Glass Sunroof in Coupe

[dcmoore@timber.org.uk]

Is it possible to safely fit a removable glass panel type sunroof to the Coupe, to overcome the shortage of Targa models?

David :cool:

[Lankstarr]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrgggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:e ek::no::eek:;)

I'm sure you could... but it would leak and you'd have a job finding someone to work with the Alu I would think.

Targas come up often enough to just wait for one I think!

L*

[simonprelude]

Does this even warrant a response.............. :rolleyes:

I suppose so, anything is possible. However unless you intend to keep your NSX for life then you will have great difficulty selling and lose a LOT of money, in my opinion of course.

The debate between flex on a coupe or targa is bad enough without going and cutting a big hole in a structual rigid panel. If you were to do this then I would certainly suggest looking at additional bracing, possibly even a rollcage should anything happen.

If you are rushing to buy an NSX then there is a good chance you will regret it unless you get very lucky.

[Papalazarou]

We sooooooooooooooo need an FAQ section on this site.

Basically, I've had both coupe and targa and they're both great cars.

If you're that worried about the 'flex' issue you need to drive both variants and make your decision.

However, the basic facts are these;

The targa is 55kg heavier than the coupe.

The later (3.2) targas are made of a different grade of aluminium and are therefore slightly
stiffer, reputely stiffer than an NA1 coupe...ouch!!

Any feedback you feel through the steering as is true of most if not all targas/convertibles can be eliminated with the type R chassis kit which costs between 350-450 depending on where you buy it.

The targa has slightly softer suspension settings which makes it an easier road car to live with, especially in the UK.

In the power there is little or no difference between the acceleration of either a targa or a coupe.

Finally, motoring correspondents are cocks and you can't trust a word they say. Especually the tall one who only swaps accuracy for effect.




Cheers,

James.

[simonprelude]

James

The question here is re butchering a coupe and sticking a hole in the roof without the additional bracing that the Targa gets.

So if the Targe is stiffer than an NA1 coupe, how will an NA1 coupe cope with a hole in the roof ??

I 'still' want a Targa, however want a cheap Auto Targa :)
The 2 NSX's I am looking at at the moment are both coupe's :D

The question for me though is, do I sell P27 or not ??

[Papalazarou]

I know Simon, it's non-sensical, people trust too much in magazine articles rather than actually driving the cars and coming up with their own conclusions. I blame top trumps. That game made everyone an ameture statatician from the age of 8!

Cheers,


James.

[AR]

The later (3.2) targas are made of a different grade of aluminium and are therefore slightly
stiffer, reputely stiffer than an NA1 coupe...ouch!!

Any feedback you feel through the steering as is true of most if not all targas/convertibles can be eliminated with the type R chassis kit which costs between 350-450 depending on where you buy it.



Approx. 100 lbs heaver than 1991/1992 models due to reinforcements for targa top, including: The base of the B pillar where it joins the rocker panel, larger rear bulkhead crossbar, thicker trunk leading edge panel, a redesigned and thicker-walled rear roof section, a redesigned front roof rail section, additional rib in the center rear bulkhead section, a completely redesigned and thicker upper A-pillar. There's also a redesigned and thicker upper dashboard cross member and a redesigned front lower floor section. The extruded aluminum side sills were extensively reinforced - wall thickness of the vertical center web of the 5-sided extrusion went from 2mm to 6mm.

From NSX Prime Wiki

They can say what they want, but I believe that they kept it as it would not be economically viable to retool.

The chassis bars are at the front, so I don't really think they will stiffen the roof area???

IMHO the targa is more of a GT than the coupe.

If the targa was the better car the NSX-R, S or S/Zero would have had the T as an option.

Once again I doubt "I" could feel the difference beteween both on a normal road.

BTW putting a glass sunroof on an NSX should not be allowed for purely tacky reasons, let alone performance degradation.

[Papalazarou]

I'm just speaking from experience. The chassis bars made a difference to my last car and reduced the small amount of steering feedback there was.

I'm not saying that the targa's a better car, only that the later ones were as rigid or more so than the NA1 coupe. Obviously there is a weight penalty though. However, on a bumpy Uk road, give me a targa anyday. They provide a superior, more compliant ride.

Also, the targa was the car that saved the NSX. If it weren't for this model there's a very good chance production would have ceased much earlier.


Cheers,

James,

[TheQuietOne]

This has to be a joke surely? :(

[Steve]

Always bloody raining anyway!!!

[simonprelude]

Unfortunately I think not :(


This has to be a joke surely? :(

[Senninha]

The question for me though is, do I sell P27 or not ??
Does Luke know you're considering this?

