If your car was manufactured without a sunroof, it may still be possible to have one installed at a later time. Having a sunroof installed aftermarket is an intricate procedure that should only be attempted by a professional.
When a sunroof is installed after the vehicle has been built, there are significant changes in store for your car, including cutting, reinforcement, sealing, as well as wiring and accessory changes. Some vehicles may not be suited to an aftermarket sunroof installation based on the vehicle design. Step 1: Assess any roof-mounted accessories on your car. Accessories that are mounted to the roof will likely need to be relocated. If, for example, there is an antenna mounted on the roof above the driver and front passenger area, it will need to be relocated if a sunroof is going to be installed.
Step 2: Assess interior space. Ensure that the space inside the vehicle is sufficient for a sunroof. The typical sunroof glass is roughly 18 inches wide. Allow an extra 3 inches for hardware and installation materials around the sunroof, so if there is a roof-mounted DVD player or overhead storage bins, measure to determine that there is enough room.
Step 3: Check availability for sunroofs on your car. Check an online configurator to determine if sunroofs are manufactured for your specific vehicle. Look on sunroof manufacturer websites such as Webasto to see if a sunroof is listed for your vehicle. Step 4: Search for local installers. Perform a web search for sunroof installers in your city. Step 5: Reach out to local installers. Contact local sunroof installers to find out if they can install a sunroof in your vehicle. Not every sunroof style can be used on every vehicle, and these will vary in versatility and price.
Step 1: Determine the type of sunroof you want. There are three main styles of sunroofs available for aftermarket installation from which you can choose.. Step 2: Consider how much you want to spend. Determine how much you want to invest in a sunroof installation for your vehicle. Step 3: Determine which style your vehicle can accept. Step 4: Decide on a sunshade style. Your vehicle may be able to accept a variety of different sunroof styles, and there may be different sunshade styles available for each type of sunroof.
Step 1: Reach out to local body shops. However, an aftermarket part, on the other hand, will not be developed to satisfy the requirements of a factory setup. If going for an aftermarket sunroof, be sure the specialist, at least, provides a service warranty for as much as 3 years to protect your financial investment. In this manner, you will know the product and service are of quality.
Your email address will not be published. Just how much does it cost to set up a sunroof in a vehicle? Pop-up Sunroof — This manually-operated, detachable sunroof is typically the most affordable alternative. Moonroof — A power-operated sunroof, with an internal moving glass panel that moves into the vehicle, in between the metal roofing and headliner.
This is the most typical kind of moonroof seen in vehicles. Panoramic — Either transparent or nontransparent and generally factory installed, a panoramic sunroof is a multi-panel sunroof that broadens farther than the conventional sunroof.
You will need to decide on a type of sunroof in order to establish the dimensions you want and the budget you have to work with. Pop up sunroofs are often the least expensive, while fully automatic sunroofs usually cost the most. Pop up sunroofs cannot slide open. Instead, the back of the sunroof pops up with a hinge on the front. Some sunroofs can be slide backward by hand without having to purchase an expensive electronic sunroof.
Electronic sunroofs use motors to open and close and can be purchased to slide open, pop open, or both. Measure the flat part of the roof of your vehicle. The size of the sunroof you can purchase depends on the amount of completely flat space on the roof of your vehicle.
Measure from left to right until the roof begins to curve down towards the windows, then measure from front to back in the same manner. Write down the dimensions of the flat area of you roof to help you choose a sunroof kit that would fit. Purchase a sunroof kit that would fit on your vehicle. Armed with the maximum dimensions for a sunroof your vehicle could support, go online and find a sunroof kit that combines the type of sunroof you want with the size you need to fit on your vehicle.
Choose a sunroof that is at least an inch smaller than the maximum dimensions to ensure you have no issues with fitment. Cover the top of your roof with masking tape. Masking tape will protect the paint on your roof from being damaged as you position the sunroof template over it and begin the drilling and cutting process.
The tape will keep the paint from cracking or tearing as you cut through it. This will prevent you from having to repaint the top of the vehicle upon the completion of the project.
Do not use duct tape or any other strong adhesive tape or it may leave a residue or damage the paint when removed. Place the sunroof template over the tape. The sunroof kit will come with a rubber template you can use to determine where exactly you want to have the sunroof positioned once installed. Center it on the roof on top of the masking tape. Measure the distance from the front, back and each side to ensure it is perfectly centered.
Depending on the size and style of your vehicle, you may want the sunroof closer to the front than the rear of the roof. Part 2. Use a razor blade to trace the template. With the rubber template in place, use a razor blade or exacto-knife to trace the template into the masking tape on your roof. Trace it slowly and carefully to ensure you create an exact outline of the template in the tape. You do not need to press the blade down hard enough to penetrate the paint through the tape.
Tracing with a blade instead of a pen will create a groove that will make it easier to cut along the line. Drill four holes in the roof. Use a 4 millimeter drill bit to drill four holes into the top of the roof. Make each hole about five inches from the corner of the sunroof outline along the traced line you already cut with the razor blade.
Be careful not to get the drill caught in the cloth headliner inside the vehicle. Remember that drilling holes through the roof is the point of no return. Once you drill the holes, the roof will leak unless you complete the installation of the sunroof. Pierce holes in the headliner using the supplied probe. The sunroof kit will come with a supplied 4 millimeter probe to use to penetrate the cloth headliner beneath the roof.
Press the probe down through the drilled holes and then through the headliner. These holes will serve as your guide when cutting the headliner in the next step. Be careful to pierce the headliner instead of tearing it. Cut a hole in the headliner. Use a sharp pair of scissors or a craft knife to cut the headliner inside the vehicle, using the four holes as a guide.
Be careful not to tear the headliner while doing so. Once there is a hole in the headliner, remove any sound proofing or insulation between where it was and the metal of the roof. You may need to use a razor blade to cut any sound proofing or insulation above the headliner as well.
Enlarge one of the four holes in the roof with a drill. Using a larger drill bit than previously used, enlarge one of the four holes in the roof enough to fit a sheet metal nibbler tool in. You may also use a rat-tail file to enlarge the hole.
Be careful to enlarge it without drilling or filing past the outside of the traced template for the sunroof, otherwise that portion will leak after the sunroof is installed. Do not drill or file past the traced outline of the sunroof.
0コメント