Installing A Custom Sunroof - Sunroof Install

Auto enthusiasts all seem to agree that the concept of the "Sunroof/Moonroof" came from Germany, but as far as determining the exact person who invented it, the answer is unknown. What we do know is that thanks to that unknown source we have it available now, and we get to prosper from it; the bigger the better. To gain some valuable insight on this modern customization concept, we paid a visit to Los Nunez Moonroofs of South Gate, California. This amazing father and son team have been in business for over 15 years, and they have earned a great reputation from their work. The Nunez' also posses the ability to go mobile, and can install sunroofs or moonroofs practically anywhere, from the local body shops to the garages of their customers' homes.

While The Nunez' were working on this car, Rafael Nunez, who worked at American Sunroofs for 25 years, gave us a little history lesson on the sunroof/moonroofs. He told us that they were introduced to the U.S. by German brothers, Christian and Heinz Prechter. Even though Mercedes and Volkswagens were some of the first vehicles to feature these sunroofs, the set ups were manually operated. In the late 60's, the Prechter brothers visited the U.S., where they would introduce consumers to this new product, and they have continued to push this automotive invention stateside ever since. They wasted no time in establishing American Sunroofs in 1965, making a name for themselves by designing their own glass sunroofs. They also revolutionized the industry by motorizing the moonroof and making it easier to operate. The electrically powered glass roof was later dubbed the "moonroof," a term introduced in 1973 by John Atkinson, a marketing manager at Ford for the Lincoln Continental Mark IV. The term was used because when the glass roof is closed you can still see the moon at night.

The Prechter brothers were successful in the sunroof business throughout the 70's, but because of the recession in the 80's, the big three started doing away with the moonroof option on their vehicles. Luckily, with the help of Japanese manufacturers, the moonroof market returned, as the Japanese automakers began to equip their high-end makes and models with the moonroof as standard equipment. This has certainly kept the moonroof in the mind of the mainstream consumer, and is the next best thing for those unable to get a drop-top. The OEM style moonroof/sunroofs will not be going away any time soon, as Juan Nunez mentioned to us that there are now several on-the-market moonroofs available for consumers to choose from. Out of the moonroofs that will be sought after in the future, the Hummer H2 has the largest one available from the big three.

Now follow along as we show you how the pros at Los Nunez Moonroofs add a breeze of fresh air through a hole in the roof!

By Saul Vargas

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