Split-Roof for Griffith ?
Split-Roof for Griffith ?
Author
Discussion

LastLawyer

Original Poster:

135 posts

264 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
Dear TVR folks,

for all-days s-drivers it´s a very nervkilling thing that the Griff has a very nice roof but the S has a splitted one wich goes simply faster into the luggage department, cause of it´s dimensions. driving an S means to stop at the lights, take the roof off and just put it in the luggage Dp. Driving a Big-G means that you have to stop, look for a free bus-stop, take the roof off and then really have to "work" it in the cars luggage-Dp.

That´s not what i understand anymore. & probably a reason to buy a chimmie. But that´s not my aim. So - please - let me know if there´s anybody out there who sells an S-Type kind alike split-roof for the Big G.

Otherwise i´ll split my roof and work out a perfect solution.

Please let me know what you all think about that. an allways remind: even in GB the weather was never as warm as it is these times.

Cheers and let me know. Many thanks in advance.

Sincerelly

Jerko Usmiani

jeboa

547 posts

290 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Would be shame to split the roof - I'm pretty sure it wouldn't look that great. Plus - it'd be another potential rattle!

Do you still have the spacesaver in the boot? I've relegated mine to the garage, and replaced with 2 tins of Tyreweld. With the spare wheel out of the way the roof slips in a lot easier.

I know that this renders the tyre useless after use, but it is rarely the case a puncture can be repaired. I would consider repairing a tyre for a Ford Fiesta, but I would definately replace a puntured tyre for the Grif with a brand new one.

Tyreweld is standard fitment on a lot of cars now, although they are slowy moving to run-flats instead.

shadowfax

1,104 posts

270 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Agree with the point. Right p.i.t.a it is in weather that is changeable. Gonna say the roofs up & down like a whore's knickers, but if that happened so slowly and with such a palava, she'd be out of work in no time. As for 'fiddlers' elbows', the rest of the orchestra would be over the page.

How I miss the wedge's roof change. Now if a new folding hood were made with a slightly longer leading edge, to enable a shorter hard top section that would fit flat onto a shelf in the boot, like they seem to have revived in the tuscan, a la wedge, now that WOULD be bliss.

>> Edited by shadowfax on Thursday 13th April 06:59

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

277 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Leven are "working" on a two-piece roof for the Griffith and Chimaera. They have been developing it since before Pistonfest 2004, where I tried the first prototype on our Griff. I know they have been having real problems in getting somebody to actually make the pieces (which, unless you look down on the car, do actually still look like a one-piece), so if anybody knows a fibreglass/carbon fibre company with a bit of spare capacity, maybe you could drop a line to Simon or Julie at Leven?

JR

14,332 posts

287 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
Leven are "working" on a two-piece roof for the Griffith and Chimaera. They have been developing it since before Pistonfest 2004, where I tried the first prototype on our Griff. I know they have been having real problems in getting somebody to actually make the pieces,... so if anybody knows a fibreglass/carbon fibre company with a bit of spare capacity, maybe you could drop a line to Simon or Julie at Leven?

Two years is a long, long time... have they tried TET, Carbon Al, ACT, plasticman?

number 7

4,113 posts

291 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Didn't RT Racing do these a few years back? Might be worth a call.

7.

red griff 500

280 posts

271 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
i PHONED lEVEN ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO SEE HOW THEY WERE DOING WITH THIS AND THE VERY NICE LADY THERE SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT PROGRESSING IT THAT TIME BECAUSE OF OTHER STUFF, BUT THEY WOULD BE PICKING THIS JOB UP AGAIN AT ABOUT XMAS (2005)!

mAYBE SOMEONE COULD GIVE THEM ANOTHER TINKLE!

The Moosehunter

1,165 posts

254 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Probably a dumbass suggestion but, imagine having a 2 part roof, made out of laminated glass.

How cool !!

