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The factory 928 sunroof is appropriate for the space available. Consider that the gearbox and cable stuff has to sit behind the retracted panel and support. The 944 roof is extra-long because it slides out on top of the roof. If the 928 was fitted with something like that, it could not be much longer if you still wanted to maintain the motor and cables to move it. An external panel can't go past the joint where the hatch joins the roof, or you couldn't open the hatch with the roof panel in the way.
I suspect that the 928 got a sunroof because of the marketing people rather than the engineers. At super-legal-in-the-US speeds, having the sunroof open is hazardous -- anything loose in the car will be blowing around. By 100, stuff flies out the sunroof hole. Maybe the idea was that US drivers wouldn't go faster than 55... As far as usability, it's too close to none in my opinion. Not big enough to supply much more than glare in my eyes. If I wear a ballcap to keep the glare down, there's no remaining reason to open the roof. Plus my cap is really close to the headliner.
I guess you could have a bigger manual panel, more glass and exposure, but only slide it back part way before it hits the hatch hinges and the interior light.
I would be just as happy to get rid of it all together. If I thought I could glue one in like the 911 version above and gain some head room that would keep me content. Sorry off topic again.
4 latches - 2 front, 2 rear. The 'handles' on the rear latches can be used as 'legs' to prop up the rear of the panel.
Or the front latches can be undone and the entire panel removed. The car is supposed to come with a vinyl bag to store the panel in.
The panel is huge, for the car. Approx 24 x 38. It goes from a couple inches behind the top of the windshield to about 6" from the back edge of the roof (edge of hatch). Sides of the panel are 3 or 4 inches from the drip rails.
As I noted above, it's as close to a Targa top or T-tops as you can get.
The paradox is that, as a 'Luxury GT', the 928 needs a powered roof. But, as Dr Bob noted, there's no way to make the powered roof in the 928 any bigger than it is.
I agree that the 928 has one because the marketing crowd felt that it would sell the car better.
That's likely why, even though it was an 'option', so many cars have it.
My '83 Fox body Mustang GT had a removable, manual sunroof. It was hinged in the front with a latch at the rear. You could unlatch it and pivot it up a couple inches at the rear, or you could squeeze these spring loaded pins and it would uncouple from the latch for removal. Completely frameless, tinted glass. It was very will done. It surface mounted onto the roof of the car, so I don't think it sacrificed any head room.
Last edited by Shawn Stanford; 09-13-2020 at 04:16 AM.
Reason: Found a picture of one.
I suspect that the 928 got a sunroof because of the marketing people rather than the engineers. At super-legal-in-the-US speeds, having the sunroof open is hazardous -- anything loose in the car will be blowing around. By 100, stuff flies out the sunroof hole.
I was thinking about this post today as I was driving to the bank. With some checks, a deposit slip and face mask sitting on the passenger seat and sunroof completely open, they didn't move an inch at 80 mph. I bumped up into triple digits and they still didn't move...my hair barely moved. If you have so much wind turbulence that it's picking up objects, your deflector is either not popping up or it's completely missing.
If you were just looking to get some extra light inside the car, I think maybe it could be done. Pick up a used 928 sunroof door, cut out the metal cover, and glue in a clear plastic one. The plastic would have to sit flush, and you might see some cables or something, but it would be cheap and easy to try and totally reversible. I think the frame of the door would be plenty stiff without the metal cover. The hardest part would be learning how to remove and install the sunroof door, But I don’t think that is super hard.
The idea of a plastic panel inserted in an old door is an interesting option as it would be reversible. The Webasto listed above looks like it is also an option, I noticed that there are dealers in the US so this could be done and a fixed option like the Mustang option listed previously is available.
Last edited by Dark shark; 09-20-2020 at 04:22 PM.
I was thinking about this post today as I was driving to the bank. With some checks, a deposit slip and face mask sitting on the passenger seat and sunroof completely open, they didn't move an inch at 80 mph. I bumped up into triple digits and they still didn't move...my hair barely moved. If you have so much wind turbulence that it's picking up objects, your deflector is either not popping up or it's completely missing.
The deflector is definitely there and it pops up correctly. The deflector is there to delaminate the airflow over the hole, mostly to limit the cyclical booming in the cabin as pressure inside drops. By 100, all that paper stuff is tornado-flowing around the cabin. By 125, my car cover bag, which had been behind the back seats, was flying around and managed to get pulled out the sunroof hole after a few quick laps of the cabin. Faster than I could grab it.
Someplace, maybe the owner's manual, has some guidance about opening windows and sunroof at 100+ speeds IIRC. I just close everything most of the time anyway.
I have put the largest sunroof of Webasto on my 928, because PO had already put An aftermarket sunroof of low quality
The sunroof can be tilted As well be slided backward over the roof.
I have the same color and want to do the same thing. Do you know which model you installed? Do it yourself?
09-12-2020, 10:27 PM
