Targa Noble

[mgbond]

Here is one for you all.

A friend of mine is considering putting a Audi turbo lump in his S2 elise or Buying a 3/3R.

His main concern with the Noble is that he likes the roof off feel he gets from the Elise.

The question is this:

Has anyone done or is thinking of a way to make the Noble a targa, so the roof pannel could be removed?

Your thoughts and insults are welcome. lol

Bondy

[Gadgeroonie]

the roof on the car is fibreglass so in theory should be easy to do

I do miss the open top feel of my Elise too

I reckon if you could cut it neatly then you could put rubber over the edges and it would all fit back together nicely

the problem is where do you stow the roof when out for a blat ?

maybe have an optional soft top in case it rains


this is a Job for Urb I reckon !

[snuffy]

What was that company that tried to do something similar - Salica or something or other. You know, the one with the crayon pictures drawn by a 4 year old.

[Blu3R]

Yes it was Salica, they made that hideous orange thing. It would have been nice if they'd been able to pull it off without huge body mods but alas.....

You could always go for a soft top like Gadge says. A fabric membrane over a colapsable steel frame that could tuck behind the passenger seat maybe?

[node]

Gadgeroonie said:

the problem is where do you stow the roof when out for a blat ?

only thing i can think of off the top of my head is to have some sort of bike rack thing attached to the rear of the car which the roof can clip onto.

i think a topless M12 could work,great idea

[D_G]

You'd just have to have a removable sunroof type panel due to the rollcage. Unless the rollbar was modified to run through the middle, then there would be the issue of sealing on the windows, would love to see one though if someone is brave enough to get the jigsaw out!

[AMG Merc]

Noble thought about it...

http://www.supercars.net/cars/2227.html

Factory spec sheet...
www.lotus-elise.org.uk/GTC/M12%20GTC.pdf

[snuffy]

If cars are originally designed as a hard top then I think they always look a bit crap if they are modified. If it's a open top to start with ( like the Elise ) then they look fine.

In fact, I reckon cars that are made into soft top by the factory (BMW, Saab etc) when they are clearly designed to be hard topped actually make you look gay driving them.

[R0162]

I actually thought about doing this mod myself during the rebuild, it can be done, the difficult part of the job is getting the panels to seal water tight, to create it you need depth and a secondary framework and rubbers.
The two panels when removed will sit behind the driver and passenger seat, just needs a quick relaese system, 1/2 turn clips attaching to the removeable panels and the counterpart on the roof, same as what is us to release and clamp down soft tops.
Unfortunately there is nothing can be done about the roll cage, but i do not think it will stand out too much and the overall affect can still be achieved.

[mgbond]

I was thinking more like a Targa. A pannel that removes from above the passenger and driver with the centre of the roof in tact. The pannel removed could go right up to the window and could possibly secure to the roll cage. (yes when off you will still see the roll cage as there is no point moving it).

The panels might then fit behind seats, could even have something like they did for the Elise where the panels also hinged up like a gul wings to aid entry and exit?



I was also thinking Urb's the man. Lol

Bondy

Edited by mgbond on Monday 31st October 14:56

[Blu3R]

AMG Merc said:

Factory spec sheet...
www.lotus-elise.org.uk/GTC/M12%20GTC.pdf

That looks great, I'd have bought one over a coupe.

[Lucozade]

I always liked the GTC, such a pity it never made production.

Wasn't it a single turbo too?

[Daisy Duke]

Lucozade said:

I always liked the GTC, such a pity it never made production.

Wasn't it a single turbo too?

Yes it was a single turbo due to the need to make room for the roof to fold into the engine bay. When the prototype was shown at the Motorshow, it was very popular, with many orders taken. However, when it couldn't be made due to various production issues and the fact that people were unhappy with it only having one turbo, Lee, in a fit of pique, chopped the prototype up.

[playalistic]

snuffy said:

If cars are originally designed as a hard top then I think they always look a bit crap if they are modified. If it's a open top to start with ( like the Elise ) then they look fine.

In fact, I reckon cars that are made into soft top by the factory (BMW, Saab etc) when they are clearly designed to be hard topped actually make you look gay driving them.

Harsh, but fair

[node]

a solid glass roof could be quite nice too as a direct replacement for the original section.

[andygtt]

a noble with a sunroof?

[node]

andygtt said:

a noble with a sunroof?

it dosent need to open like a typical sunroof, it could be used to throw in a lot of light making the cabin feel larger than usual.

[D_G]

I do quite like my quilted headlining tho.... maybe glass panel with removable sunblind.

[R0162]

Anyway if he is thinking about the Audi turbo in an S2, there are better options, not the supercharged K20 either, 2.3l duratec is the best modification by far, 300 - 320bhp naturally aspirated, loads of torque and a saving of 60kg overall compared to the Audi.

[arabian]

Boy, am i glad this topic has come up again as i have been thinking about this all year. I love the M12 but also want open top motoring. I cant afford a gallardo which i reckon is the closest you'd get to a convertible M12. I've tied myself up in knots over how it would look, how it would affect the handling and how it would affect the re-sale.

having looked at the 2 links, i love the yellow convertible, but dont like the factory spec one. I was thinking along the lines of the single panel but conscious of where to stow it so i like the idea of the elise style roof or the 2 targa style panels.

Could the roll cage be relocated anywhere without completely stuffing the rigidity of the car ?

I think it could work well, but it's all about who has the balls to give it a go first !

Anyone got any idea how much it would cost to replace the roof if it all went wrong ?