GPA951s

yup sunroofs are big pigs. Texas performance concepts. = 3 lbs. Fiberglass

Cloud9...68

Lol - no way is the sunroof anywhere near 60 pounds, although I realize it feels more like 600 lbs when trying to wrestle it into position. It amazes me how much of an exagerrated idea people have about the weight of the components on these cars. I weighed mine once, and I seem to remember it being about 24 lbs. But yes, a 3 lb version is a big savings. The track I drive on is very technical, with a top speed of only about 80 mph, so I usually drive with the sunroof off, which I realize isn't optimal from an aerodynamic standpoint, but I suspect the weight savings compensates for the loss of downforce at my track.

sm

HenryPcar

A sunroof is more than just a cutout on the roof. Did you weigh it with the motor, frame, wind deflector, the track , the moving assembly, the structural re-enforcement, the drainage conduits, and the double layered wall ? 60 lbs for the sunroof is not an exagerration, if anything inclusive it'll come to more than that.

951and944S

Not trying to argue but I seriously doubt it.

The extra sheet metal might....., might be 3-4 lbs. tops.

T

Cloud9...68

Yeah, I agree with 951and944S. I stipped out all the components you're describing, and weighed everything, and it only came to a handful of pounds, so maybe 30 pounds for the panel and all the removable components. But I did misinterpret your post a little - I did think you were referring to the panel by itself. Maybe with the structural components, it would be significantly more, but I still have a hard time seeing 60 pounds.

HenryPcar

I don't think we can definitively agree on the weight of the sunroof and all its components. However, one thing is for sure, the weight is substantial in terms of having any impact on performance. All that weight is at the worst location possible at the top of the roof. Given a choice I would pay extra just to get a used 997.2 without the sunroof, but I finally given up that idea because it was impossible to find one. Another reason was the rattling that I just recently been able to rectify that came from the sunroof.

Cloud9...68

Agreed. Although, I really enjoy driving it with the sunroof off, both on the road and at the track, but I do agree a sunroof delete version would be the optimum in terms of performance.

What part of Norther California are you in? I grew up in Marin County in the Bay Area, and went to Cal Berkeley (Chem E)

HenryPcar

Worked for Apple, but retired quite a few years now. Currently living in Union City. If you ever come up this way, he can meet up. Just drop me a line.

MAGK944

FrenchToast

You would have to do it very strategically. It would be extremely difficult to do structurally; you would need to analyze how the existing roof resolves forces and retain or sufficiently replace those elements. There are also small logistical things; since there is no cage the shell would need to be braced prior to removal and during the entire installation. The entire interior and glass would have to be removed. Not only to properly brace the chassis, but because you would likely need to do welding.

Even if you did manage to install it, you could still run into issues with flexing as there is no cage to minimize chassis flex. The CF would flex differently than the steel and would likely crack or pop out unless you use the same glues and methods an auto manufacturer would use to bond the panel in place.

Even if all that is done, you might still run into some issues unless the bare shell is digitally modeled and analyzed or undergoes extensive testing on a chassis rig in order to flush out any issues in chassis flexing.

The way modern cars do it, so far as I can tell, is the pillars and longitudinal connecting beam is all steel (or aluminum in certain cases). The insert between these members can be CF (there may be some underlying transverse beams in steel and/or aluminum). The only instance I know of where the whole roof (including pillars and beams) is CF is if the entire shell is CF, like a supercar.