Hard top

Tom of VA · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2006, 08:24 PM

Anyone have the hardtop with your car? I was considering one. Was it worth it and do you use it? Does it damage the paint?

Lowell W · #2 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 12:09 PM

Tom,

When I first got my car, I thought a hard top might be nice. The more I thought about it, though, the more I began to think it would be kind of useless. Often, in the spring and fall, if I go away for the day, it may be cold enough to put on the soft top in the morning, warm enough to take the top off during the day and cool enough to replace the top on the way home in the evening.

I can drive my car in 30° weather with the soft top on, the heater going and a coat on, which means I can enjoy it until we get the first snow storm, when they start salting the roads here in northern IL, and start driving it again after we get the first spring rain to wash the salt off.

In VA, however, a hard top might enable you to drive your car all winter. If your weather is such that you would leave the top on for weeks at a time, it might be worthwhile.

I've had my soft top on and off dozens of times and I would suggest using some kind of plastic paint protection type stuff over the back of the car where the top attaches, as the top does trap dust and grit and scuff the paint a little. The plastic film is available from many different vendors. The only experience I've had was with a product I got from Griot's, which was easy to use. I think the simplest way to apply it would be to unscrew the Lift-a-Dot fasteners, cut a curved strip, stick it down and replace the fasteners through the plastic. Wish I had done it four years ago.

Bottom line? After I had had my car for about a year, I had an opportunity to buy a new hard top, painted the same color as my car, at a discount. I turned it down and have never regretted my decision.

Lowell

Clois Harlan · #3 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 01:10 PM

Tom,

I have one and would use it most of the winter until I got my High Back racing seats. My top was great but I needed the support more than I needed the top since I have spent a great deal of my time racing the last few years. My driving in the winter time is somewhat limited to once a month or so and I just put on my leather jacket.

Here is what you will notice about driving with a hard top:
1. Cold wind will not slap you from behind
2. You can carry on a conversation with the other occupant
3. Unless you have a heater it will still be cold
4. It does protect you from the elements in case you get caught out in weather.
5. I does not scratch your finish although you must install four chrome fittings about 1" behind your doors and behind your roll bars.

I have one if you are interested and I would sell it to you for half of what a new would cost you.

Clois

Clois Harlan · #4 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 01:12 PM

PS- John Russell has one on his SPF and uses it quite a bit (I don't think mine will fit your car).

Clois

terry lee · #5 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 04:34 PM

I haven't even taken my "soft top" out of the bag!

I don't even know how to put it on - I would need my
Owner's Manual. Now, where did I put that?

If it ain't sunny out, the car stays inside!
Top? Who needs a top?

TL

Tom of VA · #6 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 04:42 PM

Thanks,
Clois, is that a SPF hard-top? I haven’t had a chance to use my soft-top yet. My car is coming home from the painters next week and I’m just trying to figure out what things I may want. Lowell does the soft top scratch the paint?

Jim Kellogg · #7 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 07:17 PM

Tom, I have a hardtop on SPF887, which I install for winter driving here in upstate NY. I usually install the hardtop in October (went on last weekend), and remove it in April, and have done so since 2001.

There is a line that shows on the paint with the hardtop removed, a result of the hardtop lower seal against the paint. I bought a clear protective film to install on the car where the hardtop seal touches the body, but never installed it (too busy driving the car to do it, I guess...). If I had it to do over again, I would have the clear protector installed before using the hardtop.

I drive my car pretty much year-around. It still looks great, but is definately not a show car.

If you have any other questions about the SPF hardtop, let me know...
Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

Jim Kellogg · #8 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 07:27 PM

Tom,
One more thought on the hardtops....

For ease in exit/entry through the winter months, I remove the wind visors from the side of the windshield (you can see that they are not installed in the photo). It is much easier/quicker to get in and out of the car when it is raining when you don't have to flip the visors forward to open the doors when the side curtains are on.

It is possible to seal your SPF good enough to keep "pretty" dry (there is a good article on Second Strike for this proceedure). If it raining, and you are driving your Cobra, you WILL get damp if you drive long enough.

That said, the hardtop is MUCH drier than the convertible top. Also no issues at speed (try driving at 65+ in any Cobra with the convertible top up and side curtains off, or open..... actually, you probably SHOULDN'T try that!!)

Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

Lowell W · #9 (**permalink**) 10-05-2006, 08:04 PM

Tom,

Yes, the soft top will scuff the paint unless you put on some protective film. Grit gets trapped between the top and the car and leaves scratch marks. Put on the clear protector before you put on the top for the first time.

Like Jim's car, mine looks great but definitely is not a show car. I have 20K miles on mine, with a few stone chips and dings here and there.

If I could drive my car year 'round, I'd probably opt for the hard top, too, but the roads are just too bad here from December to April or so. The rest of the time, the soft top serves me better than a hard top would.

Lowell

edmonds007 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 01:41 PM

Tom, I have a SPF with a hard top and I plan to drive it year round. Yes, it will leave a mark on your paint that can probably be buffed out, but like they said if you put a strip of the plastic down you should be fine. The benefits have already been covered by the other guys and, to me, the top is nice thing to have in our area and a good option for weekend getaways or any long distance driving. Installation and removal on the SPF is extremely with just two bolts right behind the doors and latches that clip on the top of each side of the windshield. It only weighs like 40 lbs or so making it easy to install, move and store.