Chim Hard Top Pics

Chim Hard Top Pics

Author
Discussion

Alexdaredevilz

5,697 posts

178 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Start the ball rolling at £1200?

V8 GRF

7,294 posts

209 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Having had experience with the split hard top I was involved with at S&D and knowing some of what Steve Edwards' project cost I'd suggest you'll looking at £2k+ for something properly trimmed, finished and painted.

Quality is not cheap.

Bassfiend

5,530 posts

249 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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It's a difficult discussion to have - there is a stload of work involved in making one of these and I acknowledge that but at the same time these are no longer high value cars - £2k is a third of the value of my car as a whole. biggrin

HaircutMike suggested £1250 earlier (which is in line with the £1200 mentioned above by AlexDaredevilz) and I could manage to justify that to myself.

The problem would come with the actual practicalities of using the hard top ... it isn't going to be usable over the existing folding rear so that means that you would have to completely remove the existing folding roof and I don't see it being feasible to pop back the folding roof for what passes for our summer ... so - after consideration - I think like a Dragon in their Den I'll have to say "I'm out" because much as I love how this looks and ideally one would be perfect if I knew I could get away with "roof off til I come back home" I think I'll just have to get my roof recovered and a smaller window cut. frown

Phil


TV8

3,118 posts

174 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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My Stag had a hard top but apart from the day I collected it from the previous owner, it was never used. Prety certain I wouldnt use it!

ChimpofDarkness

9,637 posts

178 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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I say each to their own but personally I'm with Phil, my TVR roof is (and has always been) 100% watertight even in the nastiest monsoon conditions.

All it's had is one Renovo treatment as a precautionary measure.

When I eventually need a new roof it will get a flat rear window with a zip so it never needs folding meaning it should last significantly longer.

I would complement it with a Surface & Design split targa panel, giving two smaller & more manageable panels.

A split targa should allow you to store one half attached to the underside of the boot lid, leaving you with the other half sitting on top of your luggage.

If you have a full boot full of luggage both halves would be quickly accessible in the event of a downpour.

Well that's my plan anyway, but like I say each to their own.

I do like the shape of the hard top you guys have unearthed though.

Warwick67

418 posts

213 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Alexdaredevilz said:
Start the ball rolling at £1200?
Good pitch.....

Warwick67

418 posts

213 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Bassfiend said:
Isn't there someone that already makes a "hard" replacement for the fold down rear section already?

Yes - here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmswN9M_-I

http://www.steve-edwards.com/tvr_grp_projects.php

Phil
Phil, yes but, honestly, unless you feel passionately about colour coding your roof I dont see how its and improvement over the one I already have.

Plus, with the hard back bit you have the extra embuggerment of trying to fit it into a boot which is full of stuff. So you've packed for a WE at Le Mans, it raining so you set off with the roof up, sun comes out, what you gonna do, unpack the whole boot to get your top off - dont think so.

Also for me, what now seems to be called the Malaysian top is also seriously good looking, really enhances the Chimp, its either on or off - works for me... The other thing that would be interesting is a proper full length soft top that actually folds out of the way, for that English weather when your boot is full.....

haircutmike

21,844 posts

203 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Dave is right, £2K may be nearer the finished item price, it will all depend on demand.

An option might be for the DIYers to supply the finished shell that requires trim and paint.

For me I would keep it on in winter and bolt the hood on for summer.

It doed look seriously good and would compliment my style of car.

Bassfiend

5,530 posts

249 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Warwick67 said:
Bassfiend said:
Isn't there someone that already makes a "hard" replacement for the fold down rear section already?

Yes - here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmswN9M_-I

http://www.steve-edwards.com/tvr_grp_projects.php

Phil
Phil, yes but, honestly, unless you feel passionately about colour coding your roof I dont see how its and improvement over the one I already have.
Well, unless you already have a hard top then it's an improvement over the existing soft top...

When it is removed it leaves a clean line rather than the messy folded back hoop and mass of fabric that obstructs the seat belt top runners.

It has a solid rear window which won't split or crack and I bet you it's a hell of a lot quieter for wind noise than the fabric rear section.

It gives you the option of keeping the back section on with just the roof panel in the boot for if you want "open air" without going fully alfresco.

It also gives you the option of setting off for a drive without having to decide "Will I need the roof later?" "Will it rain?" or "Is it going to be cold tonight when I drive back?"

Warwick67 said:
Plus, with the hard back bit you have the extra embuggerment of trying to fit it into a boot which is full of stuff. So you've packed for a WE at Le Mans, it raining so you set off with the roof up, sun comes out, what you gonna do, unpack the whole boot to get your top off - dont think so.
You make a perfectly good argument...

...if a perfectly good argument is saying "let's not have the option of having a roof that I can take off and put on at will so instead lets simply have a roof that I have to decide to take to Le Mans or leave at home full stop".

Warwick67 said:
Also for me, what now seems to be called the Malaysian top is also seriously good looking, really enhances the Chimp, its either on or off - works for me... The other thing that would be interesting is a proper full length soft top that actually folds out of the way, for that English weather when your boot is full.....
I agree - it looks bloody lovely and if I had the option I'd buy one myself. I can justify £1200(ish) on one.

