Hardtop

[Muncher]

Got meself a hardtop

Slightly and odd time of year to buy but it was a very good price.

www.muncher.org.uk/hardtop

 

[andi]

That looks really good

They look much better with the hardtop on than the softop up..

 

[merlin]

You got Brembo's on that Muncher?

 

[Rilot]

Looks good.

Looking outside at the weather I'd say it's not an odd time of year to buy one at all.

 

[eidolon]

Looks great, does it take long to put on/take off?

Why did you change to turbo alloys? The NA ones are much better.

 

[Muncher]

Merlin - Doesn't need Brembos they are painted red AP racing ones.


eidolon - I'm still experimenting with fitting, it's not something I'd want to chuck on/off every day though.

I needed a new set of tyres and bought a mint set of turbo alloys for only £10 more than a set of tyres would cost me, and the tyres were barely used on the turbo alloys.

I still have the NA ones in the back garden which I use for track days as the tread is now getting borderline. When they are gone I'll either put new Potenzas on the NA ones and use them for road driving or try and do some kind of deal.

 

[olv]

Looks excellent

definately a car i aspire to own.

 

[Del Lardo]

First a VX and then a hardtop. Big jessie

 

[Phantom]

is the hard top stored in the boot when its not up?

 

[Mic]

Paint match looks a bit off :/

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Guess it makes sense when the soft top option is so fiddly to put up. What's your record with the mecano setup?

Makes me wonder how Lotus could do such a good job on designing what is an awesome car, then let the tea lady with PMT try to design the roof during one lunch break.

 

[Del Lardo]

Makes me wonder how Lotus could do such a good job on designing what is an awesome car, then let the tea lady with PMT try to design the roof during one lunch break.

The Elise wasn't designed to have a roof which explains why the roof on the S1 & early S2s is considered difficult to put up and down (I can do it in under a minute). The short roof fitted to the later S2s and VX is really easy to put on and off and can probably be done in well under 30 seconds.

 

[Muncher]

The hardtop can't be stored in the boot, it's far too big and the boot is far too small. Even if the hardtop was hinged and folded in half it still wouldn't fit in.

The softop if fine, on and off in 30 seconds or less. In theory the hardtop is supposed to be the same but I am finding it more tricky than that so far. You really need 2 people to lift it on properly. No doubt it will get easier to fit with age though.

The car feels more stable at speed too with it on, cutting through the air a lot more smoothly and I'm very impressed by the lack of noise from it. It also keeps it slightly warmer.

 

[Mic]

The car feels more stable at speed too with it on, cutting through the air a lot more smoothly and I'm very impressed by the lack of noise from it. It also keeps it slightly warmer.

Should stiffen the chassis a bit yea.

 

[Muncher]

Should stiffen the chassis a bit yea.

Not really.

The windscreen surround is not structural so it won't have any difference. As far as I know it is still the most torsionally stiff chassis in production anywhere, so even if the windscreen surround was structural it wouldn't make any difference.

Being made of fibre glass it's quite flexible too