A few more ruminations on hardtops.
A high screen top that only sat on the cockpit surround would be a pretty
strange look to it. The hi screen already has a pretty steep angle on the
front, and leaving enough headroom and then sloping downward at a similarly
sharp angle to the rear would get pretty tricky ("tricky" meaning lotsa ways
to make it come out really ugly)
The designer pulled off "tricky on this one: (I suspect the seats &
screen are lower relative to body height)
http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/lancia-fulvia-hf.jpg
The paint chafing is because the deck is being used as the "stops" for the
hardtop. I suspect on Eddies' car someone thought this thru (like lots on
Eddies' car, i.e. narrowed MGB front lip) and made the side clamps draw down
to "stops" which hold the seal in contact with the car but not compress it
hard against the car painted surface. This leaves the seal free to roll, not
drag. (it makes front clamps mandatory as well)
But by doing this it cants the top upward in back, so now door sealing edges
and window tops are slightly non-parallel. Since it is fiberglass this is
easily remedied, although a thicker door seal would probably make up for it
easily as well.
A real drawback to hardtops is airflow. There is no "out", so little air will
flow in, so it is probably get hot and stuffy. course some of you have
operable wing windows, unlike the hi screen crowd.
I always wanted to change the rear screen to be hinged the top, so it could be
canted out and clipped at the bottom. (hinges from Ford ranger extracab side
windows?) Notice some vintage racers have holes cut in the base of the rear
screen (polycarbonate replacement) for this reason.
Much like Gary, I have put up my top 5 times in 11 years, partly due to it
being pretty trashed when I bought the car. (some would add: "so was
everything else on your car, Fergus" !) The occasional rain just makes me
laugh harder, think of of the reaction any complaints as to "rain" would draw
from Irish relatives, and always have a pair of safety glasses handy when
driving. And stay over 40mph, which gets exciting at times.
Haven't done the "don the foulies" like Ken Pletcher did.... Yet.
Fergus O
who has a really nice, non-porthole hardtop suspended in the garage, but I'd
be bumping my head off the inside when driving, so have yet to use it. uhh,
yes, it is so nicely restored it would look out of place with the condition of
the rest of my car...
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