I Love Sunroofs

Here are photos of some of the important sunroofs that have passed through my life:

Bringing the Porsche home on the boat:

89 Civic Si, before I tossed the deflector:

81 Mazda 626, first car in the family with a sunroof (crappy photo):

99 Civic EX Coupe (disappointing car with a mediocre sunroof):

I could go on....

Ah, sunroofs... The best in my life was dads 99 ML430... Lots of folks had problems with it; we never did.

This one wasn't ours, but same sunroof.

I have only ever owned 4 cars with sunroofs.. a Lancia Beta Scorpion, my Ti, and two saabs... but unless I was building a dedicated fun/track car.. I would not have one without it.

I love sunroofs.. I use them ALL year.. including in sub freezing temps, as long as it is not raining or snowing (sometimes I will open it if it is a light drizzle)

Sunroofs are fun in a streetcar. This Saab is the first vehicle of mine to have one, and the novelty is yet to wear off, (helps that it works perfectly and doesn't leak a drop.) Opening it up on a warm, starry night is extremely pleasant.

Sunroof lovers = People with brain damage from too much sun cooking their heads.

I only have one car with a sunroof (BMW 2002) and it has been broken since I bought the car. I think the cables are broken, but I keep doing other projects to the car and pushing the sunroof repair off till later. In a car without AC, a sunroof would make hot weather driving much better.

T.J. wrote: In a car without AC, a sunroof would make hot weather driving much better.

Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

Ian F wrote:

T.J. wrote: In a car without AC, a sunroof would make hot weather driving much better.

Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

Exactly. I am in the "neutral" category when it comes to sunroofs on street cars. If my car has one, great. If not, fine. But they definitely do make it hotter on a sunny summer day. My current DD, '96 Volvo 850 wagon, has a sunroof. On a hot day in the sun, I have it closed, and I close the privacy (or whatever it's called) slider on it too, so no sun comes through. I open it mostly on warm summer mornings or nights when the sun isn't beating directly in it.

Sunroofs are dangerous and should be banned. A chimney could fall through it and kill you.

Ian F wrote: Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

So you drive around with the sunroof open and the AC on?

Ian F wrote:

T.J. wrote: In a car without AC, a sunroof would make hot weather driving much better.

Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

Not always. From a solar heat aspect, yes, but in a car without rear side windows, an open sunroof allows better airflow through the car by giving the air somewhere to go.

I am considering removing a large portion of the 850's roof to install the Britax sliding ragtop i have been hoarding for a few years. Hopefully that will keep the "Must buy another convertible" impulses at bay for a while longer.

I love sunroofs. I love the way that stuffy feeling in the cabin dissapears instantly when you open them.

But I hate sunroofs in modern cars If you open the sunroof in any of the wifes last 3 VW's ('03 Jetta wagon, '06 rabbit, 01 GTI) and attempt to drive more than 35 mph without another window cracked there is a viscious buffeting noise that sounds like a helicopter is attempting to land on you.

Sunroofs ftw, nothing like a sunroof on a nice sunny day.

Targa tops are good too. :)

Ian F wrote:

T.J. wrote: In a car without AC, a sunroof would make hot weather driving much better.

Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

A pane of glass adds to the heat. If you open it up, then the heat can escape. If it isn't open, you can close the privacy shade (at least that has been the case in 4/5 sunroofs that we've had... the fifth didn't have the glass part to let light in)

If I can't have a convertible, I like a car with a sunroof. I've had 3 - 83 BMW 320i, 96 Saturn SL2, and my 91 Sentra SE-R I just sold. The buffeting sound is easily solved by adding a sunroof deflector that's pretty cheap (or free - my BMW's came with the car, and Josh was kind enough to give me the one from his old SE-R). I haven't had issues with excessive overheating - quite the opposite, as leaving them slightly open lets the warm air escape the car. But none of these are as big as the Mini's. Plus the AC didn't work in the BMW or the SE-R.

mad_machine wrote:

Ian F wrote: Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

So you drive around with the sunroof open and the AC on?

Well, heat rises... Right?

ditchdigger wrote: I am considering removing a large portion of the 850's roof to install the Britax sliding ragtop i have been hoarding for a few years. Hopefully that will keep the "Must buy another convertible" impulses at bay for a while longer. I love sunroofs. I love the way that stuffy feeling in the cabin dissapears instantly when you open them. But I hate sunroofs in modern cars If you open the sunroof in any of the wifes last 3 VW's ('03 Jetta wagon, '06 rabbit, 01 GTI) and attempt to drive more than 35 mph without another window cracked there is a viscious buffeting noise that sounds like a helicopter is attempting to land on you.

I'm planning on doing the same thing with my '72 Chevy Suburban.

Woody wrote: 81 Mazda 626, first car in the family with a sunroof (crappy photo):

WANT!!!!

I love sunroofs.

Mods! Please delete this thread. It is a malicious lashing out at those who posted in the sunroof hater's thread. This is far too emotional an issue to be courteously debated here.

mad_machine wrote:

Ian F wrote: Actually, the reverse is true. The sunroof adds additional heat to the interior. I swear the a/c in the MINI was not designed with the additional heat-load the dual-pane sunroof puts on the system.

So you drive around with the sunroof open and the AC on?

No. I never open the sunroof. Actually... I've been meaning to pull the motor fuse to stop mine from ever being used.

I have on occasion turned the A/C on in the vert when sitting in traffic. Oddly enough, as much as I hate sunroofs, I like our convertibles.

The air-pressure release thing doesn't fly with me. The buffeting in a MINI with the door windows and sunroof open is incredible.

Wow a WRX with a sunroof, those things are rare. When I was thinking about buying an early US model if found out that hardly any had sunroofs and that pretty much killed that idea.

+1 for Sunroofs

again I love em on street cars as long as it doesn't decide it needs to occupy the same space as my head (like the mkI mr2)

I prefer the metal ones to glass... glass ones have to have the sun shade closed which kills any air flow even with the SR popped up... durring the day I keep the SR popped up... if suns not out then it's all about sliding it all the way open :)...

but it's no deal breaker for me... and honestly i'd prefer a convertable but a nice vert is a lot more $$$ than a nice SR car

I had always wanted a convertible. In the last 10 years, I have had five. I've kind of gotten it out of my system. I actually prefer a coupe with a sunroof now.

Except, of course for the whole track car thing...

Marie and I have a mercedez 1960 pon toon sunroof challenge car