ryan4888 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hello! I am curious if any of you know of a place to purchase any sort of hardtop for Caterham's/7's. Would it be difficult to have someone make me one? I would probably want it to be made of carbon fiber. Linked are some examples i found from a google search. http://thegaragista.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/jld12wm-243.jpg http://thegaragista.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/jld12wm-242.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboWood Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 It looks like those pictures are from Japan. From what I understand they are popular over there. That's probably your best bet, but I can't offer a specific source. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDingo8MyBaby Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 They are made by ART international in Japan Here's the website. I poked around a bit, but couldn't find anything there. http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtranslate:%2Bhttp://www.artweb.gr.jp/%26espv%3D210%26es_sm%3D93&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ja&u=http://www.artweb.gr.jp/index.html&usg=ALkJrhjHr4lrUW8irz81w24V_Khwn_8c_w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 . This guy's car appears to have a lot of the stuff that ART makes or sells, like the Dymag wheels, their cf bonnet, and their catalytic converter-in-the-can silencer/exhaust system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I'd like to have seen him getting into and out of the Caterham with the hardtop and the side intrusion bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackal Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I have often thought about a hardtop for the Birkin. I'm not sure it's right for me, but then again, I'm not on the road yet. I have thought about how to do it though. I was thinking about using resin on a soft top. It would have to be mohair, and able to let the resin set in though. I figured if you have a top you like the shape of and resin it, you can get the hardtop you want. This is the same technique used in building speaker boxes for custom cars. Build a frame, drape the cloth material and resin it. All that's left is to sand an paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2k7 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 ....ok, it's fugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rx7locost Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Ugly or not, I built my own hardtop. Why not? I built the car. It works great and suits me. The top flips up to enter and exit and is weight balanced with a pneumatic cylinder. Video of the top in operation can be seen on youtube. [/url] 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackal Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) ....ok, it's fugly I'd say quirky. That's the thing about these cars though isn't it? They aren't pretty cars to begin with, they certainly aren't an Alfa or an Aston. They have quirky good looks to us. I like the hard tops pictured and can't help but think that there are aerodynamic advantages to the top as well. Ugly or not, I built my own hardtop. Why not? I built the car. It works great and suits me. The top flips up to enter and exit and is weight balanced with a pneumatic cylinder. Video of the top in operation can be seen on youtube. [/url] Good looking top, and it seems to be super easy to use. Great work! Edited March 21, 2014 by Jackal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I'm with Skip. need to see someone get in and out. Years ago there was a drawing of a Rotus with a hard top with gull wing style doors. I don't think it was ever built. But that makes a lot of sense for a hard top 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 found the image: http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/2005-11-09_143147_wa7004e.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 One of the Lowcost builds a while back had a hardtop that was on tracks, so it wld glide back out of the way for egress. Pix are on this Forum somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 It was Paul's yellow R1 Locost I believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I think it was Paul's dad's Lowcost (they each had one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I think it was Paul's dad's Lowcost (they each had one). ah, yes, you're probably right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackal Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) ah, yes, you're probably right. Being unfamiliar with the members mentioned or the cars, I'd love for someone to dig up the shots for me. It sounds interesting. Quick search again, did drum up this link: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=27810&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=html&utm_campaign=2013-5-31 Edited March 21, 2014 by Jackal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Being unfamiliar with the members mentioned or the cars, I'd love for someone to dig up the shots for me. It sounds interesting. Quick search again, did drum up this link: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=27810&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=html&utm_campaign=2013-5-31 nice, personally I think if you MUST have a hard top, gullwing style is the way to go. At least for inflexible people like me. I can't imagine anything on top of the seat when I have to get in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookwheel Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 here's a link to one I use, no side windows, just relief from the sun. http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=14472 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timax Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 From a safety point of view ........how do you get out of a gullwing style hardtop in a roll over? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtlez28 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 From a safety point of view ........how do you get out of a gullwing style hardtop in a roll over? You kick out the doors or windshield action movie style! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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