Hi all. I bought a wrecked mini and will be cutting roof off and replacing. I have been reading pages after pages on this site and came across the likes and dislikes..
Many dont like the sunroof because of rattles and wind noise..The car I bought had one.I started to think that if so many didnt like it maybe I should replace it with a plain roof.

What are your opinions. As for me It really doesn't matter much. I like the look of sunroofs but find them noisy when open at highway speeds or faster.. Thanks Jim

 

Very personal choice Jim. I don't like/want them. Wife does. Easy as pie to figure out for us....we needed 2 minis.

 

I like the looks and like it open at lower speeds.My concern is if it rattles or wind noise. Is this a common issue? I hate rattles..

 

I have owned to Coopers. I had the sun roof in both. I never noticed the a rattle from the roof, other places but not the roof. I autocross so there is the issue of having a lot of extra weight in the wrong place, but I like the light and the fresh air. There is a button on the MFSW takes good care of the most other unwanted noise issues.

 

I never noticed any kind of rattling with my sunroof. The only thing i'm not too pleased about is that on really hot days, it seems that it's impossible to cool off the car.. The cover is only mesh so even if it's closed, it doesn't keep out much heat

 

SpyCar520, thats a good point. thanks

 

Definitely Sunroof...wouldn't be caught without one!!

 

My sunroof doesn't rattle either. I have a perforated Union Jack on it, it cuts light transmission by 25%. The interior doesn't heat up much in the sun and if it does, I use the feature on the unlock button, push and hold the button for 4 seconds, and the windows rolls down and the sunroof vents.

Dave

 

Just wondering what kind of mini did you buy...and how much work are you gonna have to do on it. I assume since it was wrecked it was a good deal right? Just curious. My mini is a convert but I'd skip the sunroof I hate the wind noise they make and just generally find them to be pointless it's not the same as going topless. Also the point someone made about cooling the car is valid considering when it's really hot out the a/c is never quite satisifing.

 

if your cutting it off and replacing id go without it. then you dont have to wire the darn thing up either.

 

Two people have mentioned the heat load with the sun roof.
I find the sunroof helps cooling. When I unlock the car I open both windows and the sunroof and it cools down quickly. When the roof is cracked only a little while driving it allows the hot air to be drawn from the car taking some of the load off the AC unit.

When I gone for just a little while and know that it will not rain the roof is pulled mostly closed (covers the hole) but open on four sides. Even with the windows up the temp in the car is not much more than outside.


The best point in favor of not adding a sunroof is the comment about having to worry about wiring. For that mater if the original roof was badly damaged, I think doing with out would be best.

 

Ty. pics are in my gallery..

Wiring is not any problem. Car had one before. Unplug and replug and done No deal at all. If there is not much negatives as to noise I will probably put on a pan roof again. I have one located locally and waiting for me to get home in a week and check it out. they havent priced it yet but if it is ridiculous I will pass on theirs.I have been fixing cars for over 30 years. Have my own frame puller and tie-downs.I do this for my on kicks and money savings anymore tho. Am a machinist so I will see what I can do for a custom cup holder.

I already have planes to get rid of the hood stripes.I just dont care for them.Sorry guys but too common and crooked..just bothers me..Yes Im mental lol.

 

Ty. pics are in my gallery..

Wiring is not any problem. Car had one before. Unplug and replug and done No deal at all. If there is not much negatives as to noise I will probably put on a pan roof again. I have one located locally and waiting for me to get home in a week and check it out. they havent priced it yet but if it is ridiculous I will pass on theirs.I have been fixing cars for over 30 years. Have my own frame puller and tie-downs.I do this for my on kicks and money savings anymore tho. Am a machinist so I will see what I can do for a custom cup holder.

I already have plans to get rid of the hood stripes.I just dont care for them.Sorry guys but too common and crooked..just bothers me..Yes Im mental lol.

 

There is also an issue with some folks having the sunroof sticking in hot weather. I can't speak from experience as I passed on getting the sunroof. For me it was a matter of not wanting the extra weight and not wanting to spend the extra $1000 to get it.

