How i want my car to look

[dalla]

Hi guys

I just did this quick photoshop of what i ideally want to do to my car. I've got the doors on order, and then my plan is to construct a hardtop that goes with them. What do you think?
I'am also going to remove the spare wheel, but i couldn't be bothered with doing that in Photoshop.

[Furyblade_Lee]

That looks pretty cool. You could probobly sell a few as well. A guy did one a few years back, a hardtop for a Caterham 7. Caterham were not interested in marketing it, so I believe Mark Fisher took on the prototype building for the guy. Had gullwing doors I believe. Anyone know what happened to it????

[dalla]

Furyblade_Lee said:

That looks pretty cool. You could probobly sell a few as well. A guy did one a few years back, a hardtop for a Caterham 7. Caterham were not interested in marketing it, so I believe Mark Fisher took on the prototype building for the guy. Had gullwing doors I believe. Anyone know what happened to it????

OK never seen that one. But i've seen pics of a one off (i think) that westfield built. It had a non removeable hardtop.

[LocoBlade]

I think you might find that the roof will be too low if you keep it horizontal, so might need to slope it backwards to make it practical.

[Davi]

Looks great, shouldn't be at all difficult to do either.

Only question is.... are you one of those gymnast types that can pour themselves through a letterbox? If not, how are you going to get in?

[BoRED S2upid]

Interesting. I am sure you could have a good business idea for a Westfield hard top. How many posts do we get in here asking if you can park a kitcar outside and if its usable as an everyday car, with a hardtop both answers are yes!.

As for getting into a Westy with a hardtop ive got into a Westy with the soft top up so cant be that difficult, hows about a hinge at the back so you can unclip front of hardtop to allow easier access then when your in clip everything back around you.

[FlossyThePig]

Davi said:

Only question is.... are you one of those gymnast types that can pour themselves through a letterbox? If not, how are you going to get in?

Exactly the same way as when the hood is in place.

[dalla]

BoRED S2upid said:

Interesting. I am sure you could have a good business idea for a Westfield hard top. How many posts do we get in here asking if you can park a kitcar outside and if its usable as an everyday car, with a hardtop both answers are yes!.

As for getting into a Westy with a hardtop ive got into a Westy with the soft top up so cant be that difficult, hows about a hinge at the back so you can unclip front of hardtop to allow easier access then when your in clip everything back around you.

Yeah i've been thinking about the hinges myself, that might be a sollution. I might also have to make some GT40 style bubbles in the roof or something

[polus]

Its a shame that orange zolfe dont sell there body to be compatible with a seven chassis (after a few mods).

[haggle]

why not just have the door cut into the roof and raise with it like a hybrid lambo style gt40 door to make some more room for the gymasticly challanged among us

[dalla]

haggle said:

why not just have the door cut into the roof and raise with it like a hybrid lambo style gt40 door to make some more room for the gymasticly challanged among us

I've allready ordered the doors, so that is not possible. Also i would like to be able to use the doors without the roof on.

[python1]

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

[dalla]

python1 said:

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

Cheers mate. Can't wait to i get the doors, so i can get started on planning how to make the hardtop. If anyone have and suggestions/tips they are more than welcome.

[Davi]

dalla said:

python1 said:

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

Cheers mate. Can't wait to i get the doors, so i can get started on planning how to make the hardtop. If anyone have and suggestions/tips they are more than welcome.

plenty on here that have the relevant experience to help - it's not that tricky with something like this to be honest - you can either make a buck of wood and foam over the car, or get one CNC cut if you want to throw a bit of money at it. The last hardtop I made (carson top for a chopped beetle) the greatest problem was getting such a large constant compound curve over the length - I cheated, chopped the top off a 70's cortina estate and made just the side pieces out of wood, metal etc

You might find this a useful read...

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/howto/86421/

[dalla]

Davi said:

dalla said:

python1 said:

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

Cheers mate. Can't wait to i get the doors, so i can get started on planning how to make the hardtop. If anyone have and suggestions/tips they are more than welcome.

plenty on here that have the relevant experience to help - it's not that tricky with something like this to be honest - you can either make a buck of wood and foam over the car, or get one CNC cut if you want to throw a bit of money at it. The last hardtop I made (carson top for a chopped beetle) the greatest problem was getting such a large constant compound curve over the length - I cheated, chopped the top off a 70's cortina estate and made just the side pieces out of wood, metal etc

You might find this a useful read...

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/howto/86421/

Thanks alot mate. I was thinking about the buck thing, but i'am not to sure about how to lay up the fibre glass or what kind of fibre glass i should use.