Stands back and awaits the taunting

crackedfinger

1,569 posts

258 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
Might be a bit heavy?

The Moosehunter

1,165 posts

254 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
crackedfinger said:
Might be a bit heavy?


Acrylic then ?

gsw500

656 posts

268 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
I wouldnt mind seeing an acrylic see-through 2 piece roof for the Griff.
I'm sure someone within the plastics industry could come up with an idea for this.
Or even colour coded to match car(sprayed)..
I'm thinking maybe one of the two halves could be rebated as with the rear section so the other slotted in and a channel routed out down the middle and over the two sides just before the targa section to allow water run off.

Any ideas anyone..

Gsw500.

BIG DUNC

1,925 posts

252 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
A know that wedge automotive ( now RT racing ) used to advertise these. I have always thought it would be a good idea, but would want to try before I buy, as a poor fit could lead to rattles and leaks. However, if you kept the original roof you could keep that in the garage and fit it on the car on days you knew the roof was going to stay on, and just use the 2 part roof on days when it was likely to be on & off frequently.
I have just looked in the RT 2006 catalogue, and there is no mention of it. I wonder if there was enough interest Richard would make another batch ( or was there a reason he stopped selling them?? )

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

32,007 posts

264 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
Leven are "working" on a two-piece roof for the Griffith and Chimaera.


Would be superfluous for the Chimaera. After a little practice it is a lightening job...

unlike the Griff

griffter

4,143 posts

284 months

Thursday 13th April 2006
quotequote all
The 83-89 (at least) Porsche 911 targa has a folding targa section. It looks like a hard section when it's on but it actually folds down thanks to a folding support frame. Somethine like that would be cool - if a little complex. The problem with manufacturing these sorts of things and selling them for the after-market is liability. If it flies off and hits following traffic, the consequences could be expensive, not to say tragic.

LastLawyer

Original Poster:

135 posts

264 months

Sunday 16th April 2006
quotequote all
Happy Easter all together,

searching the www the whole day now for a company that sells the hardtop-roof-section for a griff. does someone of you propably know a dealer ? would prefer a used part with worn mohair because am personally going to split it !!! can´t be such a great problem and my s-type roof is not leaking that much that it would be indiscussable to drive the griff with a similar roof.

many thanks in advance

Jerko

griffter

4,143 posts

284 months

Sunday 16th April 2006
quotequote all
There's one in the classifieds. I thought about buying and splitting it, but I've just had mine recovered, so I'll pass. I mean how hard can it be to fabricate a seal and fit some clasps?

www.pistonheads.com/sales/73348.htm

Please let us know how you get.

LastLawyer

Original Poster:

135 posts

264 months

Friday 21st April 2006
quotequote all
Thanks a lot griffter. Some seconds ago mailed the offerer. Letz see what happens. Will let you know.

plasticman

908 posts

280 months

Friday 21st April 2006
quotequote all
Leven spoke to me about this quite some time ago . What they wanted to do was make a split roof but just using the top shell so it would save even more space . You could just use them for weekends if you were carrying a lot of baggage and retain the original roof for the rest of the time. If leven don`t want to do it I am sure it could be done quite easily , David

LastLawyer

Original Poster:

135 posts

264 months

Friday 21st April 2006
quotequote all
Hi David,

you wrote:

.. What they wanted to do was make a split roof but just using the top shell so it would save even more space ...

Do you mean that they just wanted to work out the targa roof section kind of a porsche targa ? this wouldn´t fit my needs as it would be a real "softtop" and so very problematic when driving very fast and f.e. with open windows.

However, hear the "Leven-Thing" very often but nothing really happens with them. Probably there ist simply not any real need for such a roof and i personally think, that Leven will only produce it, when it makes financial sense for them. Can´t see that point right now.







plasticman

908 posts

280 months

Friday 21st April 2006
quotequote all
No , I meant the top half of the targa panel ie. the bit that is covered in fabric and omiting the carbon fibre lower skin