 

I have a sun roof and do wish I had not ordered it with one only from the negative impact it has on the handling of the car . When I first bought the Mini I had not planned on getting quite so deep into the performance aspects of the car and now that 55 lbs ,in the worst place possible, is always in the back of my mind .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

My wife absolutely had to have a sunroof, and I didn't care for one (for the same weight reasons Randy and others have mentioned). So it's definitely subjective. I will say this though, when I'm riding as a passenger in my wife's MINI and she has the sunroof open on a nice sunny day, it's a pretty fun experience. But I plan on tracking mine occasionally so any little bit of weight reduction helps. Whatever the choice, it looks like you have your work cut out for you (pun intended).

 

Unless you really want a sunroof I would skip it why spend the extra money.

 

I have ALWAYS wanted a sunroof and I got one when I bought my new Clubbie -- I would never go back. As for the rattles, I have only had my car for the about a month, so I don't have any rattles yet -- from the sounds of it, most people don't complain about any rattles, but rather the heat, and there are multiple ways to make that a non-issue.

 

I am not a racer so I dont worry about every kajillionth of an ounce of weight in the wrong place. I love my sunroof. Light, venting, breeze, all of those great things sunroofa are good for are there, and its a biiig sunroof so, so much the better.

On a slight sidenote, when you reattach the new roof, assuming its a sunroof, will you be doing a straight plug-n-play, or will you just happen to be looking for a way to remove the computer module that controls the sunroof, iow, by-pass it? These cars have way too many stupid computers doing jobs they dont seem necessary for. Sunroof? Body control? wtf? (I miss my Rabbit and its simple hand-crank sunroof). I can see computers to manage an engine, but sunroofs? cah-mahahahahn!

 

It's very subjective, some people love them some hate them. I have had / have other cars with sunroofs and wouldn't buy a car without one. It was one of the MUST HAVE'S when I was looking for a MINI.

Issues Listed:
Weight: This is a nit unless you are hardcore racing. I've taken my '02 MCS to Watkins Glen and even with the sunroof it is the best handling car I've ever owned. That little extra weight in the roof isn't going to make it tip over in the twisties.

Rattles: My sunroof doesn't rattle, matter a fact nothing on my MINI rattles. Shocking!!!

Heat Load: With the windows cracked, the sunroof popped up and shade drawn the car stays preety cool and cools off quickly once you open it and start driving. There are times I leave the sunroof open and just pull the shade.

Noise: Under 50 mph running around town they are not noisy and very enjoyable . On the highway they are noisy but if that bothers you, just close it and turn on the air and it will be as quiet as a hardtop but you can enjoy open air at lower speeds when you want to. A sunroof can't be any noisier that convertables and I don't hear people complaining about them. By the way I have yet to have a car with a sunroof that wasn't noisy at high speeds when open, this isn't just a MINI thing.



'02 Liquid Yellow MCS

 

Decided on a sunroof. Picked it up today and will start fitting tomorrow...Thanks

 

Of course you'd pick the harder of the two to do.

 

I rarely use my sun roof, but here North of the 49th, summer only lasts 11 days anyways

 

Not really harder except for paint.Car had one before. I may drop the sunroof down out of roof so I can do a good job at painting it..Im kinda picky..

The roof was black but Im leaning to white just to keep it cooler inside.Black looks nice with the blackened sunroof glass but I am older and think too practical.lol.. We will see..Just as hard as buying a new one.

 

Obviously a matter of preference, but my MINI is the first time I've ever had a sunroof and I'd never buy a car without one ever again. While motoring in the summer sun is nice (if you can take the sun) what's even more awesome is cruising with it open to the starry summer night.

As for the rattles, I'm on year 3 and yeah, by then it does rattle some, mostly just when the roads are really bad, not on smooth paved jobs. But it's nothing like the cars of old, plus, it only rattles slightly when it's closed, not when vented or fully open.

As for the weight, that's a total non-factor for day to day driving.