Poll: Who Likes or not the Sunroof in the E9 and why?

Do you prefer E9 equipped with the sunroof?

  • Not really!

  • Don't care about at all!

  • Yes, of course!

Results are only viewable after voting.
Krzysztof

Krzysztof

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Gentleman,

What is your opinion about the sunroof in the E9.

One can tell it is increasing the value of the car.

Others have problem with mechanisms and leaks.

Typically E9s equipped with it are much prone to corrode (skin, reinforcement but also fenders).

Is it really worth to keep it?
How to prevent it from leaking even during car wash or rainy weather driving?
Which roof is stronger? The one with sunroof mechanism due to the reinforcement or the one wittout?
Do you see any difference in risk during E9 roll over?

I'm interested about your opinion and experience using the sunroof!
 
Personally, I LOVE my sunroof. I feel truly like I'm in a convertible. Unlike other sun roofs, it doesn't make much if any wind noise. I rarely shut it, even in the winter. No issues with rain or car wash.
 
I do like a sunroof and in the cars I have, or have had with one fitted, I use it.

I haven’t actually driven my coupe yet, but I’m pleased mine has a sunroof, though I wasn’t so keen when I was repairing the roof ……
 
I was going to purchase a sunroof clip from an another car that was being parted out. I was talked out of it & it went into another CS that was converted from Right to Left hand drive.
 
When we started searching for the coupe we preferred no sunroof. This was influenced by our experience with our 2002 (many years ago). It had a sun roof and always seemed to pull in the exhaust fumes.
 
My CS is a slicktop, which I sought. I rarely use the sunroofs on my other cars and have had some bad, expensive experiences with them. And, as mentioned, the R word.
 
I like my sunroof and do use it. I like that it is the manual, not the electric type.
Water leaks are not an issue as it is supposed to let the water flow not really be water tight.
The seals are really for wind noise, not for water. I had mine replaced by a pro, it is not an easy job.
 
I don’t like sunroofs. Most all of my cars have them except for my E12 and my E9 and I don’t use them except to keep things moving. Obviously with the corrosion concerns and the drainage setup the E9 had, it’s not optimal and I think the way the panel fits upsets the roofline.

I always laugh that somehow a car having a sunroof is supposed to be worth 15% more than one without.
 
i have had sunroofs in every BMW i have owned (7), except the e9. i always liked the pop-top to release the heat out of the cabin. none of those cars had the drain issues that the e9 has.
 
rsporsche said:
i have had sunroofs in every BMW i have owned (7), except the e9. i always liked the pop-top to release the heat out of the cabin. none of those cars had the drain issues that the e9 has.
Click to expand...
The vent function is ideal and I do use that a lot but the golde sunroofs don’t do that so kinda worthless.
 
I love having a sunroof in my coupe, it's open every time I drive it. It really enhances the driving experience. Fjord and a sunroof were prerequisites when I was looking for my coupe almost 20 years ago. I believe it definitely adds to the value of an e9, same with an 02. I've had 4 2002s, they all had sunroofs - again, the added openness just adds to the fun.

I get the rust concerns maybe when these cars were daily drivers. Not sure what the concern is now, no one here (except for ScottyVest :) ) is driving their car in the rain or any kind of weather. Some of us won't even wash our cars with water.
 
I'm really struggling.

The roof skin (and the reinforcement inside) are rusted through badly.

It is a pain to find an E9 roof with the sunroof in a good condition (worth restoring).

In the meantime I have found complete roof (with A- and C-pillars) which was very cheap (taking into account current E9 body parts prices). The Seller (having few E9s) warned me about the sunroof as he has had a bad experience with old bimmers (E9/Karmann E24) wth rust appearing in few years after restoration. On the other side it is probably because the roof was not skinned as it should - this is my understanding. On the other side I would be disappointed having water leaks or stains on the headliner after some time of usage.

I agree with Some the sunroof is good to take heat and humidity off the car once driving. But Golde sunroof is not having that option.

All my classic bimmers (80's, 90's) in the past have had the sunroof and I have never faced problems with them but all have been made by Webasto, not Golde. In most of the cases I was using for pop top, nothing more.

Open roof is typically causing helicopter like noise while speeding which is annoying (even with the wind deflector) and forces me to open some windows to de-tune the standing air wave frequency.

In the end BMW Classic has no information from E9 era if the sunroof was or wasn't equipped by the factory.
Is it other way to check it formally?

I'm still struggling

What about the body rigidity? Does anyone has experience of driving E9 with and without sunroof? Which variant of E9's chassis seems to be stiffer while driving?
 
I don't have the driving experience, but looking at the sunroof frame and considering how it is braced into multiple parts of the roof, I'd guess that the frame adds more rigidity than is lost by having the opening in the roof skin.

I'd more or less discount the rust arguments against a sunroof - there is no rust protection in the original fitting, and back in the day these would have been daily drivers. The body cavities rot out whether there is a sunroof or not .....
 
Thanks for sharing your opinion @day66

I have seen several roofs cut out for sale and they all have been in reasonable good condition (at least the skin, not the pillars).

For the sunroof the moisture is somehow trapped between the roof skin and the reinforcement frame and this is where the sunroof versions are rusting through - between the frame and the skin. I have seen several of them like that.

I does not mean it is impossible to find a good sunroof roof but it is an unicorn in EU or UK in my humble opinion where the bare roofs are quite available (but still more and more expensive).
 
I love my sunroof.
On a sunny day, with all the windows down and the sunroof open, it's like driving a convertible car.
However, the drain tubes draining into the sills wasn't well thought through, and a sunroof car will inevitably require rust remedy. It's also a good idea to re-route the exit of the tubes into the wheel wells to avoid any future issues.
 
Thanks @Christopher

Have you done some actions during restoration or in general to minimize the risk of rusting the roof construction?
Any problem with leaking while washing the car or driving in the rainy weather?
 
I recently had to drive my e9 with factory sunroof about 500 km in constant heavy rain, and there was no leaking. I think correct fitting and good condition of seals and drains is key, but they shouldn't inherently leak. My 2002 also has a Golde factory sunroof, same but smaller and it's never leaked. The 78 733i that I drove for years was a different story.
 
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