Since I have nothing better to do right now than obsess about what I'm going to put on my car when I finally get it, I'm contemplating a roof graphic.

For those of you who have a perforated roof graphic over your sunroof, does it offer any heat protection? Or would it be better to go for tint on the sunroof? FWIW, I live in San Francisco, where the mercury hits 70 and people complain about it being too hot, so it's not like I'm in south Florida or anything. But I do have the anthracite headliner and black leather interior, so I anticipate that it could get toasty inside.

Pros: roof graphic - purdy! tinted sunroof - subtle
Cons: roof graphic - probably more $$ than the tint
tint - "boring"

 

I have a perforated roof graphic (from Aesthetic Creations) and it does make a big difference in heat. I live in Utah where the sun is very bright and it gets pretty hot in the summer (occasionally over 100). I do have tinted windows also, and the combination keeps the MINI pretty comfortable.

 

Same here, except for the Utah part. I was originally going to go tint but none of the installers around here would do it. I was lucky to find a graphic that I really liked though, grey scale UJ from AE. The tinted windows just by themself made a huge difference. The perforated sunroof graphic really helps to cut down on the sun baking your head and adds character to boot.

 

So what roof graphics do you have, and are they whole roof, or just sunroof?

 

I have a whole roof graphic, with the sunroof being perforated. It may not get as hot as in the deep South, but it can get blisteringly hot here in July.
I think it makes a big difference because there's more vinyl than holes in the perfed part. The perorations don't detract anything from a full roof graphic, cuz you can't really see them til you get up close to the car.
Tinting the sunroof maybe less expensive, but it won't look as good as graphics.
Look at Cooper Flags' designs, that's who I used.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

If your ultimate goal is to block the sun and heat, use a piece of cardboard between the net mesh and the glass. That's what I do. 100% heat and light blockage and it's free too.

 

Thats why i ordered my new one without

 

But we want our Minis to look cool! It's a travesty to use a piece of cardboard! I'm going to probably have mine tinted when it arrives from the factory.

 

I have a perforated UJ from Aesthetic Creations. It is just on the sunroof. My car is space blue and Mike matched the blue so it looks nice on just the sunroof.

 

Would you happen to have a photo of your UJ graphic? I'm waiting on my Laser Blue MCS and want to get a graphic to block some of the heat as well and was thinking about doing the same thing? Thanks.

 

I'm at work right now, so can't get to it. I'll post a pic sometime tonight.

 

I was a little too quick with the last reply. I do have one photo here at work. It doesn't show the roof too well, but it may help. Also not my current look since the white stripes have since been changed to red with side pins.

 

Is it the photo in your gallery? I can't really see the roof graphic from that angle but its a great shot!

I guess my question is did they do a good job matching the blue up with your car and is the cost to customize a roof graphic much higher than the 'standard' graphics available?

How long has it been on your car and is it holding up well?

I had called/sent email to Cooper Flags and haven't heard back but haven't contacted Aesthetic Creations yet.

Sorry for all the questions!

 

I went with a solid roof graphic. I don't really miss looking out and it made a huge difference with the summer heat. I know you're looking to go perforated, but I figure the solid graphic will last longer. Just my 2 cents.

 

How does the solid graphic affect the light coming into the car? That's one of the reasons I'm getting the sunroof - for more light inside.

 

Pretty much blocks it. So probably not what you're after. I was thinking I would miss the extra light, but roof graphic shows through, as it would with a perforated as well, and adds some bling to the inside too.

 

I have a tinted sunroof, and a roof graphic. My roof graphic is not perforated and it does not cover the entire glass surface. I find that I actually like the design, and while I don't think that it actually does anything to cut the heat in the interior of the car, the tinting does loads for reducing glare from the sun, and this particular roof graphic seems to block the worst of sunlight where I need it to, while still giving you the benefits of having a sunroof.

Here's an exterior pic of my graphic.

 

Yes, it's the one picture in my gallery. Mike did an excellent job in matching the blue. I don't remember how much he charged for the color matching. It was around $40. Give him a call and let him know what you're looking for. He is good to work with.

I can't really comment on how it's holding up yet since it's only been on since AVMIV in March. No signs of wear or fading yet, but it's only been 5 months. Others have told me that a perforated roof will last anywhere from 2 to 4 years. Depends on how much it's out and exposed to the sun.

 

Thanks for the info. I will give them a call. Your MINI looks great by the way!

 

Hey, that looks awfully familiar .

 

It's the official MINI black jack graphic. I didn't mean to make it sound like it was more than it was in my original post, I was just trying to explain why I liked it over the others that I've seen used and why I liked the tinting...

btw, Ferris and Viola have a lot in common. I'll PM you.

 

I have a 2003 I went with the whole roof graphic with no holes. I was going to do it with holes but the guy that put my graphic on said that the one with no holes would last longer. I am in west texas where we are in the 90's just about all summer and the graphic cut down on tons of heat. I went with the whole roof because I like the way you can see the graphic from a side view of the car not just standing over it. You talk about looks you will get tons of looks.