Thing is, although my Chim spends most of its life with the roof panel in the boot and the roof folded down it does live outside and so has to have something over it or it gets full of leaves, birdst, cats and (as last weekend) a large muddy chocolate labrador. So that means either the normal half cover (with the current roof arrangement) or a tonneu cover if the rear fold down section was removed would still be needed.

At the end of the day I'd *LOVE* a proper hard top but it kills the practicality of the car if it's not garaged and it's used as a day-to-day transport ... if it's an occasional use vehicle that is garaged then fine, I can see how that would work.

Phil

Phil

Warwick67

418 posts

213 months

Sunday 3rd June 2012
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Phil,

All personal choice and value decision. Mine lives outside and gets used daily too. Its true the soft bit of the top is poorly designed, looks like something from the 60's, doesn't fold out of ths way, tries to tear itself appart every time you do fold it, etc. Stowing the roof section is a pain in the ar3e. For me personally, I cant see the point of replacing it with a different version of the same thing.

I think the "Malaysian top" looks great and would stay on the car through the winter, then swap for the original.

I had an Alfa GTV convertible a few years ago, it had an excellent soft top, lined and insulated, really as good as a hard top from a comfort point of view - a decent one piece soft top that actually does fold out of the way would sell, but probably cost a small fortune to develop.


rickprice

484 posts

237 months

Saturday 23rd June 2012
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The reason the hard top stays above the horizon is because of the pivot hinge and the fact that the rollover hoop impinges a bit on the inside of the car. If this could be redesigned then it should fold down, shouldn't it?

Rich

domV8

1,375 posts

180 months

Saturday 23rd June 2012
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Good idea, but I think you may have to remove the hood material from the bodywork anyway, in order to get the hardtop's clean lines so exact - especially the frame just below the quarter light..?

domV8

1,375 posts

180 months

Sunday 24th June 2012
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Not wanting to be the kind of guy to be critical of someone else's idea without having one himself - another idea to keep costs lower would be to re-use the existing roof.

A curved hard rear section only, that re-used the existing roof and was covered in the same material, could retain the curved shape, quarter lights and larger rear screen while remaining packable and costing less.

To link to an existing photo photo of the Tuscan2 over on the TVR Stuff forum, it would look something along the lines of this..:



To be fair, I think that part of the Malaysian Top's charm is that it is body coloured and painted - but were it to prove too expensive, this might be an alternative costing much less? (and when I saw the hood colours in the Tuscan thread it made me look again at this one!)


Dom

450Nick

4,027 posts

211 months

Sunday 24th June 2012
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I'd be interested in one if a mould were to be made. I know of a place it could be done for a very reasonable price too.

Alexdaredevilz

5,697 posts

178 months

Sunday 24th June 2012
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450Nick said:
I'd be interested in one if a mould were to be made. I know of a place it could be done for a very reasonable price too.
Be patient it's coming ;-)

domV8

1,375 posts

180 months

Sunday 24th June 2012
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I would too.

rickprice

484 posts

237 months

Tuesday 26th June 2012
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What about cannibalising a cerb roof somehow?

CHIMV8

2,768 posts

220 months

Tuesday 26th June 2012
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Bassfiend said:
It's a difficult discussion to have - there is a stload of work involved in making one of these and I acknowledge that but at the same time these are no longer high value cars - £2k is a third of the value of my car as a whole. biggrin

HaircutMike suggested £1250 earlier (which is in line with the £1200 mentioned above by AlexDaredevilz) and I could manage to justify that to myself.

The problem would come with the actual practicalities of using the hard top ... it isn't going to be usable over the existing folding rear so that means that you would have to completely remove the existing folding roof and I don't see it being feasible to pop back the folding roof for what passes for our summer ... so - after consideration - I think like a Dragon in their Den I'll have to say "I'm out" because much as I love how this looks and ideally one would be perfect if I knew I could get away with "roof off til I come back home" I think I'll just have to get my roof recovered and a smaller window cut. frown

Phil
Unless its pissing it down and below minus 10 degrees you never have the roof up anyway!

CHIMV8

2,768 posts

220 months

Tuesday 26th June 2012
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Bassfiend said:
It's a difficult discussion to have - there is a stload of work involved in making one of these and I acknowledge that but at the same time these are no longer high value cars - £2k is a third of the value of my car as a whole. biggrin

HaircutMike suggested £1250 earlier (which is in line with the £1200 mentioned above by AlexDaredevilz) and I could manage to justify that to myself.

The problem would come with the actual practicalities of using the hard top ... it isn't going to be usable over the existing folding rear so that means that you would have to completely remove the existing folding roof and I don't see it being feasible to pop back the folding roof for what passes for our summer ... so - after consideration - I think like a Dragon in their Den I'll have to say "I'm out" because much as I love how this looks and ideally one would be perfect if I knew I could get away with "roof off til I come back home" I think I'll just have to get my roof recovered and a smaller window cut. frown

Phil
Unless its pissing it down and below minus 10 degrees you never have the roof up anyway!

Alex 855

58 posts

168 months

Thursday 13th September 2012
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Any news about the Malaysian Hardtop?