Are you planning to install a sunroof on your car and you wonder how much is sunroof installation? Well, if that is the case and you are in this situation, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic.
- Sunroof?
- Types
- Pros & Cons
- Versus A Moonroof
- Installation Difficulty
- How To Install?
- Cost
- Conclusion
- F.A.Q
Doing aftermarket mods on your car can sometimes be rather difficult. Especially if we are talking about non-factory options like installing a sunroof or a moonroof and this option was not included with the car.
This is why you need to get familiar with the costs and also the work involved in this type of mod. Because we can tell you right off the bat that it is not something really simple to do. This is why proper research and also attaining proper knowledge are needed before you decide to do something on your own. But you shouldn’t worry because we are going to help you out when it comes to mods like this one.
First, we are going to learn what is a sunroof and why sunroofs are falling a bit out of favor lately when it comes to new cars. Then we will cover the pros and cons of running a sunroof and we will cover the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof because it is really important for you to know.
Then we will cover how difficult or easy is to install a sunroof and all the parts that you will need to get this work done. Lastly, we will cover how much is sunroof installation. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.
What Is A Sunroof (And How Much Is Sunroof Installation)
Now before we dive into how much is sunroof installation, let’s first take a look at what is sunroof in general. Knowing the basics is beneficial for people who aren’t familiar with it and want to learn more about the basics when it comes to these components. So, let’s cover them briefly before we dive into more complex topics and learn about how much is sunroof installation.
So, what is a sunroof? Well, we can say that a sunroof is a movable panel installed on the roof of the vehicle.
This movable panel opens and allows light and fresh air to enter the vehicle allowing the driver to enjoy driving and improve their driving experience while maneuvering the vehicle on a hot summer day.
What is worth noting is that sunroofs can be of two types. A glass sunroof is a glass panel that opens and closes. And also a steel panel that opens and closes. Usually, older vehicles that implemented the first sunroof were steel panels that opened and closed. So, the sunlight gets into the vehicle. Nowadays 100% of these new designs are made out of glass. But more on the types, we are going to elaborate on in the following chapter.
The important thing to know is that till recently, this was only a luxury feature that was used predominantly by people who were extremely wealthy. But nowadays you can find a sunroof car for almost the same price as the standard version. But how much is a sunroof installation? Well, more on that we are going to cover in a bit. Let’s first discuss the types of sunroofs that are out there.
Types Of Sunroof
Now before we dive into how much is sunroof installation, let’s take a look at the different types of sunroofs that are out there. As you probably know, there are a lot of varieties of these designs that exist on the market and many designers have heavily experimented with their approach when it comes to sunroofs.
The first type of sunroof that was invented was the folding sunroof. The folding sunroof was basically a big cloth material that was moved back and forth. You can notice these sunroofs on older generation vehicles like the VW Beetle.
Then there was the pop-up sunroof. The pop-up sunroof was the aftermarket version of the sunroof. This glass is an aftermarket design, or rather said an afterthought. So, it can be lifted up from both ends and can be tilted depending on the people’s liking.
The next type of sunroof is the spoiler sunroof. There are aftermarket sunroofs that slide from the outer side.
The inbuilt system is the one that you will most often see on vehicles from the early 90s and 2000s. When it comes to this type of roof, there are two designs. A metal design includes a piece that sits flush with the roof skin. As well as a single glass piece design that moves back and forth, the glass type greatly replaced the old-school metal top.
And the last type of sunroof that we are going to cover before we dive into how much is sunroof installation is the removable sunroof. This type of sunroof has two basic designs. It is either a single-piece Targa sunroof like we can see in many Porsches. Or it is a T-top sunroof, like in the Trans Am or the Camaro.
Why Sunroofs Are Falling Out Of Favor
Now let’s cover another interesting topic before we dive into how much is sunroof installation and that is the topic of why sunroofs are slowly but surely falling out of favor. Why is this the case? Let’s elaborate.
As we noted previously, a sunroof is usually a design that implements a metal panel. That slides to open and close. Even though this design was replaced by a full glass design.
What is important is that this type of roof usually uncovers a small amount of the roof and the amount of sunlight that enters the cabin is pretty much limited to the size of this sunroof. And the size is usually rather small.
This is why a new design has popped out in recent years that is known as a moonroof. And this design has practically replaced the sunroof completely. But what are the key differences between the sunroof and moonroof?
Well, more about this we are going to cover later on in the article. The important thing to know is that moonroofs are rather popular nowadays and are getting more and more traction. Not to forget that they are also getting a lot cheaper, bringing the price of sunroof-equipped cars almost to the same level as the standard no-sunroof cars. But how much is a sunroof installation?
