Hardtop for a Seven?! Ha, you might as well make one for a motorbike. That's been the general reaction on threads here where someone's asked the question, but the odd few have said it'd make the car much more useable for long-distance touring, for example.
Designer Howlett has a background Lolas
Racecar engineer Rich Howlett was getting cheesed off with the British weather while heading to shows in his singular, V8-powered Dax Rush and so decided to set about creating a hardtop that could be adapted for all Lotus Seven alikes. It's a tough thing to do given how much it changes the look of the car, but we thought it was pretty successful visually, at least on the Dax.
"It had to look like it was part of the original car," he told us. "My work in wind tunnels taught me it needed to have a line that flows."
Howlett did most of his racecar work with Lola building prototypes so he knew how build patterns and moulds to create the GRP top. He reckons it'd weigh about 28kg for the Caterham, including the removable roof panels, doors and acrylic windows. His is permanently secured but says a removable one would be easy to create by switching the M6 bolts for Dzus quarter turn fasteners at the back and using the same two centre catches that secure the soft top at the front.
The removable roof panels are important, he reckons. They stow in the boot so if the sun got its act together on an otherwise rain-sodden trip you'd be able to take advantage.
Hardtop frees up a modicum of touring boot space
At the recent Stoneleigh kit car show, he reckoned it was appealing to
Caterham Seven
owners wanting easier European touring: "The soft-top takes up so much luggage space when it's stowed, but this way you don't lose boot space." he said. There's still plenty of room even with the roof panels packed away, he reckons.
He'll produce a roof for any Seven, Caterhams included, if there's enough interest. Price he estimates will be £3,900 including VAT for the full kit with doors, windows, roof panels, or £3,330 without the panels (might make getting in and out pretty difficult!). Find out more here.