Replica Hard tops

[deltashad]

I've decided to buy a hard top for my little Elise.

Weighing it up, if I buy an original it's gonna cost me 6-700ukp, then the paint job will cost another 150-200ukp.
So in all including postage I'm thinking 900 odd quid for it.

But, I can drastically cut the cost by purchasing a replica version. I've been looking at one for half the best price that has a double skin.

I was thinking of covering the underside with carpet to finish it nicely.

Does anyone have any experience of these? Is it only good for track use?

[simpo555]

Personally I'd buy a second hand H-Top and have it repainted. The day you sell your car you sell the H-Top apart and you get more or less your money back. If I was a buyer, a cheap non original H-Top would not be a plus point for me. I would also wonder in what other areas the guy has tried to save money. Pays your money and take your choice but be careful, it may not be the best shot in the long term.

[3VOM]

Hello I purchased a hardtop from a guy in Somerset a couple of weeks ago and have to say I am very impressed with it. Having talked to the guy he explained how he got in to making hardtops for the elise. Basically he built racing boats and had purchased an elise, but was disappointed with the quality and expense of the standard hardtop and made his own. He had designed and made hard tops for the S1, S2 and VX. he was also the guy behind the T- Top. Anyway he sold the moulds on to a Scottish company who then did not bother making any more hardtop as they had a far more profitable order come there way. Anyway this gentleman,I Dealt with, explained he now has all the moulds back and several slightly scratched hardtops. I brought one for my S1 and I am extremely impressed. Unlike the original elise hardtop this one has two clips that hold the hard top in place by the roll bar. It takes less time for me to fit / remove this hard top than it takes to remove the soft Top on my car. I am a big-ish chap so can manage to put it on and off by myself. Like I Said it was pretty badly scratched, but as I Was assured the gel coat was very thick. I polished it pretty aggressively. It now looks like a mirror. Although it came with rubbers I have used additional seals around the rear window. The rubbers did not come fitted as allegedly each car is slightly different it is thus best to fit them to suite your own car. I am not going to bother getting mine sprayed as it looks good in the mirror black. I just added a stripe to the centre of mine so its the same colour as the car. If I was being really critical then I Would say either side of the front window could fit better, but if you get the chance to buy one of these aftermarket ones then I would go for it. Oh it's double skin so it looks good on the inside as all the instruments reflect on it. That said a bit of carpet will probably make for a bit of sound deadening. Anyway I Got mime from woolverton in Somerset. The guy selling them didn't seem too clued up with the interweb and his son was doing the adverts on eBay. I tried to convince him to start making t-tops again, but he said they were very Labour intensive and required 11 separate mouldings.

Hope that helps!