grussell

I already have the parts and the work scheduled. You remove the front and back windows, the entire roof skin and the roof liner. replace it with a new non-sunroof roof and a new headliner. You have to drill out the spot welds and weld in a new roof. All of the work is done within the rain gutter channels and you only paint the new roof panel. The complete job runs 5 - 6k complete. I believe the weight savings is 45lbs.

frayed

930Man, Duh, now OK I get it. I'm a bit slow and been w/o a porsche for several months now.

BobbyC, the IRC is 20 grand. The sunroof delete adds 2 grand.

stout

This is a better explanation for what I was trying to get at. From having looked at these cars (996s and 997) for so long and so often, I've noticed that the rails and gutters create a roof "cartridge" that 964s/993s just didn't have.

What has always fascinated me is that all of the 996/997 coupes have the little doors for the roof rack, yet you just about never see 996s or 997s with roof racks. Even the GT3 Cups and R/RS/RSRs have the little doors for the roof racks, though I actually have seen a GT3R "Woody" with a roof rack -- and a surfboard -- from Kelly Moss Racing (as a joke). Two days ago, I was at FLM and watched their technicians putting the rubber seals and roof rails mit doors back in. Funny stuff for a race car.

So yep, no A/C-pillar blend needed. Well, unless the paint match is truly terrible, in which case you need to find a new painter...

So the 2K Ruf quotes is just covering the parts since everything is out anyway. I've heard $6k~ to do the job around here, all in, but then we've got those "low" hourly rates here in SF...

I find it interesting that 997 owners are stepping up to do this job. I've seen one here in Marin already, and the fact that even one would spend the kind of money to do this should send a very strong message to Porsche about the mentality (or, should I say "insanity/hardcore-ness/etc") of its U.S. customers. "Cutting" the unibody's factory spot welds in ANY location is not for the faint of heart, and one wonders what this will do to resale if cars without sunroofs as delivered from Porsche are supposedly worth so much less...

pete

grussell

Good points. Too bad Porsche doesn't listen to it's U.S. market.

MJSpeed

This should be *relatively* cut and dry...why not go with a Carbon Fiber piece, it would be even lighter and in the right place...at the top!

eclou

I would seriously consider against this. You are going to weld in the panel right at the gutters and any corrosion resistance coatings will be burned away at those seams, which in this case happen to be at the rain gutter/moisture trap. There is also quite a bit of torsional forces vectored across this piece, and the uniformity of the new welds will undoubtedly be more variable than the robotic welds done in assembly. It is a recipe for future problems. If given a choice, I would never purchase a car that had this done.

CWay27

Yeah like the new BMW M6

Flying Finn

If this is done by RUF or other highly reputable shop), I will see no problems in the future and not with re-sale value either (10+ years from now I actuallu think the sunroof less will command higher price).
Corrosion resistanse is less than original but when don right, that shouldn't be a problem either.
If RUF is doing this for $2k (so the total about $4k), I think it's a no brainer!

allegretto

Ruf...throwing in?

That's a serious contradiction.

FWIW my dealer said you just replace the whole top panel. No issues with eveness.

///Mous3

It doesn't look that easy;

JasonAndreas

The instructions that I posted for the 996 sunroof replacement HERE should be exactly the same for the 997 (they might use more adhesive and less welding now)

frayed

Thanks Jason, that helps quite a bit.

eclou, the panel is not a structural element as I undertand it. Maybe adds a slight amount of rigidity, but it is not a load bearing element. It's there to keep rain off your noggin.

eclou

While the panel itself may not be structural in terms of load bearing, it is definitely "closing the box" in terms of torsion and flex - otherwise the cab would have the same chassis flex as the coupe, no?

mitch236

Not really, the cab doesn't have the upper sides that a roofless coupe would have. But I'm sure there is some support non the less. The real issue is value. Who would buy this car? We know how particular us Porsche owners are. Removing a rear decklid to get a cup wing is one thing (and even that may have resale impact as the bolts will get scratched in the process) but cutting and re-welding the roof with repainting is equivalent to having body damage repaired. So you first spend 6-7 grand to have it done and then lose 10k on resale. Might as well bought an RS to start with. And to what end? So your helmet will fit? That can be fixed with replacing the seat with a proper race seat without the rails. So you can lose some weight? Why not remove the mechanicals of the sunroof and clamp it shut? I don't see an upside to it. For the principle? You probably shouldn't have bought it in the first place as that would have sent a better message to Porsche. I think too many people are fixating on this sunroof issue to the point of insanity. Leave it be.

eclou

sunroof issues still
portal of controversy
help make the pain stop