Well, more about that we are going to cover in the following two chapters and learn about the positives and negatives of having an option like this in your vehicle. Later on, we will cover the installation process and discuss more about the prices that are involved in this type of work.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: Pros & Cons
Another topic that we would like to discuss before we start digging into how much is sunroof installation is the pros and cons of having a sunroof in your vehicle.
As with everything out there, there are positives and also there are negatives. So, it is really important for you to know both aspects before you make a decision about whether or not to install a sunroof on your car. So, let’s cover the pros real quick and learn more about them.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: Pros
Now before we start discussing how much is sunroof installation, let’s take a look at the pros of having a sunroof in a car. As we mentioned previously, everything has its pros and cons. And so is the case with the sunroof. Luckily, the pros outweigh the cons in our opinion. But you will still need to estimate that for yourself.
Nevertheless, the biggest pro of having a sunroof is the ability to add light to the cabin. Light is the thing that makes us happy. Mainly because in light there is a big amount of Vitamin D. Which is absorbed by our skin and this vitamin boosts our dopamine levels which affect our mood in a positive manner. Which is rather good if you are asking me.
There is nothing better than a sunny day with the sunroof on, allowing light to enter the cabin. Personally, I enjoy driving my car with the sunroof on.
The second pro when it comes to having a sunroof is probably the ability to open the sunroof and allow more air to get inside the car.
Not everybody loves to turn on the AC system all day and sit like in a fridge. Some of us, including me, are more into a fresh breeze of air. So, instead of cracking open your windows, you can just open the sunroof and allow air to enter the cabin and make your day even better.
There are a lot of other benefits of having this type of roof on your car. But now let’s move on to the cons of having a sunroof on the car before we dive into how much is sunroof installation because cons are also quite important when it comes to installing a mod like this that costs a good penny, to be honest.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: Cons
Now before we start covering more about how much is sunroof installation, let’s take a look at the cons of having a sunroof on your car. As with everything in life, even sunroofs have some cons and these cons are worth mentioning. Since installing a sunroof isn’t cheap and could cost you a good penny.
The biggest con of these sunroofs is that they tend to leak. If you didn’t know, there are rubber seals that are installed on the outer edge of the sunroof. This rubber gets old over time and as we all know, rubber tends to get hard and crack. The older the car gets the bigger the chance for leaks to develop and ruin your interior.
The second problem with sunroofs, especially automatic sunroofs is the problem with the electric motor. The electric motor is the one that is in charge of controlling the panel on the roof that opens and closes.
Sometimes the electric motor mechanism can fail and then your sunroof could stay open. This often happens on cars that are more than 20 years old but it can happen on new models as well.
And the last con that we are going to cover is the inability to block the sun. Even though we love the sun, too much sun sometimes can be a headache, and I mean literally. A ton of modern cars are only including a sunroof design that does not block the sun but you have a tinted glass on top of you. And this tint frankly isn’t enough to stop all the sunbeams. But how much is sunroof installation? More on that we are going to cover in a bit.
Moonroof VS Sunroof
Now before we dive into how much is sunroof installation, let’s cover another topic that bothers a ton of people. And that is the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof.
People are often very confused by these two terms and most people use them interchangeably because they don’t actually know the difference between these two components. This is why we think that it is really useful to explain to you what is the difference between these two components to help you understand them better.
Sunroof
So, let’s start with the sunroof before we dive into how much is sunroof installation. The sunroof as you probably know is a roof window.
This type of sunroof is often found on older vehicles that have a panel that is connected to an electric motor and with the press of a button the roof opens up allowing fresh air to get into. This panel can be made out of metal or, in some cars, it can be made out of glass. The glass design is far more frequent on newer vehicles.
So, this is a sunroof. But what is a moonroof? What makes a moonroof more different than a sunroof? Let’s elaborate more on that in the following chapter.
Moonroof
Now let’s elaborate more on the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof and learn how these two differentiate before we dive into how much is sunroof installation.
So, what makes a moonroof? Well, let’s start first with the origin of this word. The word moonroof was used first by Ford, to market the roof they installed on the Lincoln Continental Mark IV in 1973. What was different about this moonroof is that it was bigger and it was a single-piece glass design. Allowing more light to enter the cabin.
