LamboClone - The Premier Site for Lamborghini Replica Builders
How To - Tips => Other / Everything Else => Topic started by: am33r on August 13, 2014, 12:47:49 AM
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Hello,
I'm taking my car out of the garage next week ::zzzzz It will awaken after exactly one year since I last worked on it. My windshield wiper works perfect so I want to make a top for the car.
Did anyone design a useful removable top that can mount to the car and it still can be derivable with the top on? The OEM top is $12k used on ebay.
Thank you
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I know Car Kit Inc sells one, looks like they have an ad on ebay for one too, their top probably requires a lot of work though. If you can get one from a member here I would do that instead though since CKI's customer service is horrible.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CarKitInc-Mercy-2-No-Top-Rain-Cover-Replica-Kit-Car-Fiberglass-LP640-Lambo-/230891674871?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35c2375cf7&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/CarKitInc-Mercy-2-No-Top-Rain-Cover-Replica-Kit-Car-Fiberglass-LP640-Lambo-/230891674871?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35c2375cf7&vxp=mtr)
Hello,
I'm taking my car out of the garage next week ::zzzzz It will awaken after exactly one year since I last worked on it. My windshield wiper works perfect so I want to make a top for the car.
Did anyone design a useful removable top that can mount to the car and it still can be derivable with the top on? The OEM top is $12k used on ebay.
Thank you
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Thanks nick I saw that before but never saw a final useful product resulting from it. Also, not sure it is a shape that allows for any headroom. It is about $300 including shipping which is not bad as a start.
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Thanks nick I saw that before but never saw a final useful product resulting from it. Also, not sure it is a shape that allows for any headroom. It is about $300 including shipping which is not bad as a start.
I'm getting a custom built top for mine. My only instructions were "make it match the lines" I put the seat as low as I could get it and took out some of the padding. Image is everything on these cars.
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I just designed this; I think it would work fine
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/Howthetopfits.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/Howthetopfits.jpg.html)
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/DesignaSoftTop.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/DesignaSoftTop.jpg.html)
The line that connects the top to the windshield frame is a 4 foot all thread. Bends easily and can be slipped out when storing the top.
The rear square is always connected to the car but folds down behind the seats.
Besides that the two parts of the top are not connected by anything except the canvas top; They take the final shape when clipped to the front windshield frame and the rear window top cross bar.
It works similar to my elise's top.
It should fold down and store behind my seats, takes a minute to install with a few screws, and a few fasteners behind the headrest humps.
Guys, any useful input before I order one?
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Sounds like you found a good use for that extra space behind your seats. I guess my subwoofer idea is out. ;)
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I'm selling the removable top that I bought for my G28. From what I can tell, it's splashed from a OEM top therefore it will need to be modified slightly to fit a G28 but is better than starting from scratch.
$450 USD plus shipping to the first person that follows through with verified payment. IM or email me if interested.
Chris
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Chris that’s a wonderful piece of work, I didn't know they even existed!
I have enough weather stripping so a few days ago I ordered the canvas material and contacted the tailor to work on my template; I also ordered the exact metals I needed for the design – I’ll see what I end up with hopefully Tuesday. I’d buy your top as an alternative resort seeing what I can do with the stuff I ordered.
This hard top is wonderful work but it needs several additions to make it useful. My car doesn't have the top fiber glass lip of the windshield frame. In addition the top requires the two additions on the sides to be close enough to the side windows – (which I will make pop-up windows that clip to the doors by fasteners), and finally the rear part will lead the rain water to enter the cabin behind the seats.
I will see how my top does and update here. I will post pictures too.
I might still buy this one too! But lemme see first
On the other hand – Chris, what’s the main thing stopping you from doing some work on your build?
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On the other hand – Chris, what’s the main thing stopping you from doing some work on your build?
Time, energy, interest and conflicting priorities. :)
I've collected a lot of OEM and other parts that I know I won't be using and would be better converted into cash for other and more important things right now.
Thanks
Chris
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So last week I decided to make a soft top for my car - mainly to drive it when it's really hot (and with the proper weather stripping would be driven on light rainy weather). This top can be installed in a minute or two, and can be stored in the car behind the seats (The huge space resulting from stretching the chassis 10").
