Manufacturers sunroof or third party?

samhail

Hi all, is there much difference between getting a sunroof installed by the manufacturer and getting it without a sunroof then getting a third party sunroof installed, when you buy a new car?
Better resell with manufacturers installed?

MuppetCheck

On top of the above I can't imagine the third party being cheaper either.

Toyotafanboi

I don't know are spurious sunroofs a done thing at all any more?

Even manufacturers dont really offer traditional sunroofs much anymore, they are usually fancy panoramic glass sorts etc that couldn't possibly be retrofitted.

samhail

Enquiring to Lexus dealer in Finglas and sales man suggested not to get manufacturers just to get a third party...

GSBellew

samhail wrote: »

Enquiring to Lexus dealer in Finglas and sales man suggested not to get manufacturers just to get a third party...

Chances are they have a car available off the shelf or already booked in
production that suits your spec but minus the sunroof, so if they can talk you
out of the factory sun roof they can sell you that one.

Comhrá

I'd imaine if you go to trade in your new car in two or three years time with a third party sunroof fitted, they'd quickly let you know your car is seriously devalued.

samhail

Yeah, expect he was looking for the sale. He never got back to me either on availability/finance.

Tigger

i'm a salesman
we say things that aren't necessarily true
but we have winning smiles

Gumbo

The sunroof place in crumlin is very busy doing this to cars.
My cousin gets it done on every car he owns if it hasn't been done from the factory.

When I was there one day last year, he was getting one in his E60, the place had 3 brand new unregistered cars from a main dealer getting heated leather interior fitted.

They said it was cheaper for the dealer to get done by them then to order from the factory????

Obviously factory fitted is the best option, but my cousin has had no issues whatsoever with his over the years.

These are the guys - http://www.autoglaze.ie/index.htm

Special Circumstances

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

I don't know are spurious sunroofs a done thing at all any more?

Even manufacturers dont really offer traditional sunroofs much anymore, they are usually fancy panoramic glass sorts etc that couldn't possibly be retrofitted.

I thought we had gone back to 1980 something! I've never know anyone to get an aftermarket sunroof since they stopped selling Ford Escorts.

colm_mcm

I got plenty sunroofs on new cars for customers. Used to use cartronics, never had an issue.

Tony Beetroot

Are the people who want sunroofs cut in their roofs the ones that never heard of air con.

Atlantic Dawn

Sunroofs are as pointless as it gets unless you have some car with no air con.

Special Circumstances

...never heard of aircon....
...Some car without aircon. ..

Let's face it, most people are happy with windy rear windows if the car has the right badge!

Tony Beetroot

What are windy windows?

Special Circumstances

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

What are windy windows?

Windy is german for keep fit.

colm_mcm

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Are the people who want sunroofs cut in their roofs the ones that never heard of air con.

Nope. They want both.
I've had both in my last 2 cars.

Tony Beetroot

Different strokes for different folks I guess but I dont see the logic in it.

Gumbo

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nope. They want both.
I've had both in my last 2 cars.

I'd like both also.
I very rarely use my air con tbh

mickdw

Let some monkey cut a sunroof into a new lexus, you must be joking.

colm_mcm

Yeah, cos it'll be his first time doing it and Lexus roofs are special?

mickdw

colm_mcm wrote: »

Yeah, cos it'll be his first time doing it and Lexus roofs are special?

Ok. Will the surrounding areas of the roof have the same reinforcement that the factory fit would have?
Will they fit a genuine lexus sunroof with entire mechanism with full integration to cars electronics identical to the factory?
Well they use a new factory roof lining made for a car with sunroof?
Will the install be fully factory approved with all warranty maintained?

Tony Beetroot

Do the sun roof company install tape players also?

colm_mcm

mickdw wrote: »

Ok. Will the surrounding areas of the roof have the same reinforcement that the factory fit would have?
Will they fit a genuine lexus sunroof with entire mechanism with full integration to cars electronics identical to the factory?
Well they use a new factory roof lining made for a car with sunroof?
Will the install be fully factory approved with all warranty maintained?

Of course they will. It's a universal aftermarket sunroof after all....


Of course it won't be identical to a factory job, and the quality of the job matters.
A factory sunroof is clearly going to be specifically designed for that model.
What I'm saying is I've gotten a good few fitted on new cars (mostly expensive ones) where there were no issues.

mickdw

colm_mcm wrote: »

Of course they will. It's a universal aftermarket sunroof after all....


Of course it won't be identical to a factory job, and the quality of the job matters.
A factory sunroof is clearly going to be specifically designed for that model.
What I'm saying is I've gotten a good few fitted on new cars (mostly expensive ones) where there were no issues.

