Light weight roof panel

[BabyDriver]

I know what the stock answer to this question will be 'You should never have the roof up' but when leaving the TVR parked up unattended I feel it's safer with the roof on. The top is so heavy and cumbersome to get in and out of the boot. I was wondering has any one made a lighter one? Still a single piece but perhaps made out of a lighter fibreglass.

[FST 300]

Not that I am aware of but if it's space and lightweight you want then your best bet is a surrey folding roof

[BabyDriver]

Thank you. I saw the thread not so long ago about the Surrey roof. It's not the room as the boo'ts massive. Just that the roof panel is so heavy and cumbersome. I just wondered if there was a lighter one but in the same style.

[SILICONEKID345HP]

I like this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmswN9M_-I


Chimongas has just purchased a folding one ,not seen any pictures.

[Tinker15]

BabyDriver said:

Thank you. I saw the thread not so long ago about the Surrey roof. It's not the room as the boo'ts massive. Just that the roof panel is so heavy and cumbersome. I just wondered if there was a lighter one but in the same style.

Steve Edwards does one although I do not know how much lighter it is.

Link here Link

[yknot]

Have no connections with this product but the Surrey top produced by Cambria Cirrus is what you need;

http://www.cambria-cirrus.com/

HTH

[BabyDriver]

Thank you. I saw the thread not so long ago about the Surrey roof. It's not the room as the boo'ts massive. Just that the roof panel is so heavy and cumbersome. I just wondered if there was a lighter one but in the same style.

[BabyDriver]

Thanks to you all. the Steve Edward's one seems to be the one for me as long as it's lighter than the original. I have not got a problem with the design of the original one it's just so damned heavy. A lighter one would be a lot easier to handle. I'll contact Steve Edwards when I'm back from holiday.

[portzi]

BabyDriver said:

Thanks to you all. the Steve Edward's one seems to be the one for me as long as it's lighter than the original. I have not got a problem with the design of the original one it's just so damned heavy. A lighter one would be a lot easier to handle. I'll contact Steve Edwards when I'm back from holiday.

I pretty sure but the targa hard top your thinking about is the same one in the video as the standard cars , so it doesn't solve your problem. I think you need the surrey roof as mentioned not the Steve edwards one. The only way around this problem is if someone makes a carbon fibre one, which for a 1 off would cost a small fortune as the the template design and trial fitting and tweeking would up the cost!!.

[dazee]

Ok this may make me look an idiot, but this means the stock roof is just fibre glass then with a carbon fibre pattern applied?

Damn.....

[rigga]

dazee said:

Ok this may make me look an idiot, but this means the stock roof is just fibre glass then with a carbon fibre pattern applied?

Damn.....

A split roof would make it easier to handle and less cumbersome.

[portzi]

dazee said:

Ok this may make me look an idiot, but this means the stock roof is just fibre glass then with a carbon fibre pattern applied?

Damn.....

Your correct about the fibre glass roof, the split roof is a great option. Google it.

[BabyDriver]

If the original roof is made of fibreglass why is it so heavy? There must be some lead in it somewhere. Yes a split roof would be easier to handle but more time consuming to use running around with two panels.

Just looked at the Steve Edwards website he says:-

Moulded from an original TVR Chimaera roof panel, these replacement targa panels are offered as a lighter, single sided alternative

So definitely will give him a call when I get back home.

Again thank you for all your help.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I wonder if your's is a bit different for some reason? I've had a whole bunch & never found mine to be cumbersome or heavy?

[jesfirth]

Having cut my roof panel in half I know why it's so heavy. The front area rear bits are solid fibreglass and the fibreglass for the inner and outer skins are both very thick. The centre is a honeycomb core.

[BabyDriver]

I wonder why they made it so strong and heavy. I would not have thought that it was necessary that it's made from thick fibreglass

[BabyDriver]

I wonder why they made it so strong and heavy. I would not have thought that it was necessary that it's made from thick fibreglass

[ianwayne]

It needs to be fairly strong and rigid because when the rear section is up, there is a lot of forward force on it, after all, it butts up against the top of the windscreen. Quite a lot of tension in it.

They probably have to be of a minimum strength for safety too, but I don't think the Chimaera ever got type approval (or whatever it was called) because TVR were a 'low volume' manufacturer.