I made templates for the shape I chose and I followed the lines of the car especially of the engine hatch lateral linage and the curves of the quarter panels.
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/rearcrossbar.png) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/rearcrossbar.png.html)
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/MetalIneededtobend.png) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/MetalIneededtobend.png.html)
I showed the diagram/idea of the design earlier in this thread. Here is the metal with some of it bent to shape, and how it looks as I tape it on the car.
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/MetalBarsforTop.png) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/MetalBarsforTop.png.html)
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/TopContour.png) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/TopContour.png.html)
I will weld the needed points and hinge the others later and update. Still following my diagram that I had here to start with - no modifications yet.
The two pices of straight metal that are missing from the pics are the ones that sit on top of the door windows and have the weather stripping mounted to them.
At any rate, this is the first look at how it would look like after making a plan, a simple template, and ordering the needed metal curved and straight. I will get to this later
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Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
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Only a few updates on how this progressed. More updates to come this coming week.
So this top is to mount to the windshield metal frame in the front, and to a bridge behind the headrests.
The bridge is simple to make but it has to be particular in dimensions; its corners lie on a virtual line that extends the cars engine lid ribs. Also it plugs in and out of the car into two sockets that are always bolted behind the seats. So, we plug in this bridge and fasten it via the matching holes.
Here are the Kit-Fixed Brackets made from 3/4" Square Tubing and are bolted onto the fiberglass and the metal bar that crosses the cabin under the head humps.
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3400.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3400.jpg.html)
In this picture is visible the straight line that extends from the rear trunk all the way to the head humps (the line matches along the engine hatch). The metal bridge that will host the removable top will have its corner where this line extends.
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3381.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3381.jpg.html)
The two bars that extend forward from that bridge also follow the same plane resulting from the trunk to the engine hatch to the corner of the bridge...
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3414.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3414.jpg.html)
Those two bars are neither fixed onto each other nor onto the bridge. However, they will be conected by the canvas and they will each mount into the bridge accordingly via a channel that is welded to the top of the bridge. Two other channels will be also welded to the topof windshield frame where that plug in and a pin fastens them into place.
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3412.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3412.jpg.html)
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3403-1.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3403-1.jpg.html)
I will continue this section when I weld the entire top project together, I'm excited to finish it soon now that the design part is kind of done for.
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Look up Genaddi lamborghini top! All I ever heard about them was people not getting their $26,000 top. Probably not in business anymore. Anyway your frame looks like you could copy their shape which is the best looking top for the roadster I've ever seen.
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Very nice work! Thought you might be interested in this removable top. It's on eBay for around $900!!!
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Thanx guys I will give thoughts to the input - very appreciated ::wave
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Got to see the car again, so I welded a few pieces onto the top - the metal work is pretty much complete.
I cut some plastic and made a mock-up top before I work on the canvas to get exact measurements.
There will be 4 fasteners on each side in the rear (fount their locations) and a rear view mirror (not showing yet).
I should get the canvas and headliner from here http://www.gahh.com/store.php?search_for=Canvas (http://www.gahh.com/store.php?search_for=Canvas)
The needed canvas is 60" by 2 Yards. and the headliner is 54" by 2 yards. The fasteners are these http://www.ebay.com/itm/130671677471?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT (http://www.ebay.com/itm/130671677471?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)
It should work out fine as the door softly brushes onto it on its way up - I'll adjust later for the weather stripping after adding the last metal rib above the windows as I tackle the detachable door widow.
Here are some pics
OEM Top
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/moretop-1.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/moretop-1.jpg.html)
Metal Design Half Way done
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/IMG_3414.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/IMG_3414.jpg.html)
Frame Complete, Mock-up plastic Top
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/Top45DegreePic.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/Top45DegreePic.jpg.html)
The Two Metal Ribs showing on top
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/SoftTopRibsFrontView.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/SoftTopRibsFrontView.jpg.html)
Rear Configuration (Minus the Rear View window)
(http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u491/amaraen1/RearShape.jpg) (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/amaraen1/media/RearShape.jpg.html)