? hard top

[poptosis]

Greetings all. Positively moist with the prospect of my first Elise (mk1) v. soon. Already taken lots of gems of advice from you guys but I need to know if hard tops make the the cockpit too noisy for everyday use. I reckon they look ausome and are obviously a more practical option during the Great British winter but a mate told me I would be deaf before Christmas particuarly if I fit a sports exhaust.Is this true?

[mat glew]

I've got a hard top for my s1 and noise wise I don't notice any real difference. You get a bit more noise coming through from the engine I guess but at the same time you get less wind noise.

If you're going to use the car over winter then the hardtop will make life easier, you get less condensation in the morning and makes it easier to keep the car warm...I've just put mine back on after all summer without and these last few cold mornings it's made a real difference.

>> Edited by mat glew on Tuesday 28th October 21:00

[poptosis]

Thanks mat. Any recomendations as to good places to look for one? Are second hand ones crap?

>> Edited by poptosis on Tuesday 28th October 21:28

[mat glew]

mine came with a factory hardtop so I can't comment on after market ones. Be careful if you're buying a really early s1 though as I understand they don't even have the fittings for one. Hardtops only started to be an option mid 98 I think, someone here did post the chasis numbers where this changed but I can't remember what they were.

Think it's best if you want one to try to get an elise with a factory one. If not Kelvedon lotus apparently do a good one for about £850

[steff]

Picked up my hardtop last summer second hand, It makes the car a bit more secure and doesn't leak nearly as much as the soft top. I wouldn't worry too much about buying a second hand hardtop as usually they have been bought by the owner from new and never used.

[aled]

I have just put my hardtop on for the first time!!

I have a mk2 and brought my hard top from elisehardtops.com

I agree makes the car look better and its certainly warmer!!!

As for the noise Ive not noticed any different although I havent yet managed to purchase a sports exhaust!!!

[rich1989]

My hardtop came with the car from new. Agree with others, superb thru the winter as park on street. Noise wise, I reckon the engine sound better (less wind noise) than with soft top on.

Try Elise Parts for a carbon fibre version or search the classified pages on this site. It should not be a problem repainting a secondhand original.

Hope this helps...

[toby tucker]

Poptosis

I had a hardtop fitted to my Mk1 Elise (Oct 96) at a cost of £1250 + painting from Haydons in Salsbury a couple of years after I bought my car. To ensure that the hardtop fitted , I also had to get new window seals and new cant rails and also a new soft top to ensure it all fitted together properly all in the £1250 price. You dont have this hassle/expense if you have a post '98 car - otherwise Lotus pricing for the softop/cant rails is extortionate!!