Installing A Custom Sunroof - Los Nunez Moonroofs

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.

Installing A Custom Sunroof Front Of Car

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!

Here's a look at the roof line before it was altered with the 42-inch American Sunroof.
Juan started off by removing the roof support brace, which helps to prevent the roof from buckling under stress.
Juan started off by removing the roof support brace, which helps to prevent the roof from
With the interior of the roof exposed, the factory insulation was removed to keep it from falling and landing on the glass, or in our case, falling on the metal panel.
With the interior of the roof exposed, the factory insulation was removed to keep it from

Rafael used the flange bars to help line up the stencils and square the sunroof.
Rafael double checked all of his measurements to make sure the cuts were straight. This step is very crucial, as you could end up with a crooked sunroof if you do not square the stencil.
Rafael double checked all of his measurements to make sure the cuts were straight. This st
The flange ring and a grease pencil were used to create a template around the roof.

An air chisel will open the roof much like a can opener opens a tin can. Rafa loves this step, as it is the point of no return.
An air chisel will open the roof much like a can opener opens a tin can. Rafa loves this s
This section of the roof was removed to allow it to be perfectly cut from the top of the roof. As you can see there was more roof that needed to be removed, but that would be done in steps.
This section of the roof was removed to allow it to be perfectly cut from the top of the r
Using a steady hand, the roof was trimmed to the template cut out line.

Using some metal snips, Juan removed the material that his Dad was cutting. This allowed Rafael to continue cutting without stopping, thereby avoiding jagged edges.
Using some metal snips, Juan removed the material that his Dad was cutting. This allowed R
The roof was ready to be rolled and flanged.
Juan laid down the flange ring-a key part of this tech. This ring allows the roof to be bent without damaging the roof.
Juan laid down the flange ring-a key part of this tech. This ring allows the roof to be be

The lower part of the flange is identical to the one on the exterior, this one is on the inside of the roof, and will be locked in place using several vise grips.
The lower part of the flange is identical to the one on the exterior, this one is on the i
Rafael made sure that the flange was lined up to the markings that were done earlier.
Once the flange was lined up, a sharp scriber was used to break the existing paint which will help create a hard bend.
Once the flange was lined up, a sharp scriber was used to break the existing paint which w

Several clamps allowed the flange ring to stay in place as the lip was bent using a hammer.
Several clamps allowed the flange ring to stay in place as the lip was bent using a hammer
This step was all about patience, as the hammer will eventually give you the shape you need as the lip is formed.
This step was all about patience, as the hammer will eventually give you the shape you nee
Once the shape was created, the lip was straightened out with a set of flat vise grips.

Rafael prepared the inner bracket and trimmed the metal that was not needed.
The sunroof frame was fitted to the flanged hole.
Here's a better look as the hammer starts to shape the edge. When done right ,you'll have a 180- degree edge that also serves as a reinforcement to the stock roof.
Here's a better look as the hammer starts to shape the edge. When done right ,you'll have

Rafael inspected the flange before moving on to the next step.
The edges on the flange were softened using a file.
The inner ring was ready to accept the track mechanism.

The whole track mechanism was checked outside the vehicle. It was pre-lubed and ready to be installed.
The whole track mechanism was checked outside the vehicle. It was pre-lubed and ready to b
The sunroof assembly was taken inside the car, lined up, and bolted in place.
Rafael measured the sides where he would be adding the reinforcement braces.

Self tapping sheet metal screws will hold the reinforcement braces in place.
Several braces were used to hold the sunroof and keep it from moving around.
The drain hoses ran to the rear of the vehicle. This will allow any water to drain off the vehicle.
The drain hoses ran to the rear of the vehicle. This will allow any water to drain off the

A power line was connected to the vehicles fuseblock that will feed the electric motor. This switch will allow the moonroof to be opened and closed at the flip of a switch.
A power line was connected to the vehicles fuseblock that will feed the electric motor. Th
This panel was cleaned and ready to be installed
The metal roof panel was dropped into the track rails and attached to retracting cables.