sun roof

[PL ENDO]

so on monday im dropping the speed of at the dealership for them to ship it to a shop to install a sunroof. anyone got a sunroof on their speed3??

[Mizzle]

Bullshit.

[zmarko]

I'm getting T-Tops put in on mine next week. :mullet:

[Spoofmastafly]

Waste of money.

[I_Heart_Haters]

to each is their own. i wish mazda put in a sunroof. its nice to have, but not a necessity.

car without sunroof = racecar






whats racecar spelled backwards?

racecar...

[Dmurray06]

Originally Posted by I_Heart_Haters to each is their own. i wish mazda put in a sunroof. its nice to have, but not a necessity. car without sunroof = racecar whats racecar spelled backwards? racecar...

You just blew my mind.

[Chimmike]

uh....no sunroof because stiffer chassis without it.

congrats, you weakened the car a bit!

[Mizzle]

Troll.

[CaptObvious75]

i wouldn't do it, but to each their own

[dantes5823]

In before my sunroof leaks now.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[Vansquish]

Aftermarket sunroof = recipe for leaking.

[ms3rick]

... Rice


Sent from my dizzLe using RaWr powers!

[texasboy21]

It would be nice to have from the factory, but aftermarket installs are notorious for leaking. Why hack into a perfectly good pu?

[ahfunaki]

I'm heading down to get one of these installed next week...

[Mortose]

InB4 Mazdaspeed3 ute

[Darth_Nuruodo]

I think I saw someone on youtube had one installed on a ms3. Probably an m247 member, that's not the type of mod you'll find here too much.

tapatatapa... DROID 2 Global... etc etc

[dbrier]

I like the idea of a sunroof, don't let all the haters get you down.
There is no structure in the roof area that will make it weaker, if anything a sunroof brings it's own bracing and will connect the roof better. Some cars have a large structure connecting the B pillars, but the Mazda3 is not one of them.
The worst thing about a sunroof is the extra weight. The MS3 is already overweight, so an extra 30 lbs or so won't really matter.
Some of the installs offer lifetime leak guarantees too.

[ThizSpeed3]

i have a daily with a sunroof and i never use it

[Dr. Speed]

My last car had a sunroof and I used it like 4 times in 3 years. Not worth it IMO.

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by dbrier I like the idea of a sunroof, don't let all the haters get you down. There is no structure in the roof area that will make it weaker, if anything a sunroof brings it's own bracing and will connect the roof better. Some cars have a large structure connecting the B pillars, but the Mazda3 is not one of them. The worst thing about a sunroof is the extra weight. The MS3 is already overweight, so an extra 30 lbs or so won't really matter. Some of the installs offer lifetime leak guarantees too.

Actually (at least with the Gen Won), there are extra roof braces connecting the two sides of the car (at the B pillar and elsewhere) that the regular 3 doesn't have.





That's why the MS3 isn't offered with a sunroof/moonroof from the factory like the regular 3 is.

Regardless, you're probably right about the fact that you're most likely creating an even larger detriment when it comes to the added weight at the worst possible place for it to go (in terms of how it affects handling/chassis dynamics): the roof.

[dbrier]

I'd like to see the bare roof of the 3 and MS3 to see the difference.
It's hard to tell in that photo how strong those braces are. In many cars they are just keep the roof panel from bowing in the wind or a car wash.

I believe the lack of a sunroof is more about pricing, marketing and weight, not structure.

[Raider]

Those crossbeams are useless. I remember when the guy on m3f got it 6 years ago he was chastised. 2 years ago, still no problems.


And look what worked in a rollover....
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1347206540.765917.jpg

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by Raider Those crossbeams are useless. I remember when the guy on m3f got it 6 years ago he was chastised. 2 years ago, still no problems. And look what worked in a rollover.... Attachment 73112

It's not a fucking roll-cage...they're braces. If you don't think they reduce chassis flex/twist, I don't know what to tell you. They aren't meant to hold up the weight of the car in a roll-over...

Originally Posted by dbrier I'd like to see the bare roof of the 3 and MS3 to see the difference. It's hard to tell in that photo how strong those braces are. In many cars they are just keep the roof panel from bowing in the wind or a car wash. I believe the lack of a sunroof is more about pricing, marketing and weight, not structure.

Again, go back and read all of the automotive press from the original MS3's launch.

There was specific mention of the fact that a sunroof/moonroof was not offered because of the added structural bracing in the roof of the MS3 (vs. the regular 3).

[timjs]

Aftermarket sunroofs are garbage. I've seen my share of cars with aftermarket sunroofs come through the shop and they never look good. What I mean is, they don't look OEM, it looks like some JDM MADMODZ bullshit.

I'm glad my MS6 has a factory sunroof. I use it all the time. Even in the rain.

[anavrinIV]

I'm 6'3 with short legs. I hate sunroofs with a passion..

[Raider]

Being held on with glue, I don't put much stock in them being needed. Regular 3's have em removed for sunroofs no problems. Modern moonroofs are equivalent to oem in quality.

Removing the braces for a moonroof will not hurt the ms3.

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by anavrinIV I'm 6'3 with short legs. I hate sunroofs with a passion..

So are you like Cotton on King of the Hill? All torso, chest and long ass arms that drag on the ground?

Originally Posted by Raider Being held on with glue, I don't put much stock in them being needed. Regular 3's have em removed for sunroofs no problems. Modern moonroofs are equivalent to oem in quality. Removing the braces for a moonroof will not hurt the ms3.

they look like they're bolted in at either end. The glue is to support the roof structure and prevent shear, has nothing to do with rigidity.

Lateral braces bolted on either side, on a roof structure, do significantly aid rigidity, as little as you think it may. Why do you think convertibles get such a bad rap with rigidity? No roof structure to tie it all in. If you can stiffen the roof structure but keep weight low, that's optimal....and that's usually done via multi-point roll cage which also helps keep c of g low.