Are the 2 you're looking pre or post 02 models Simon?

[simonprelude]

Probably, but yes looking at 1 of each :)


Does Luke know you're considering this?

Are the 2 you're looking pre or post 02 models Simon?

[TheQuietOne]

Always bloody raining anyway!!!

Says the man with a sparkling Targa! :D

Nice to meet you yesterday, your car is lovely Steve!

[TheSebringOne]

I thought the same as Matt, is this for real or a joke, why would you seriously put a sunroof on a coupe!? Thats like saying I would like to cannibalise a supercar! or lets put a sunroof on a 348, 355 or 911! You just would'nt! :rolleyes:

[britlude]

ask about cutting a hole in the roof, dropping in a pop-up sunroof, and it turns into a coupe v targa thread........again!

i presume it'sthis type you mean..... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/sunroof_W0QQitemZ230177080963QQihZ013QQcategoryZ98 86QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

to answer the original question... yes you can put a glass pop-up/pop-out sunroof in. it's only the roof panel, quite floppy when you press it. the sunroof surround actually stiffens the panel (on other sunroof's i've fitted) . structural integrity shouldn't be affected as it's only cut into a single skin roof panel, and being steel, or aluminium doesn't make a blind bit of difference to a jigsaw! and if it's fitted right, it won't leak! not sure if/how the headlining would be fitted neatly on the interior though as it's a covered hard panel...

so to the question, 'can it be done?' the answer is yes

however 'should it be done?' appears to be open to debate!

[AR]

What would be cool but heavy and probably requires a lot moddification, is a glass roof as in the Mercs.

[simonprelude]

Sure I posted this before............

I have been looking for a photo from the production line that I thought showed a T bar affair in the Coupe roof, if this was so then a sunroof would not be possible.
The roof lining certainly seems to suggest there is one.

[Silver Surfer]

Sure I posted this before............

I have been looking for a photo from the production line that I thought showed a T bar affair in the Coupe roof, if this was so then a sunroof would not be possible.
The roof lining certainly seems to suggest there is one.

2 little pop up sun roofs then :laugh:..........errrrr that makes it a Targa :laugh::laugh:

SS

[Senninha]

I think this is the coupe bodyshell, in which case theres no t-bar ....

[simonprelude]

That's the picture, so I guess it's all go to install a sunroof then :D


I think this is the coupe bodyshell, in which case theres no t-bar ....

[Nick Graves]

I knew a guy who had a FIAT X-1/9 with a sunroof.

Talk about belt n' braces.

[Lankstarr]

I thought the same as Matt, is this for real or a joke, why would you seriously put a sunroof on a coupe!? Thats like saying I would like to cannibalise a supercar! or lets put a sunroof on a 348, 355 or 911! You just would'nt! :rolleyes:


A 911 isn't a supercar.

I'd love to put a big hole in one!

[AR]

A 911 isn't a supercar.

I'd love to put a big hole in one!

So what are the TT, GT2 and GT3 then Luke? :)

[TheQuietOne]

So what are the TT, GT2 and GT3 then Luke? :)

One's an Audi and the other two are Playstation games aren't they? :laugh:

[gumball]

So what are the TT, GT2 and GT3 then Luke? :)

The Carrera's their supercar, the rest are GT's:bigsmile:

[AR]

Do you mean the Carrera GT!

[gumball]

Do you mean the Carrera GT!

Yup, ironic aint it.

[TheSebringOne]

Excuse me! I have a X1/9! :eek: Having said that, baffled as to why you need a sunroof when its a blxxdy Targa roofed!? :dunno: Please no jokes thats its a very poor man's 70s/80s Ferrari! :laugh:

[TheSebringOne]

Well the CGT doe'snt quite have a sunroof, but its a Targa! :eek:

Sorry for saying this, but without being biased as I love my NSX lots, the Porker even as a base model is a junior supercar! Its been the main nemesis for the Xs since our beloved car was introduced!

Can't believe the brand new GT2 is as quick as the bonfide supercar CGT, but for altmost 3rd of the price! :eek:

[simonprelude]

The issue (as shown by top gear last night) is that the CGT still has luxuries, to get quicker you need to vastly increase power and lose weight.

For anyone that watches Vroom Vroom with the fast cats against small fry, the budget kit car style (Atom and Radical) quite often beat the supercars across the field.


Well the CGT doe'snt quite have a sunroof, but its a Targa! :eek:

Sorry for saying this, but without being biased as I love my NSX lots, the Porker even as a base model is a junior supercar! Its been the main nemesis for the Xs since our beloved car was introduced!

