Built a hard top for my Westfield
Discussion
Just completed building a hardtop for the Westfield using bits leftover from building a canoe. First time it's had a lid since I fitted a bigger RAC MSA rollover bar in 2003 !
Why build a hardtop for the Westfield, simple, I can't currently justify £500 + for a new softtop. Anyway, it's not currently a completely enclosed one. I intend to have removable side & back panels when I get the time.
If I get the time I might use this one as a pattern for a GRP mould and make a roof with lift out Targa top like panels. Mind you, it's taken me a year to get this done so don't hold your breath.
Still testing it. Only got to drive the car with the roof fitted for the first time this evening. I'll let you know how it goes. One thing though, I've definitely "filled out" in the last thirteen years since I last squeezed into it with the roof up.
Unashamed plug for the Youtube vid here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He8-yzX4G8Q
Why build a hardtop for the Westfield, simple, I can't currently justify £500 + for a new softtop. Anyway, it's not currently a completely enclosed one. I intend to have removable side & back panels when I get the time.
If I get the time I might use this one as a pattern for a GRP mould and make a roof with lift out Targa top like panels. Mind you, it's taken me a year to get this done so don't hold your breath.
Still testing it. Only got to drive the car with the roof fitted for the first time this evening. I'll let you know how it goes. One thing though, I've definitely "filled out" in the last thirteen years since I last squeezed into it with the roof up.
Unashamed plug for the Youtube vid here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He8-yzX4G8Q
Nice job. I've been thinking of getting a kit car for a while now. Haven't taken the plunge yet, partly due to not having a garage at the moment. But also because I don't want an expensive toy only to leave it parked up any time it's not warm. A hardtop would be the answer. Love your design. It looks great, just like it was made for the car. Clean lines and a really natural shape mimicking the hood.
You know, this subject has come up a few times on various forums. Every time someone asks why more Locaterfield owners don't make hardtops for their cars, the general consensus seems to be either that it's too hard to get in and out without gullwings, too difficult to make one with gullwings or that we should just man up and drive the cars any weather without weather gear. I just don't buy that. How is it that many owners will take on the considerable hassle of an engine swap, generally considered to be a winter project, but they won't spend a few weekends experimenting with a bit of fibre glass or aluminium sheet? Surely, a car you can drive any day of the year without catching a cold has got to be a good thing.
I like what you've done, and I've also seen some awesome fully enclosed designs owners have fabricated. Keep up the good work. Let us know if you add some new panels to it. If and when I do get a kit car, this is what I'll be doing. Hardtop, doors and heater.
You know, this subject has come up a few times on various forums. Every time someone asks why more Locaterfield owners don't make hardtops for their cars, the general consensus seems to be either that it's too hard to get in and out without gullwings, too difficult to make one with gullwings or that we should just man up and drive the cars any weather without weather gear. I just don't buy that. How is it that many owners will take on the considerable hassle of an engine swap, generally considered to be a winter project, but they won't spend a few weekends experimenting with a bit of fibre glass or aluminium sheet? Surely, a car you can drive any day of the year without catching a cold has got to be a good thing.
I like what you've done, and I've also seen some awesome fully enclosed designs owners have fabricated. Keep up the good work. Let us know if you add some new panels to it. If and when I do get a kit car, this is what I'll be doing. Hardtop, doors and heater.
Yazza54 said:
As above, surprised more people haven't done this. Major draw back of owning a car like this.
WFT!!! major draw back of kit cars is that they are really a fine weather toy. AS mine is most of the time. Apart from Euro trips.Personally I think the heard top looks horrid. I would rather done a lid and waterproofs as I've done over the past 13 years of owning a kit car with no roof. then ever getting a roof or worse. A hard top.
Mind you from the look of the pics above it's going to be fun when you tip it over and use it on the snow slopes.
RemaL said:
Yazza54 said:
As above, surprised more people haven't done this. Major draw back of owning a car like this.
WFT!!! major draw back of kit cars is that they are really a fine weather toy. AS mine is most of the time. Apart from Euro trips.Personally I think the heard top looks horrid. I would rather done a lid and waterproofs as I've done over the past 13 years of owning a kit car with no roof. then ever getting a roof or worse. A hard top.
Mind you from the look of the pics above it's going to be fun when you tip it over and use it on the snow slopes.
Each to their own I guess, I'd rather just take the bike out for a raw experience.
It does look nicely constructed, and reminds me of a Buggy roof.
I think you missed a trick by having fixed bolts at the front. If it had a couple of clips accessible from the drivers seat and a hinge at the back, the roof could lift and enable easy access.
I have a soft Bits For Sevens Half Hood on my Seven with an easy access zip. Definitely not as waterproof, but the ability to store it in/on the boot and put it up in a few seconds makes it the best solution I have seen so far
I think you missed a trick by having fixed bolts at the front. If it had a couple of clips accessible from the drivers seat and a hinge at the back, the roof could lift and enable easy access.
I have a soft Bits For Sevens Half Hood on my Seven with an easy access zip. Definitely not as waterproof, but the ability to store it in/on the boot and put it up in a few seconds makes it the best solution I have seen so far
Yazza54 said:
RemaL said:
Yazza54 said:
As above, surprised more people haven't done this. Major draw back of owning a car like this.
