigidity and remove weight from up top.

[bignose]

can't you just rip it out and weld a sheet in place , then do the body work ? am i missing something ?

[greg donovan]

can't you just rip it out and weld a sheet in place , then do the body work ? am i missing something ?

yes you could do that. mike wray and several other people who have built rally cars out of sunroof cars have done this.

its not pretty but it could be done.

this is what i was talking about doing. you dont need to cut the pillars or anything just remove the skin.



yes it is a GC chassis but the roof structure is the same. and i guess the headroom isnt the only thinng weight is a big factor too. but when your wife is 6'1" that .5" of extra headroom can be a marriage saving difference.

here is the link to more pics of the build of ramana's first car being built at vermont sportscar.

http://www.vtcar.com/wrxbuild.htm

[90LegAWD]

can't you just rip it out and weld a sheet in place , then do the body work ? am i missing something ?

no, it's defnitely NOT that easy. the roof is extremely thin, any welding will result in IMMEDIATE warping

IMO, just remove the sunroof and plug it with a sheet of aluminum/CF/lexan/etc. honda guys do this ALL the time.

http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=778592
http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=764413
http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=807634

[LaureltheQueen]

I dont know what's been done to your car, but if you want to go sunroofless, I'd suggest selling your car and buying one without a sunroof

[greg donovan]

i dont think thats possible for a 94SS. werent the sunroofs standard?

and i am getting this 94 SS for a VERY good price.

so what kind of a loss in headroom can i expect between my 90 l sedan w/out a sunroof and the 94 SS w/a sunroof?

[2.5_IMP]

Pulling this thread up from the dead. I want to remove my sunroof, and replace it with a welded patch panel, or lexan/plexi/fiberglass/carbon fiber plug. If anyone has done this, and has photos or measurements, please post them up.

[AWD_addict]

I haven't done it yet, but I will be doing something similar eventually. Cracked glass and caulked shut is not a great sunroof situation.

[evolutionmovement]

Could you also replace it with a drop-in manual? They weigh much less and I've never had a leak or problem and it pops out in seconds, one-handed while sitting at a red light. Less fabrication.

[2.5_IMP]

Could you also replace it with a drop-in manual? They weigh much less and I've never had a leak or problem and it pops out in seconds, one-handed while sitting at a red light. Less fabrication.

I'd like this option. I'm going to be pulling the sunroof this week, taking some measurements, and seeing what is out there.

[93forestpearl]

I would weld it shut and get a different headliner. Paint is pretty easy since you don't have to blend the pillars.