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480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:49 pm
by Van
For about two weeks I spotted a black 480 with a sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands. I've never seen a 480 with an opening vinyl roof before.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:01 pm
by jifflemon
Please say you’ve grabbed a pic?

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:05 pm
by brinkie
I know whose car that is. Don't have a pic right here, but the roof is from a Renault Twingo.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:30 am
by AleksanderHugo
I think that some company (Westfalia perhaps) used to make these aftermarket roofs.

Once I came across a photo of a 480 with such a roof:
Image

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 8:52 pm
by dragonflyjewels
One of our French 480 club friends has fitted a Twingo sunroof as well, made a cracking good job of it
Image

Interestingly, the French cars don't have a high level brake light, so I took a rear hatch over for him.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:06 am
by 100
dragonflyjewels wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 8:52 pm
Interestingly, the French cars don't have a high level brake light, so I took a rear hatch over for him.
There is a high level brake light?

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:08 am
by jifflemon
100 wrote:
Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:06 am
There is a high level brake light?
Above the wiper - Perhaps more a "mid level brake light"

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:59 am
by Van
It was driving and there was no time to take a picture, I spotted the 480, and only then the roof. It was the first 480 I'd seen in a couple of years actually.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:31 am
by arthuy
Smart looking addition and solution to leaky sunroofs.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:46 pm
by Van
jifflemon wrote:
Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:08 am
100 wrote:
Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:06 am
There is a high level brake light?
Above the wiper - Perhaps more a "mid level brake light"
Often it is referred to as the third, or center brake light.

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 10:33 am
by brinkie
Just a thought. The roof is part of the car's structure and an additional crossmember gives extra torsional rigidity. This is why the roof of a car with moonroof is different, the crossmember is located further aback.
If you take out both the metal roof and the crossmember connecting both B-pillars, will there be enough structural integrity left? Won't the body start suffering from twisting and subsequently negatively impact roadholding, like most convertibles do?

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 11:20 am
by Alan 480
brinkie wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 10:33 am
Just a thought. The roof is part of the car's structure and an additional crossmember gives extra torsional rigidity. This is why the roof of a car with moonroof is different, the crossmember is located further aback.
If you take out both the metal roof and the crossmember connecting both B-pillars, will there be enough structural integrity left? Won't the body start suffering from twisting and subsequently negatively impact roadholding, like most convertibles do?
not sure, on the Reliant Scimitar SE5a the full length sun roof was fitted by chopping the roof out and the roll over bars in roof were cut off and simply bolted to the wooden frame!!!

I fitted a full length opening GRP roof (used a roof from a scrap car in two removable sections) and refitted the two tubes, although they were a 'loose fit' in a mount at bottom of door !!

Re: 480 with sliding vinyl sunroof in Haarlem, Netherlands

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 11:42 am
by jamescarruthers
brinkie wrote:
Thu May 02, 2019 10:33 am
Just a thought. The roof is part of the car's structure and an additional crossmember gives extra torsional rigidity. This is why the roof of a car with moonroof is different, the crossmember is located further aback.
If you take out both the metal roof and the crossmember connecting both B-pillars, will there be enough structural integrity left? Won't the body start suffering from twisting and subsequently negatively impact roadholding, like most convertibles do?
Having crashed and rolled a 480 quite spectacularly and crediting it with saving my life, I would be very reluctant to remove the roof bar. I imagine the sides will fold over should the car end up on its side.

Don't get me wrong the roof looks great, but it isn't sensible when you think about it from a structural point of view. The roof bar isn't just for show, it will have a designed and calculated purpose!‎