Elise hardtop - watertight?

[Brinyan]

I’m thinking about getting an Elise. It would have to stay outside most of the time. I’m assuming that the soft top may not be 100% watertight, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The hardtop looks like it would be watertight - is that the case?
I’m thinking of either a series 2 111r or early series 3 super charged.
Thanks

[JamieF78]

Yes it will be fine. I have a S3 Exige, and it stays outside when it's not in storage, the only time water gets inside is when I open the door and it runs off the roof onto the sill!

[Brinyan]

Thanks for responding.

[HorneyMX5]

My S2 lives outside and the soft top is water tight.

[braddo]

It was the same for me with a S1 years ago (both hardtop and soft top - the latter surprised me that it withstood days of rain on end).

[Brinyan]

Good to hear. Was sceptical as had an MX5 many years ago & the seals between roof & windows often allowed water in. Cheers

[kambites]

As with others, neither my soft-top nor my hand-top has ever leaked. Not sure how helpful that is though.

[John D.]

braddo said:

It was the same for me with a S1 years ago (both hardtop and soft top - the latter surprised me that it withstood days of rain on end).

The S1 soft tops usually leak. Both my current and previous one do. Normal solution is a shower cap car cover.

I didn't think a hard top improved the situation generally, although I've never tried one.

[Lefty]

Yup my s1 leaked at the corners of the windscreen, with the (new) soft top or the hard top. Shower cap was the easy answer if being left outside.

[braddo]

John D. said:

The S1 soft tops usually leak. Both my current and previous one do. Normal solution is a shower cap car cover.

I didn't think a hard top improved the situation generally, although I've never tried one.

The forum wisdom at the time was that window alignment was the main cause for water leaks, especially for hardtops.

But agreed that a shower cap including over the engine cover would be the best way to keep any Elise reliably dry in sustained wet weather.

[Freakuk]

Brinyan said:

I’m thinking about getting an Elise. It would have to stay outside most of the time. I’m assuming that the soft top may not be 100% watertight, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The hardtop looks like it would be watertight - is that the case?
I’m thinking of either a series 2 111r or early series 3 super charged.
Thanks

I had an S2 Exige that lived outside all of the time, the only time it ever let water in was when being washed/pressure washed and that was across the roof rear seal.