Question for Hardtop owners

Technical Area for all the problems you have in the garage
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KevinW
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Question for Hardtop owners

Post by KevinW »

If you have a hardtop (bubbletop or leMans) would you be able to tell me where the edge of the hardtop stops at the door aperture?
Is it flush with the top of the door cut out, or does the hardtop's internal moulded lip (for the sidescreen location) protrude just proud of this?

Thanks, Kevin
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kdavies3
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by kdavies3 »

On the Hawk it sits about 3mm back from the door aperture.
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KevinW
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by KevinW »

Thanks Kev, is that the front edge of the internal lip is 3mm back or the lip is flush and the external aperture is 3mm back?
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nikbj68
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by nikbj68 »

How definitive do you want to get?
Here’s the original Le Mans top, at Le Mans, 1963. (Minus rear window!)
1805F82B-8559-4537-AFC2-513706D3F2FF.jpeg
And last year, still looking pretty similar:
B8645FD7-40CC-4E69-8C6D-1DFF142EB2D9.jpeg
Shame the angle of this doesn’t show the lip.

Mine is approximately level with the door opening when I put it on, but that’s not necessarily where it stays.
9FB0FB24-57E0-476F-B02C-A09AEC13C98D.jpeg
And from the other side:
425F1BE0-D244-459F-865C-799B63D47670.jpeg
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KevinW
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by KevinW »

That's perfect- thanks Nik.

I notice the U-channel added round the perimeter - does this form a good seal round the sidescreen top, or do you just accept that there is a bit of draft that blows in? I attached some knock-on boot rubber with an O-shaped moulding which I thought might give a better seal
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nikbj68
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by nikbj68 »

The U-channel is pretty good and with the front of the Perspex tucking behind the screen pillars, the sidescreens hold pretty firm without rattling or drafts. I have also added some 8 or 10mm D-section sponge rubber seal along the edge of the hardtop to act as a gutter to prevent the rain from capillarying in...
34BFF754-BC26-4182-949F-AC6238FABA81.jpeg
...maybe cutting a gutter/overhang into the top would act as a drip rail, but for now, the rubber is doing fine.
Your boot seal may well do both jobs in one, but I hope it is soft enough that the sidescreens don’t stand proud of the hardtop reveal.

The biggest area for drafts is under the sidescreen, It feels like there is a nut on the underside of the frame where the legs are welded on, and when you add that, the covering, and the ferrules on the door, it gives a gap of over 1/2”!
92F98BC7-8743-40AE-84D1-A0A5542E59A0.jpeg
Obviously, there is the flap on the outside, but I have found that at (even moderate) speed, this will lift, especially if the material is a couple of mil too long where it hits the windscreen pillar.
10EEC10F-2C1A-4751-AA91-C3B66BB39AA4.jpeg
I now fold that corner under, which helps, but I also tape along the full length of the sidescreen frame to the door (same tape as I use across the top of the windscreen, like all of the racers do!).
2C0D3AEC-5535-4180-ADF3-5F324983C9FE.jpeg
One day I will get around to fitting something that will fill this void, and would be interested in others’ solutions. 👍🏻
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KevinW
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by KevinW »

Thanks Nik very useful stuff.
I'll give all of this some thought over the next month or 2 once I have finished the current surgery.......
DSC_0233.JPG
Perhaps I should start another thread entitled 'that didn't fit either....'
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peterc
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Re: Question for Hardtop owners

Post by peterc »

Nik, I fitted a rubber seal along the bottom of the side screen. The gap changes in size quite considerably along the length so you need something that will adjust accordingly.
I found a moulding made with a circular hollow tube with an added flat for glueing. Possibly a variety of door seal.
Uncompressed it’s around 18mm and fully squashed it’s only 7mm. You need to stop and re start either side of the mounting pins otherwise it’s full length of the door section. E.g. not onto the scuttle area due to the sliding action of door opening/ closing.
The only issue I have had is glueing to the material of the side screen frame. Seems to need periodic replacement of the adhesive. Thinking about it I probably only used double sided tape when it needs some Evostic or similar.
I’ll investigate to see if I have some left over.
Peter C
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