A universal aftermarket sunroof. That is Muck to be adding to a new car of any description. Serious devaluing of the car imo.

Tony Beetroot

mickdw wrote: »

A universal aftermarket sunroof. That is Muck to be adding to a new car of any description. Serious devaluing of the car imo.

It comes with a free boot spoiler though :pac:

JohnBoy26

Factory sunroof all day op. Looks far better than aftermarket and fits flush with roof. Aftermarket has a black frame which makes it slightly higher than the roof. You mightn't think this would make much of a difference but it does.

GSBellew

colm_mcm wrote: »

Of course they will. It's a universal aftermarket sunroof after all....


Of course it won't be identical to a factory job, and the quality of the job matters.
A factory sunroof is clearly going to be specifically designed for that model.
What I'm saying is I've gotten a good few fitted on new cars (mostly expensive ones) where there were no issues.

A universal aftermarket sunroof is by its very nature inferior to a factory fit one.

The mere fact that it's a universal 'fit' should be enough to tell you that.
It will never be right, perhaps acceptable to some, we all have different
standards after all.

Tony Beetroot

colm_mcm wrote: »

What I'm saying is I've gotten a good few fitted on new cars (mostly expensive ones) where there were no issues.

Well their value fell faster than the bank shares when them monkeys started cutting the roof with the angle grinder and You tube video on their phone telling them how to fit a cheap tacky sunroof.

Atlantic Dawn

I wouldn't touch a car with an aftermarket sunroof or aftermarket DVD headunits fitted in the roof, you can just see the amateurish fitting and complete non fitting in with the car, just looks rubbish. You either have the dollar to put it in when the car is new when the car is built or you don't.

Special Circumstances

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nope. They want both.
I've had both in my last 2 cars.

I have both. I use air con more often than the sunroof but the car wouldn't be the same without the sunroof. It extends back above the rear seats so it lights a lot of light into the car.

Sunroof open, rear windows down gets you a nice cooling breeze to the back of the neck and you get the sounds and smells of wherever you are driving. But icey cold auto aircon is nice too when the speed picks up.

Senecio

I wouldn't advise aftermarket, however the newer factory panoramic sun roofs are great. I have one in my current car (Yeti) and it makes the cabin feel bright and airy. I rarely open it, but I don't believe that's the primary point of the panoramic roof anymore.

_Brian

I have both air on and sunroof.
TBH the sunroof is rarely used and usually at request of the kids. When I'm using the jeep on my own I pull up the shade screen on the sunroof as it makes te jeep like a greenhouse.

colm_mcm

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Well their value fell faster than the bank shares when them monkeys started cutting the roof with the angle grinder and You tube video on their phone telling them how to fit a cheap tacky sunroof.

Eh, no. any of them that were traded back in sold on again no problem. The garage I was in used the same company over and over again.

I'm not sure you understand the range of aftermarket sunroofs out there, or the difference between a good or bad job. You have said earlier that you can't see the point of sunroof and aircon together.

Neilw

I would never buy a car with an aftermarket sunroof, looked at a couple of cars before and it was a no go as soon as I saw a glass hole in the roof.

If I was buying new, climate control and no sunroof for me please.

Toyotafanboi

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I have both. I use air con more often than the sunroof but the car wouldn't be the same without the sunroof. It extends back above the rear seats so it lights a lot of light into the car.

Sunroof open, rear windows down gets you a nice cooling breeze to the back of the neck and you get the sounds and smells of wherever you are driving. But icey cold auto aircon is nice too when the speed picks up.

I agree. When i was buying the celica, a sunroof was something i had to have in it, even though the celicas have climate control as standard.

Don't get me wrong, the climate control is great but the sunroof is a really nice.

In the coupe shape it makes the car feel much less claustrophobic having light from above.

If the car is parked up all day in direct sunlight you can leave the sunroof tilted up and the car stays much cooler inside, it's much safer than leaving a window cracked too.

And on evenings like yesterday evening, sliding the sunroof fully back and feeling the sun on head and back is lovely, accompanied by the fresh air breeze.

mickdw

colm_mcm wrote: »

Eh, no. any of them that were traded back in sold on again no problem. The garage I was in used the same company over and over again.

I'm not sure you understand the range of aftermarket sunroofs out there, or the difference between a good or bad job. You have said earlier that you can't see the point of sunroof and aircon together.

Are you talking about back in the 90's or something? I find this extraordinary tbh. That anyone would allow their new cars roof to be chopped, and a universal unit put in.
Genuinely, I would accept a brand new car with with the whole side repaired before I would have one of those roofs.

Voodoomelon

Thought I was misreading the title, never knew sunroofs could be retrofitted, seems bizarre.

