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Panoramic Sunroof for Prius C? (aftermarket)

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by koipond, Nov 19, 2012.

  1. koipond

    koipond Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2012
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Yes, I know that conventional wisdom warns against aftermarket sunroof installation. I also have an aftermarket sunroof in my 2006 Tacoma pickup that has been leak-proof and reliable since day one (had it installed when I purchased the vehicle). Assuming that the universe is in harmony with the basic concept of installing an aftermarket sunroof...

    I'd absolutely LOVE to have a panoramic sunroof in my new Prius C. Either that or maybe the Webasto Hollandia 500 dual sunroof package. Here's what I'm thinking...

    Those of us without a factory sunroof lusting after the idea of open airy light during our daily commute... we've noticed the odd shape to our roofline: the outer perimeter of the car "arcs" but the inner roof is relatively flat... and the contours in the roof would make it odd to install a "normal" sunroof in that the front of the sunroof might mount flush with the roofline, but the back of the sunroof would have to contend with the dips and valleys in the roofline at the rear. However... I'm thinking that a larger, panoramic-style sunroof that could extend all the way back to the antenna where the roof line smooths out again could get around the "problem" of the dip/valley contour of the mid-roof area.

    has anyone else been thinking about this? Thoughts? Aside from the "usual" knee-jerk things one would say against an aftermarket sunroof, any specific thoughts for/against this idea? I'm ready to start calling Webasto installers to have some conversations... any other aftermarket brand that might be worth considering?

    thanks!

    dave
     
  2. BILALYASEEN

    BILALYASEEN Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2019
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    Location:
    pakistan
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    so no one installed it yet?
     
  3. Kenobi66

    Kenobi66 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2022
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    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Base
    Hi BILALYASEEN,

    Oof, I've thought of doing exactly the same thing, and have studied the odd shape of the roof with great concern. My mechanic warned against an aftermarket install on two points; 1) the entire sunroof/moonroof assembly weighs quite a bit, he said ~100lbs which seemed a bit high to me, and that carrying an extra weight around would diminish the fuel-efficiency quite a bit. (kind of defeats the purpose of such an efficient hybrid) 2.) Aftermarket jobs leak. I live in Oregon, so wow, aftermarkets are totally out of the question for me.
    My thoughts were that the high-end Prius C that DOES have a sunroof so maybe I could switch it out. The roofs on the high-end C's do not have that double-lobed shape, which is how they avoided the install challenge. This would make for an ideal, tighter fit....if the entire roof panel were to get replaced. That's a really big 'if'.
    The probability of finding such an undamaged junkyard treasure, together with the means of pulling it off correctly, then finding someone who could install it correctly, is something I just don't have the bandwidth for right now.
    I wish you luck. If you find a solution please let me know.
     
    roadrunner likes this.