[Davi]

dalla said:

Davi said:

dalla said:

python1 said:

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

Cheers mate. Can't wait to i get the doors, so i can get started on planning how to make the hardtop. If anyone have and suggestions/tips they are more than welcome.

plenty on here that have the relevant experience to help - it's not that tricky with something like this to be honest - you can either make a buck of wood and foam over the car, or get one CNC cut if you want to throw a bit of money at it. The last hardtop I made (carson top for a chopped beetle) the greatest problem was getting such a large constant compound curve over the length - I cheated, chopped the top off a 70's cortina estate and made just the side pieces out of wood, metal etc

You might find this a useful read...

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/howto/86421/

Thanks alot mate. I was thinking about the buck thing, but i'am not to sure about how to lay up the fibre glass or what kind of fibre glass i should use.

Glass layup is pretty easy really, and not really critical on something like this. I'll try and find the link later to a step by step guide for you. Main choices you have are resin type (polyester or epoxy) & mat type (chopped strand, directional, woven, tissue). Ask 10 different glass workers what they'd use and you'll probably get 10 different answers!

Woven fabric will flex a hell of a lot more than chopped strand mat before breaking but isn't as rigid. It's also stronger the tighter the weave which makes layup difficult so for anything over 250gm2 its usually easier for hand layup to use chopped mat. If you go chopped mat, the binder they use to hold it all together doesn't get broken down properly by epoxy resin - the polyester resin actually dissolves the binder so much easier to work with and will penetrate far better.

Personally I don't like chopped strand mat that much and tend to use multiple layers of woven alternating the angle with each layer to give multi direction rigidity, using an epoxy resin. For a newbie to it I think this would probably be the hardest method though - chopped strand mat and polyester is very forgiving! About the only reason I can think of for you NOT going the polyester / CSM route is internal finish. The mould side of the part will come out as well as you make the mould, the inside however... have a look at early kit parts where they've used CSM... messy! You can improve that by vacuum bagging but then you are talking more investment and things to go wrong.

[GTRene]

take a look what Donkervoort makes, the D8 GT its a lovely car....I want one have seen it in the flesh its amazing!

http://www.donkervoort.nl/cars/d8gt.htm

GTRene

[dalla]

Davi said:

dalla said:

Davi said:

dalla said:

python1 said:

beautiful. go for it looks very menacing

Cheers mate. Can't wait to i get the doors, so i can get started on planning how to make the hardtop. If anyone have and suggestions/tips they are more than welcome.

plenty on here that have the relevant experience to help - it's not that tricky with something like this to be honest - you can either make a buck of wood and foam over the car, or get one CNC cut if you want to throw a bit of money at it. The last hardtop I made (carson top for a chopped beetle) the greatest problem was getting such a large constant compound curve over the length - I cheated, chopped the top off a 70's cortina estate and made just the side pieces out of wood, metal etc

You might find this a useful read...

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/howto/86421/

Thanks alot mate. I was thinking about the buck thing, but i'am not to sure about how to lay up the fibre glass or what kind of fibre glass i should use.

Glass layup is pretty easy really, and not really critical on something like this. I'll try and find the link later to a step by step guide for you. Main choices you have are resin type (polyester or epoxy) & mat type (chopped strand, directional, woven, tissue). Ask 10 different glass workers what they'd use and you'll probably get 10 different answers!

Woven fabric will flex a hell of a lot more than chopped strand mat before breaking but isn't as rigid. It's also stronger the tighter the weave which makes layup difficult so for anything over 250gm2 its usually easier for hand layup to use chopped mat. If you go chopped mat, the binder they use to hold it all together doesn't get broken down properly by epoxy resin - the polyester resin actually dissolves the binder so much easier to work with and will penetrate far better.

Personally I don't like chopped strand mat that much and tend to use multiple layers of woven alternating the angle with each layer to give multi direction rigidity, using an epoxy resin. For a newbie to it I think this would probably be the hardest method though - chopped strand mat and polyester is very forgiving! About the only reason I can think of for you NOT going the polyester / CSM route is internal finish. The mould side of the part will come out as well as you make the mould, the inside however... have a look at early kit parts where they've used CSM... messy! You can improve that by vacuum bagging but then you are talking more investment and things to go wrong.

Thanks a lot mate. That was exactly what i was after. I would love to see that link you talked about.
As for the polyester being a bit rough on the inside, that doesent really matter as i plan cover the roof with some kind of fabric/leather.

Thanks alot
Dennis

[Davi]

had a look for the link for you last night, unfortunately it's no longer available. I'd recommend you pop to the local library and have a look for a book on the subject - as I say it's not difficult, but there are lots of tips and tricks that will make the job a great deal easier!

It's also worth trying to make friends with a local fibreglass fabricator, best source is through a supplier!

One tip off the top of my head - if you go the polyester resin route, don't clear up any spilled hardener with a cloth - it can self ignite, which is... surprising... first time it happens!!!

[Sam_68]

BoRED S2upid said:

Interesting. I am sure you could have a good business idea for a Westfield hard top.

Westfield themselves produced a fairly high-quality gullwing hard-top a number of years ago.

Oddly, it was dropped due to lack of demand. It did look very smart, though.