Can't believe the brand new GT2 is as quick as the bonfide supercar CGT, but for altmost 3rd of the price! :eek:

[Senninha]

to get quicker you need to vastly increase power and lose weight.
IMO, unless you are competing against the clock then its all fairly meaningless. If you want to understand where I'm coming from, go for a spirited drive with your local Pistonheads owners.

My recent outing was extreme fun, well organised and safe dispite a DNF (driver error). What it showed was that a £100k+ machines like the GT£ RS, F360 or Gallardo, driven in the real world, will not embaress the NSX. In fact, because its not left behind it became a talking point as to how it was staying with such machinery.

Clearly the driver had a large part to play in the outcome ;), but I put a lot of it down to chassis set up and useability on typical UK roads. I have no doubt that on a track they would pull away more convincingly.

As several new owners and forum members have reported, its this everyday ability that makes the NSX such an attractive car. Thank fully for us, its only now, long after its end, that the NSX is being appreciated by more than a few who knew the secrets. Makes me all the more pleased to be part of the family.

Regards, Paul

[Papalazarou]

I agree, it's a bit of a farce really. I rode 600's for a few years whilst the guys I rode with all had big V twins, R1's and GSXR's and I always kept up and sometimes had to wait for the bigger bikes.
I think that too many people look at the book figures, read the magazine writeups and assume that if they don't buy the quickest best rated car, they're going to be left behind.

If you've got half a brain, you won't race on the road anyway, you'll enjoy the car where you have a good chance of survival and when you're cruising you'll learn to enjoy that part too.

Now where was that road on TG?

Cheers,


James.

[simonprelude]

My last outing with the PH crew was at Bruntingthorpe, it shows there much on the straights :(

But like you say in the real world there is little in it, hence why I have kept the NSX for so long.

[AR]

3 NSXs Later, including a modified R, and everytime I "drive" it I come back with my heart thumping.

No many things can do that for me anymore.

Cheers,

AR

[Senninha]

...everytime I "drive" it I come back with my heart thumping.

No many things can do that for me anymore.

Cheers,

AR
I really do hope you Missus doesn't log on here ... you could be in big trouble with this sort of comment ;) :laugh:

[AR]

hence the no many things!!!

[TheSebringOne]

As with Papa, I agree too! I have to say Paul you write very well in a way that puts things into real perspective! :)

[Sudesh]

Is it possible to safely fit a removable glass panel type sunroof to the Coupe, to overcome the shortage of Targa models?

David :cool:

I seen this on another forum:

http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/LeftSunroofInside.jpg
http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/SunroofControl.jpg
http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/DomeLight.jpg

[Sudesh]

http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/LeftSunroof.jpg
http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/RightSunroof.jpg
http://pws.gamewood.net/~wilsonpm/Auto/images/nsx/FrontLeftAbove2.jpg

[TheSebringOne]

Typical American cannibalism! Although its a neat installation, why would you do this, buy a targa! Strange that later models was targa only order, unless special order for a coupe in the US!

[Silver Surfer]

For those lazy owner who likes to tilt the sunroof whilst driving.

SS

[mutley]

Well to play Devils Advocate, I quite like the look of that sunroof fitted.

BUT whan I removed the roof liner in my acr to re-trim it, I do recall a "T bar" section thingy on the roof as that is where a couple of clips pop into to help keep the lining stuck to the roof.

When I take the lining out again I'll take a few pics and we can all have a look and continue from there.

How's that?

Jim

PS in that pic it also has a small roof mounted ariel, something else I've pondered and so I can remove the standard one and fill the hole, would look better IMHO.

[jaytip]

Well to play Devils Advocate, I quite like the look of that sunroof fitted.

BUT whan I removed the roof liner in my acr to re-trim it, I do recall a "T bar" section thingy on the roof as that is where a couple of clips pop into to help keep the lining stuck to the roof.

When I take the lining out again I'll take a few pics and we can all have a look and continue from there.

How's that?

Jim

PS in that pic it also has a small roof mounted ariel, something else I've pondered and so I can remove the standard one and fill the hole, would look better IMHO.
I didn't mention anything earlier in this thread but i have read about the T-bar in the cars roof in a topic on Prime a few years ago,and it is mentioned in the topic that it is indeed a structural part of the car.

[mutley]

I wonder how they did it then? I wouldn't be too happy about removing it, as you say it's structural.

Unless they managed to fit other strengthening parts, but I doubt they would have.

Jim