I decided to give a black roof a try on my S4. Here is a long-winded discussion of my decision and experience. Hopefully this is helpful to anybody considering it.

I'd seen this done on a few white cars and liked the look. I considered getting it painted, but decided to go with vinyl as it can be undone easier than a paint job.
According to my installer, 'ease of removal' is relative, and depends on the type of vinyl. The vinyl I used was printed black (commonly used for stick-on advertising)
as opposed to vinyl that's been manufactured black.

Some thoughts on the install and outcome:
1. The roof mounted sharkfin antenna is a real pain to work around. My installer said that without removing it before the install, there would be a seam in the vinyl
from the back of the antenna to the rear window (see picture.) Removing the antenna would have involved taking off the headliner from inside which was not going to happen. There is no way to wrap the sharkfin in vinyl and have it look nice. So that left me with a white antenna sticking out of a black roof. I didn't like that look, so I had it painted. I brought it to a shop... no doubt I would have screwed it up had I painted it myself. From what I understand, the sharkfin antenna is used by the sat radio and NAV. Painting the sharkfin had no effect on the sat radio reception. I can't comment on NAV as my car is not equipped with it.

2. The cut of the vinyl along the rain gutters was done by hand. Therefore the 'straightness' of the lines depends on an installer with steady hands. The lines are definitely not perfect. I can't call them jagged, but they're not straight. I'd like to see other vinyl installs to compare with. Perhaps it's just part of
the deal.

3. The finish of the printed vinyl used can be best described as satin. I was hoping for a little more glossy. Also, a little bit of texture is noticeable in the vinyl.

Up close there are defintely flaws, and painting the sharkfin made the job a little harder to undo. That being said, I am happy with the look on a macro level. I'll give it the winter and if I'm still happy with the look come spring, I'll peel off the vinyl get it painted.

Cost:
Vinyl installation cost: $150
Paint sharkfin cost: $40
Material(from a buddy of mine) cost: a couple cold pints.

Here are a couple pics (never attached pics before, hope it works.) If you're interested in seeing it up close, I'm typically at the GH meets.

 

Doesn't look bad in the pics..! I'd get the hood & top 1/2 of the trunk done in vinyl also...

I'm thinking of doing the same, except all 3 body panels (hood/trunk/roof)...

 

Looks nice man. I'am looking to do this on my car in the spring as well

 

I love the VMR wheels and the Vinyl roof project! :thumbup:

 

nice, saw something similar on audizine but he painted not vinlyd his. looks great though and wheels are sick, i say take the plunge get it painted.

 

I like that look... I've seen it on a few cars and always looks clean

 

Looks good ... what kind of vinyl did you use? There's stuff like this that is glossy and maybe more of the look you wanted?

BMW Shadowline Matte & Gloss Black Window Trim & Roof Vinyls

 

Nicely done! i love the rims btw

 

Looks nice. I've seen the glossier stuff and I think in the long run you might decide you like this better. A friend of mine had a white GTI with a gloss black vinyl roof. It didn't look as clean. The higher the sheen, the more imperfections and texture you will see in the vinyl because it catches more light. It's also harder to maintain, and quicker to develop swirl marks and superficial hair-line scratches that you wouldn't otherwise see in a satin finish...

That being said, if end-goal is to paint it, do it in a gloss finish to match the white. From vinyl perspective (for anyone who's interested) stay in the satin.

At least that's my $0.02

 

hmmm the black roof is looking nice. you have pretty nice car love the modification. The color you choose is very nice and my favorite color in cars. Anyhow thanks for sharing the photos of your car.