Sunroof suggestions please.

[sami 13/60]

Hi Folks,

Our Herald 13/60 has a very tired headlining, and I was pondering on the idea of fitting a budget used sunroof from a small car of some sort as yet unknown.

Has anyone done this before?  If so does anyone have a recommendation as to what might fit? I'm guessing the relatively narrow centre section of a Herald may be problematic in finding a sunroof of the right width?

 I'm lucky enough to have a neighbour who is a fabricator and builds race cars, so fitting should be no problem.....and he even changes out roof panels on various small cars for some of his builds, so possibly a source of a sunroof if I'm lucky.

Alternatively I was wondering about finding a complete saloon roof with a Webasto already fitted, but I'm guessing this would be hard to find, and not a cheap option!

Any thoughts anyone please?

Samantha.

[Guest]

Hello Samantha.

I cannot recall 100% but I think fitting an aftermarket sunroof on a Herald / Vitesse may alter the integrity / strength of the hardtop; which the car body relies on.

However if your chum is a fabricator it is very likely that will be an issue he can overcome.

Mentioned in passing and I am sure another Forum user will be able to clarify as I cannot recall fully.

Good luck.

Richard.

 

[dougbgt6]

Samantha,

A friend is restoring a Morris Minor and wants a Webasto. He has discovered a company in Lower Earley near Reading that installs them. They are called Autotrim.

Autotrim Lower Earley, Reading RG6 4BX, Car and Vehicle Upholsterer

If this is too far for you, the fact that they're doing it means that others must be?

Doug

[Pete Lewis]

Ive cut many a roof and fitted a pop up sun roof  getting the template accurate is essential or you can get roof crinkles in the corners 

If the support surround nips the hole.

You need one with clamp rim to trap the linning and a trim to cover the inside rim

Easy to complete its drilling the first hole for the jigsaw that gets the adrenaline going

pop ups give light and ventilation without noise,

Webasto styles are very wind noisy without a front spoiler, had one for 13 yrs it was shut more than open

 

[Guest]

Thanks for clarifying that Pete.

I could not recall if the Herald / Vitesse had ribs to ensure its rigidity or if the roof area spanned unsupported.

Regards.

Richard.

[TomL]

I think a pop-up sunroof would be out-of-keeping with a Herald.  A Webasto would be much more period.  Just make sure you get one with a flip-up visor.

I think your idea of picking up a roof with a Webasto already fitted is worth a try.  I have seen such for sale before but as you say, probably getting rare now.

I helped to fit a Webasto in a Vitesse estate (that's another story) and it was a bit of worry making the first cut but like all these things, measure twice.....

Let us know how you get on.

Tom

[Gully]

2 hours ago, TomL said:

I think a pop-up sunroof would be out-of-keeping with a Herald.  A Webasto would be much more period.

Tom

I agree. One of the GT6s I viewed before buying mine had a 1980s pop up glass sunroof and it was awful - completely put me off the car (which otherwise was pretty tidy mechanically, but in need of paint).

Gully

[Pete Lewis]

Not aware of any cross brace on the saloon roofs, 

And  a fold back makes a bigger holethan a pop up

Just my experience of owning one for 13 years was it was highly useless,  anyone sitting in the back were either deafend or the hair do

Went vertical,unless all windows were also open . Its nothing likea full convertible

It never leaked , you must have run in one before you go for it  you may love it ...or not

Pete

Pete

[sami 13/60]

Hmmm.......plenty of food for thought there then, thank you everyone for your input so far.

 

I'm not too bothered about originality and devaluation (yes, I can hear the screams of the purists from here, sorry) because the car is never going to be a show winner unless she had a lot of time and effort and money put in, but she is a very sound car and I intend keeping her (Hetty) a long time and redoing body/paint myself.  She will always be an every day driver, so I want her to fit my needs, and if I ever wanted to have an original roof again, I think there will be a lot around, as they tend to outlast many of the other parts..  I have always had misgivings about a Webasto, for noise and leaks, but they look fabulous and are great when in traffic or local slow motoring (had one on my Scimitar).  At the same time I don't like the pop up look on that age of car as it looks wrong.......but the advantage for ventilation (especially when parked) is of great value to me, as I have High Functioning Autism, and the sensory overload driving with windows open is too much for me (and convertibles are pretty much out altogether unfortunately), but tilt and slide, or a tilt and pop out are ok I find on our modern car.

Unfortunately, I'm on a fairly tight budget, so I expect it will have to be a used pop up/out in the end.  I will make sure that the cutting is very carefully done then, judging by your warnings, thank you........now to set about finding the right type!

Samantha

[Chris A]

Original or not on a 13/60 they were fitted as standard to 1250's and I'm willing to bet that back in the day some owners of 13/60s did add one as an aftermarket modification.

It's your car do as suits you.

 

[68vitesse]

My first car was a 64 Herald 12/50 sun roof never leaked, in the winter no matter how wet or icy the rest of the car after a drive the sun roof was always dry. That was where the heat went so perhaps something to consider.

Regards

Paul

[Pete Lewis]

 samantha,   if you dont like the noise or the buffeting then a pop up is a good choice 

     if you cut the hole with a jigsaw use a vacuum  and pleanty of tape on the roof or the swarf gets under the saw sole plate and chatters away at the paint  .

Pete

     

 

[sami 13/60]

Thanks guys.....yes, the tape/vacuum idea is good.....I think I may take the roof off to do the work, as the rear deck panel needs attention, and I can do the sunroof and some sort of improvised headlining (how about some nice orange shag fur from the 70s ) more easily that way.

It may be a while before I get a chance to do it though.....gives me time to find a roof anyway  

Samantha.

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, sami 13/60 said:

 (how about some nice orange shag fur from the 70s ) 

That brings back memories I'd long hoped were forgotten; everything in those days seems to have been either orange or purple, and not very subtle shades of either...

[Pete Lewis]

if you want to make one from a roll f more original stuff   i have about 400 yds of fire proof vinyl off white headliner  youre welcome to some 

Pete

[ShaunW]

I'm not sure how I feel about it myself but I'm always a bit surprised when people want to do mods like making holes in roofs, that there isn't a contingent that frown upon it citing originality as being important. In fact I'm (pleasantly?) suprised at the lack of avid purists per se and sympathic modification seems to be quite the norm.

I guess it's a fine line and could well be a topic all of its own. 

[Pete Lewis]

webasto and britax roll backs were a factory fit option in fact standard on some like the 12/50 

so so big holes in the roof are original.

Pop us were not invented , but serve a reliable wind proof ventilation