Although if I knew it could be done properly, I would've done it on my E38 when I had it.

Sunroof makes all the difference, wouldn't be without one now. Makes the cabin so light and airy.

JoeA3

Might have been the done thing in the '80's and '90's but I'd be amazed if this is common practice today. You'd want to be off your bloody rocker IMO to retrofit a sunroof to a new car.

At least naff universal seat covers, mudflaps and halfords stick ons can be easily undone!

Tails142

Would definetly put me off buying a car unless it was just some junker jeep/van I didn't care about the look of.

How would it match the curve of the roof, I would be worried about wind noise, not to mention leaks. No way

Gumbo

JoeA3 wrote: »

Might have been the done thing in the '80's and '90's but I'd be amazed if this is common practice today. You'd want to be off your bloody rocker IMO to retrofit a sunroof to a new car.

At least naff universal seat covers, mudflaps and halfords stick ons can be easily undone!

I urge you to go over to that factory I posted about earlier in the thread and watch the amount of cars going in and out with new sunroofs. It's a lot more common that people on here think.

Hachiko

The only people who would fit a universal fit sunroof to a car, be it Audi, BMW, Lexus or Fiat is people who couldn't give a flying f**k about cars and probably get daysul for saving on cheaaaap tax too. One sure way to devalue a car, I cant see the logic behind it.

mickdw

kceire wrote: »

I urge you to go over to that factory I posted about earlier in the thread and watch the amount of cars going in and out with new sunroofs. It's a lot more common that people on here think.

I'd love to see a step by step photo guide of one being fitted. Given that they have to cut the roof, how do they treat the raw edges in terms of rust proofing. How do they make a universal setup tie in structurally with the roof. How do they match the shape of the roof?

Gumbo

Hachiko wrote: »

The only people who would fit a universal fit sunroof to a car, be it Audi, BMW, Lexus or Fiat is people who couldn't give a flying f**k about cars and probably get daysul for saving on cheaaaap tax too. One sure way to devalue a car, I cant see the logic behind it.

No, that generalisation doesn't always work as I've seen people who are big into their cars and would be fussy about what is done to their cars get them done.

As another poster said above, horses for courses and all that. I would look down my nose at somebody that done it, just as much as I wouldn't look up my nose if I got one done. Most recent car I seen one done was an E60 530i.

mickdw wrote: »

I'd love to see a step by step photo guide of one being fitted. Given that they have to cut the roof, how do they treat the raw edges in terms of rust proofing. How do they make a universal setup tie in structurally with the roof. How do they match the shape of the roof?

I wouldn't mind seeing it myself but they come with 3 years parts and labour warranty afaik, well the ones I seen anyway. I used to bear of cartronics doing them everyday of the week too when he was around.

I'd love to see if they actually cut through any structural members of the roof in the first place though.

frozenfrozen

thinking of getting a sunroof fitted to my convertible

Del2005

frozenfrozen wrote: »

thinking of getting a sunroof fitted to my convertible

I've a stanley;)

Gumbo

frozenfrozen wrote: »

thinking of getting a sunroof fitted to my convertible

Don't do it. I got a sunroof fitted, you can have my off cut and use it as a sun visor!!!

Tony Beetroot

colm_mcm wrote: »

Eh, no. any of them that were traded back in sold on again no problem. The garage I was in used the same company over and over again.

After the first owner taking a huge hit of course.

I'm not sure you understand the range of aftermarket sunroofs out there, or the difference between a good or bad job.

Sugar coat it all you want an aftermarket sun roof is a bosh.

Henry Ford III

1/. C.C.
2/. A/C
3/. Factory sunroof
4/. After market sunroof
5/. 2/40 A/C*

1/. and 2/. are similar.
3/. is better than 4/.
5/. is as good as 3/. or 4/.

* 2/40 A/C means drive with 2 windows open and don't go under 40mph.

ianobrien

I once called to an acquaintance of mine to get a Parrott installed as he did car audio and sunroofs. He was fitting a sunroof into a new Lexus. I saw the "kit" he was using and it contained Lexus stuff. I think the whole kit might have been Lexus but I'm not too sure.

mickdw

ianobrien wrote: »

I once called to an acquaintance of mine to get a Parrott installed as he did car audio and sunroofs. He was fitting a sunroof into a new Lexus. I saw the "kit" he was using and it contained Lexus stuff. I think the whole kit might have been Lexus but I'm not too sure.

A factory kit would be reasonable but workmanship would still be critical however at least you would know that the manufacturer had built the car to take the sunroof and that it would actually fit the car, be the correct curve and integrate fully with car electrics. Does this full kit exist?