Chim Hard Top Pics
Discussion
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.
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.
Phil
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.
Phil
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.
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.
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.Yes - here it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmswN9M_-I
http://www.steve-edwards.com/tvr_grp_projects.php
Phil
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.....
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.
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.
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.Yes - here it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmswN9M_-I
http://www.steve-edwards.com/tvr_grp_projects.php
Phil
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Phil
Unless its pissing it down and below minus 10 degrees you never have the roof up anyway!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.
Phil
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.
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.
Phil
Unless its pissing it down and below minus 10 degrees you never have the roof up anyway!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.
Phil
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