Graham (or anyone else with a hard top)

I notice from the photos in the exhaust thread Capri /escort exhaust that you have a hard top.

Can you tell me how it's fixed

The hard top on my S3 has been fastened on with only a pair of stupid springy bonnet catches and on a still day, at any speed above about 60mph it starts lifting up - on a windy day it can lift at much lower speeds.

Any suggestions/assistance most gratefully received (and photos of the fixings would be most helpful)

Thanks

Chris

Hi would be useful for me as I also have a hard top (bit ratty) which would like to use at some point.
Barry

The S4 with the hard top is now owned by John - but was once mine - its held on as per the Dutton instruction manual :unsure: which is by over centre latches at the at the lower forward part of the top where your elbows would be - it used to lift at speed on the front of the screen so I used drilled a couple of 4mm holes at the front outer edge and then used zip ties to loop around the side screen hinges - -no more lifting - for a more permanent solution it need over centres at the edge of the screen.

Andrew

Thanks Andy

That's what I'd been thinking of doing - latches as per Dutton build manual plus over-centre catches on the top of the windscreen frame.

Out of interest, at what sort of speed did the roof start lifting if you were just using the main latches and hadn't fastened the zip ties?

Thanks

Chris

If I remember correctly it started to lift up at about 40/45mph and was clear of the screen top at about 50/60- worse with the doors on as all happened much earlier.

Cable ties stopped it all immediately - the other consideration was a couple of M5 riv nuts into the corner of the screen where the hood poppers usually fit - then use the inserts to fit the poppers with some countersunk M5's and use some large cap head M5 types for fitting the hardtop.

Andrew

I have attached pics from my photobucket account with roof fastener pictures.

As the current owner of Andrew's old S4, I can confirm that the 2 over centre clips and 2 cable ties on the screen surround are very effective at keeping the hard top in place. It does need the channel sealing though, as with anything more than a light shower the rain p**s down the inside of the screen.

The soft top is another story at around 40ish it lifts in the centre of the screen about 50mm. Another fixing in the cente should sort that though.

John

John

The soft tops never lift - You slot the fabric sleeve with the two hacksaw blades in under the screen front to seal it - Once they are in place it provides the best seal of anything out there.

Andrew

Doh!

Thanks Andrew