[Nliiitend1]

They're actually welded to the roof rails on either end, but @chimmike has the right idea.

These things are not decoration, and removing them and putting in a sunroof/moonroof will likely reduce structural integrity and definitely raise the car's center of gravity. Will it reduce rigidity and raise the COG enough for it to matter to the kind of person that puts an aftermarket sunroof/moonroof in an MS3? Probably not, but I sure as Hell wouldn't do it.

[anavrinIV]

Originally Posted by chimmike So are you like Cotton on King of the Hill? All torso, chest and long ass arms that drag on the ground?

almost. 32" legs...you do the math. torso of someone ~6'7. fuck anything that impedes headroom. I used to drive an altima around with a sunroof and I had less than 1/2" between head and roof. with the speed I drop the seat and have 3"+ which I love.

[Ryguy]

The braces are there to support the roof sheet metal from bending under flex because nobody wants a roof with a bunch of waves in it. They do contribute slightly to lateral stiffness but mostly id worry about the thin ass roof skin deforming.

[Dash08]

This thread is funny.

There's a couple guys in here who have a basic understanding of how monocoque chassis work in a high performance car.

The rest of you may as well be flinging shit at one another.

And, stop saying the roof braces only keep the roof from flexing. This isn't a 1985 dodge van. Those braces are an integral part of the entire chassis. If you fuck with one, it affects the entire car.

[Raider]

Sunroof installed in my mazdaspeed 3 !!! WOOHOO! 56k be warned... - Mazda3Forums.com

After 5 years, I pmd him and he advised no leaks, no problems when I pm'd.
@manelscout4life, do you have a sunroof? I see the user there has it.


and OMG, m3f went vbulletin.

[Dash08]

Originally Posted by Raider Sunroof installed in my mazdaspeed 3 !!! WOOHOO! 56k be warned... - Mazda3Forums.com After 5 years, I pmd him and he advised no leaks, no problems when I pm'd. @manelscout4life, do you have a sunroof? I see the user there has it. and OMG, m3f went vbulletin.

I guarantee you that asshole has no idea what is going on with his chassis as a result of this.

Some guy who had it done claiming there's no ill effects means jack shit to me unless he's knowledgeable about monocoque chassis in the first place.

You can't just take some idiot's word for it. Do you honestly think he noticed that his rear tire doesn't lift as much as it used to when entering a driveway at an angle??

No. He doesn't have a clue it's happening at all. He thinks everything is fine. And, in his case, everything will be fine until he either gets in an accident or pushes the car too hard the wrong way.

Then, of course, it's too late.

[GODspeed7]

So you are saying if I cut the roof supports out and possibly notch the frame as well, I can get the car to pivot or twist in the middle and maintain all 4 tire contact on uneven surfaces??? Why hasnt anyone ever mentioned this sooner?!?!
In for MS3 rock crawler...

probably sent from a freight train at work

[Dash08]

Originally Posted by GODspeed7 So you are saying if I cut the roof supports out and possibly notch the frame as well, I can get the car to pivot or twist in the middle and maintain all 4 tire contact on uneven surfaces??? Why hasnt anyone ever mentioned this sooner?!?! In for MS3 rock crawler... probably sent from a freight train at work

Technically, yes. But, you'd only make it over 1 rock before the whole car was useless.

[Raider]

Originally Posted by Dash08 I guarantee you that asshole has no idea what is going on with his chassis as a result of this. Some guy who had it done claiming there's no ill effects means jack shit to me unless he's knowledgeable about monocoque chassis in the first place. You can't just take some idiot's word for it. Do you honestly think he noticed that his rear tire doesn't lift as much as it used to when entering a driveway at an angle?? No. He doesn't have a clue it's happening at all. He thinks everything is fine. And, in his case, everything will be fine until he either gets in an accident or pushes the car too hard the wrong way. Then, of course, it's too late.

Then explain how the regular 3 with a sunroof added factory has no roof supports, and is fine. That is the difference. This is a repost thread from somewhere, as it was researched in-depth, with pics and chassis comparisons between the 3 hatch with mooroof and not, and the difference was the 2 crossbars were removed.

After years and tens of thousands of miles without a leak or other ill effect, it is safe to say adding a moonroof to the MS3 is safe.

[Nliiitend1]

Safe? Yes. I don't think most of us are really arguing otherwise...

An improvement?

Well, that depends largely on one's perspective.

It does not improve the car's chassis dynamics.

It does improve its ability to throw fresh air into the cabin, as well as increase the amount of light that is thrown into the car.

It also increases the likelihood that the roof will one day leak (a factor that depends largely on the quality of the components and install).

[jimmy]

I had an aftermarket sun roof on my gen one mz3, and it never leaked in the 4 years of ownership. It was noisy at 80+ though. It was great for nice days, and such, but I rarely used it. You can get them with pretty decent features too. Mine closed automatically when you shut the car off.

[i8urgti]

Originally Posted by Nliiitend1 Safe? Yes. I don't think most of us are really arguing otherwise... An improvement? Well, that depends largely on one's perspective. It does not improve the car's chassis dynamics. It does improve its ability to throw fresh air into the cabin, as well as increase the amount of light that is thrown into the car. It also increases the likelihood that the roof will one day leak (a factor that depends largely on the quality of the components and install).

most valid post of the thread. something tells me the op wont be tracking the car so any ill effects of the chassis wont be noticeable.

[dbrier]

How do you guys think sunroofs are installed? They add new braces for the sunroof that connect the side rails. It isn't just hanging on the sheet metal roof.
If I cut out one small cross brace and add a a box frame (2 cross braces) did you really weaken the car?

The only real issue is weight.