Nowadays almost all sunroofs are marketed as moonroofs. It doesn’t matter the design. All companies will say that their car has a moonroof. The bigger the moonroof the bigger the marketing value of the car. Since a lot of people are into moonroofs and some of the most expensive vehicles are packing extremely large pieces of glass that open and close known as panoramic moonroofs. Inside is like you are basically directly under the sky.
Even though, too much glass is something that you probably don’t like. Since glass is glass and glass breaks. The bigger the panel, the bigger the chance to break during an accident and you will end up paying thousands of dollars on replacing one. But how much is a sunroof installation? Well, more on that, we are going to cover later in the article, now let’s discuss more about the difficulty of installing a sunroof.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: How Difficult Is It
Another topic that we would like to cover before we dive into how much is sunroof installation is the difficulty of installing a sunroof like this.
Back in the day, there was a whole aftermarket for these types of mods and a lot of companies were offering full kits for pop-up sunroofs ready for installation. Still, there are some companies that make them. And we will leave a link to check them out.
What is important is that nowadays it is rather difficult to find a kit that will fit your car well. So, when it comes to installing one, you most definitely will need to scavenge a car from the junkyard and rip off the components from it and then transfer them to your car.
And this will include the roof skin, mechanism, and all of the components that are involved in this system. Something that can be a rather difficult thing to do.
So, this makes the difficulty of the job a lot hard and you will definitely have a hard time as a novice mechanic doing all these things and creating a good result in the process. But what about the installation process? Well, more on that we are going to cover next before we dive into how much is sunroof installation.
Sunroof Installation
When it comes to how to add a sunroof to a car, your best bet would be to find a mechanism for your car and cut the roof accordingly.
Then place the metal piece on the mechanism and make this work.
Another option is to find an aftermarket pop-up sunroof kit or universal sunroofs kits like the one in this video that a guy is installing on the Dodge Charger.
Either way, both of these installations are rather tedious and can cost a good penny to install. But how much is sunroof installation? Well, more on that we are going to cover next.
How Much Is A Sunroof Installation
Now let’s get to business and learn more about the sunroof installation cost. Or in other words how much is a sunroof installation? And we can tell you that it ain’t cheap.
If you want to do this as a factory option with all the bells and whistles you will have to get a ton of parts. Including the roof skin, the glass, the motor, and all the electronics. This could cost thousands of dollars to do.
On the other hand, if you can get an aftermarket kit for a pop-up sunroof. You might be paying in the range of $700 to $1,000 for the parts and labor. But these kits are getting more and more difficult to come by and you will probably have to order one from China. The only one we found was on Alibaba for $450.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: Glass Replacement
So, we learned how much is sunroof installation. But what about the sunroof glass replacement? How much money can you expect to pay for a new glass if for some cause the glass on your sunroof broke?
Well, used glass is not expensive. You can scavenge one from a junkyard or find one on eBay for $200 to $500 depending on the make and model.
Also, if it’s a new vehicle, you can expect this to cost you a lot more since you will have to purchase everything through the dealership.
How Much Is Sunroof Installation: In Conclusion…
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to the topic of the sunroof. First, we learned what is a sunroof and what are the pros and cons of running one.
Then we covered the differences between a sunroof and a moon roof. After that, we learned more about the difficulty when it comes to installing one and also how much is sunroof installation.
F.A.Qs On How Much Is Sunroof Installation
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
What Is A Moon Roof
A moon roof is a type of sunroof that is installed on modern vehicles. Basically, all modern vehicles are running moonroofs. These types of sunroofs are purely made out of glass and are electrically operated.
What’s The Difference Between A Sunroof And A Moonroof
The sunroof was a term used in the past, indicating a roof that was electronically operated but didn’t have glass. But what was happening was the steel panel was sliding back and forth to allow air to get in. Moonroof, on the other hand, is the same deal but only with a glass panel instead of a solid piece of metal.
Does A Moonroof Open
Moonroofs open at the press of a button. It really depends on the type, whether it is a standard or a panoramic moonroof. But almost all are operable and able to be opened.
Can You Add A Sunroof To A Car
Yes, you can add an aftermarket pop-up sunroof. But finding one can be a challenge. If you can find a company that can sell you one for a good deal. It will be a really worthy addition to your vehicle.
How Much To Install Sun Roof
Ordering a sunroof online can be done for $450 minus shipping costs. Also, the installation can cost you about $500. So, for $1,000 you can get a pop-up sunroof.
How To Install A Sunroof
In order to install a pop-up sunroof, the first thing you will need to do is to cut the roof accordingly. Then cut the headliner and install the rubber seal on the metal edge and then install the pop-up roof.