WFT!!! major draw back of kit cars is that they are really a fine weather toy. AS mine is most of the time. Apart from Euro trips.Personally I think the heard top looks horrid. I would rather done a lid and waterproofs as I've done over the past 13 years of owning a kit car with no roof. then ever getting a roof or worse. A hard top.
Mind you from the look of the pics above it's going to be fun when you tip it over and use it on the snow slopes.
Each to their own I guess, I'd rather just take the bike out for a raw experience.
The main point of this hardtop is so I can use it during the crap weather. My children like doing the school run in it when the opportunity arises and I like to take it into work as much as possible, partly as a last stand resistance to all the modern clone boxes - that's another thread/rant. Not as many classics in the car park as 20 years ago when I started.
I used the Westfield as my only car for the first 15 months I had it with a softtop which did the trick well (overspend = bye bye Astra). However 7 years later, having seen how some fellow rally competitors only just survive when their Sylva Pheonix slid down the road upside down with a full RAC MSA roll bar keeping them alive, I decided it was best I fitted one to the Westfield. This was in place of the seat belt mounting hoop which probably would have just folded over. This meant the old hood no longer fitted. Now having three children I can't justify £550 for a new softtop, which I would prefer.
Having spent 13 years without a roof for it I fancied a bit of warmth and dryness now & then. I have full motorcycle weather gear but have got a bit fed up with the faff (getting old ?). I had some materials left over from building a canoe so now I have a hard top for 1/5 the price of a hood. It's also to help protect the car in the car park if the weather turns nasty during the day.
Styling ? yeah, I'm not entirely happy with it but it does what it's built to do + I don't think it's as bad as some of the abominations out there. Each to their own. It is basically a hard version of the soft top design and is still evolving.
Anyway, I have contemplated having Targa style lift out panels and adding the side back panels but I'm leaving it as it is for now. Petrolhead time is now taken up with a '71 Beetle I'm using to teach my lads (13 & 11) the old Sorcerers ways of angle grinding (I help), welding, shearing off rusty bolts and tinkering with carburetor engines etc. They are quite enthusiastic, though I haven't got them out there since it got cold. I even have problems getting myself out there.
I used the Westfield as my only car for the first 15 months I had it with a softtop which did the trick well (overspend = bye bye Astra). However 7 years later, having seen how some fellow rally competitors only just survive when their Sylva Pheonix slid down the road upside down with a full RAC MSA roll bar keeping them alive, I decided it was best I fitted one to the Westfield. This was in place of the seat belt mounting hoop which probably would have just folded over. This meant the old hood no longer fitted. Now having three children I can't justify £550 for a new softtop, which I would prefer.
Having spent 13 years without a roof for it I fancied a bit of warmth and dryness now & then. I have full motorcycle weather gear but have got a bit fed up with the faff (getting old ?). I had some materials left over from building a canoe so now I have a hard top for 1/5 the price of a hood. It's also to help protect the car in the car park if the weather turns nasty during the day.
Styling ? yeah, I'm not entirely happy with it but it does what it's built to do + I don't think it's as bad as some of the abominations out there. Each to their own. It is basically a hard version of the soft top design and is still evolving.
Anyway, I have contemplated having Targa style lift out panels and adding the side back panels but I'm leaving it as it is for now. Petrolhead time is now taken up with a '71 Beetle I'm using to teach my lads (13 & 11) the old Sorcerers ways of angle grinding (I help), welding, shearing off rusty bolts and tinkering with carburetor engines etc. They are quite enthusiastic, though I haven't got them out there since it got cold. I even have problems getting myself out there.
My daughter raced at Le Mans this year and my wife and I went over to support her using wives MX5 and the weather was atrocious with much heavy rain. However what really surprised us was the several Sevenesque cars we passed that were soaked as they made their way to and from the event. I have my own special sevenesque car that has no screen and would not want travel far in it so I respect those that do. Good idea that hardtop but I cannot see many using it if you made it possible because I reckon most kit car folk are quite mad, and that includes me.
Johnny5hoods said:
Scroll half way down page for hilarious picture of an awesome Caterham/VW Beetle hybrid! Best car conversion I've ever seen, and best ever seven hardtop solution. Just look at it and tell me you're not smiling. Bit heavy perhaps, and probably slightly higher centre of gravity, but jaws must drop everywhere that car goes! Imagine going to a car show and booking yourself a slot in both the Caterham area AND the classic VW area! I really take my hat off to whoever did this. Could this be the best modified car of all time???
http://desktopbackgroundshub.com/caterham-hardtop/...
I just got a virus alert from this page. BEWARE!!!http://desktopbackgroundshub.com/caterham-hardtop/...
Apologies for that link. On visiting it a second time, I too got a virus alert. I have deleted it. Many thanks to Spyder Dryver for letting us know. The link was to a picture of a very funny Caterham/Beetle hybrid. Perhaps a safer way to view it, is simply to go on to Google, type in "Caterham hard top", and clink on "images for caterham hard top", scroll down the page just a little, and you can view the photo safely on Google.
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