Hardtop in the USA. Who is interested?

[Hegg]

So after my post a few hours ago, I noticed that I hadn't actually read this thread since my last post last year. For some reason the forum didn't notify me that new posts had arrived (or my computer ate the email).....

Great feedback everyone. F1 LOTUS (I think I've gathered your name is Brian?), it sounds like maybe we should chat and exchange ideas/progress at some point. Right now I have no progress, other than just what's in my head, until I chat with the fiberglass guy. But I'm hoping that we can have a good hardtop available for the US someday soon.

Kuching (Simon) - I'd love to hear of anything you came across as far as fitting and sealing as well. I'm not sure what the feasibility of shipping jigs and stuff yet. I really need to get better footings with my fiberglass neighbor so I have a better sense of direction.

Right now, based on feedback, it seems that a hardtop could be successful if offered in a few "trim" levels. Some seem to want it bare, some want it fully furnished but unpainted, and some want it painted also. At this point I don't see a reason we can't make most everyone happy by basically just providing it at different stages of completion. As far as painting though, I know you can theoretically get the exact paint for the hardtop based on the manufacturing codes and such, but is that realistic considering that the cars have 16+ years of paint fade? Would the paint ever match perfectly? Would it be close enough to not worry about?

[Doug]

Simon's hardtop is something I prayed for for years! I recommend you do whatever you can to buy it and ship it to the Americas! This is a unique offering--there's no way I could have ever expected such a great answer to my prayers--at least you all with Elans in your garages can beneft still. Do what you can to convince Simon to make you one andpay to ship the thing to the US!!! If you wait at all you may find this unique opportunity has already passed you by!

P.S. the more hardtops in the us the better -- the day I get another Elan you can bet i'll be selling my children to get one of these lovely rare hardtops!

[algirdas]

Dear Hegg:

Soldier on! I believe that you and your family are going to get through this ok.

On the hardtop, I suggest we get a set of moulds from Mr. Kutching and make them here locally rather than try to pull a set of moulds off of an already completed hardtop.

Alternatively, if we have a set of moulds, we could try to approach Alan Betts in the Orient and see if we could establish limited production there. Perhaps the cost savings will more that offset the cost of shipping.

Just an idea.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[lotusgirlmarie]

Yep now I'm pissed off!!!!! Some arse end of a monkey slashed open the soft top on my car after I just finished working a 72 hour shift. I came out to my car @ 3AM after the club closed, hopped in and drove off on the freeway to find a loud wind noise in the interior. What I found was a 6" slash through my relatively new ( 8 months old) soft top. Now I say to myself, "Thats it!!! F@#$ it!!!" I"ll build the top and if there is someone ( F1LOTUS) who can pull a mould from my original then we'll be set. I"m going to be moulding the Unit in the next few weeks. The tail light housings are being put on hold for a little bit. Ooooooo I'm soo mad!!!!

[algirdas]

Dear Marie:

But seriously, how do you REALLY feel?

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[Enright]

Oh NOOO!

I'm so sorry to hear about that Marie - I reckon you have one of the nicest, most tastefully done and individual Elans out there, and to hear that that's happened is really quite upsetting.
What the hell have these wasters got for brains?

I just hope some good comes of it.

Here's a thought - Kuching's rear window with it's "overhang" looked brilliant.
And LCC has just posted one on his black Elan which has a very nice looking ridge along each side - see here.

If you could make a something that combined the two, you'd probably have the perfect design!

[Doug]

Marie,

that SUX !!

bet you want to put your 4" high heel into that guy's temple!

happy to hear you will have a sweet hardtop on her in the future though --- maybe you should go to Donington and pick up one of Simons and bring it back.

I'm just wondering about what style choices you will go with for the top? . . .

[Ekapol]

Yep now I'm pissed off!!!!! Ooooooo I'm soo mad!!!!

Marie,

Sorry for your loss. I recall you recently told me about your good job on fitting the new hood too.

1st the trunk then the hood. Time to get a bodyguard for your Elan. Kjeld story also wasn't long time ago

Thing likes this makes me mad

[Hegg]

Those are the things I hate to hear! What possesses people to do things like that?!?

So sorry lotusgirlmarie!

[lotusgirlmarie]

Thank you all for your support with this. Ona good note and perhaps of useful information, The new top is from a company in North Carolina called Kee. They are the supplier for topsonline.com. There are 2 options for the canvas for the elan. Sadly enough the top I had on my car was the more expensive of the 2 but I can attest to its quality. The rain gutters are slightly longer and the build IMHO is far supperior to the factory piece as they have taken into account the wear points that trimtech did not. the new Canvas will be arriving on Friday and will be my project for Monday.

On to the hard top. I've already mapped out how I will be doing the framing in aluminum. I have the carbon fiber weave for doing the skin. Should be a fun project. Unfortunate though about the circumstances of it though.

[Doug]

what color you planning for the softtop and the hardtop?

[lotusgirlmarie]

Black of course.... for both. I rather like the look of the black canvas on the white car.

All I need now is some silicone adhesive to finish the install. Pics to come later today of the new soft top.

[M100 TWO]

Marie the hard top needs to be able to be flexible, in the way it is lined up as Kuchings design needed lining up at the back and the top rail which meant a lot of jigging about to get it to fit, which is why Paul Matty stopped selling them as no two cars were of the the same dimensions
john

[lotusgirlmarie]

Here are some pics of the new soft top. You can see what I mean by the rain gutters are substantially longer. Fit and finish are as good if not better than factory.

[Hegg]

Sure hope this one does not have the same demise as your last. I wonder if you could run a 40,000 volt electric current through it whenever you had the car parked or something.....

The new top does look good though. Do you recommend the topsonline.com place for getting one? Good to deal with and quick and all that?

[lotusgirlmarie]

They seemed pretty cool to me. The one thing I didn't want to do was to wait 2 extra weeks for the top though. thats why I ordered it straight away from Kee. 2 days and it was here. If you have the time topsonnline would be fine. For me, I like the manu better. + they can help me out better with sealants and the like. Another kinda cool thing about Kee is if you have a few extra quid you can get it in custom colours. Very cool.

[Hegg]

Does the rear window on those unzip? Or still just sewed in permanently like stock?

[lotusgirlmarie]

Sewn in, just like stock. The major differences are the thickness of the material, the rain gutters and of course the price. Other than that its just like stock.

[Gazza]

Out of interest, how much was it?

Gary

[lotusgirlmarie]

504USD including two day shipping to my door. Shipping was $62 of the total price......Ouch.