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Now that my car is running and turning laps, it's time to catch up on all the side-projects I accumulated while it was apart. Current task - mount the Renderos skin-type hardtop I acquired off of Craigslist a while back.
Goals for the install:
* Field removable - screwdrivers and wrenches OK, drilling out rivets not OK
* Not janky - No deck screws, SAE fasteners, tape, or rubber bands
Could you please show me examples of how you've mounted your tops?
My thought is to start by setting the "B" pillar forward lip alignment, then making sure the front edge is in the right ball-park, then trying to get the rear deck gap closed.
I'm thinking of riveting the top to something that goes into the gasket channel along the top of the windshield frame and then having that held in place by M5 or M6 screws through the bottom of the channel. At the B pillar, either a flat bar that bolts to the vertical part of the door frame where there are already two holes for mounting weatherstripping, or an L-shaped bracket that bolts through the horizontal piece with the big square hole in it. At the rear, I'd reuse the hard top mounting points to bolt some bent aluminum flat-bar that is riveted to the top.
I am the king of overthinking things, so your input would be very much appreciated!
When you say 'skin type', does it not have mounting bosses for brackets like most race hardtops? My Treasure Coast/CCP top has mounting bosses and I used the SM style brackets in front and welded a bracket to the rollcage for the rear.
When you say 'skin type', does it not have mounting bosses for brackets like most race hardtops?
Exactly. I’ll take some photos later, but basically this is just a sheet of fiberglass shaped like a Miata hard top on the outside. The inside is shaped…like the outside of a Miata hardtop.
For the sides, I would either build a bracket off the roll bar like what I did, or have it come off the seat belt tower/stock mounting location with a large (2"x4") flat plate that sits flush against the inside of the fiberglass top. Use weld nuts in the plate, and bolts through the fiberglass with fender washers. Probably two bolts on each side. 1/4-20 or 6mm should be plenty.
For the front, do something similar... you could probably weld a plate or bar stock directly to the windshield header flange that would sit flush against the inside of the top. Again, weld nuts and bolts/fenderwashers, and have a decently large footprint for the plate to spread the mounting load a bit.
Don't worry too much about the gap in the rear on a track car.
My treasure coast top just uses normal spec miata type mounts. You're going to have to get creative with some aluminum plate and a harbor freight press brake bender. Maybe employ some rivnuts for easier on/off action.
I have a similar top. It at least has the front bolt holes for normal SM-type brackets. Currently held on in the back from the rain rail studs to the rear window bolts with some pipe strapping. It works, but is a PITA to take off, and it moves enough to have rubbed a lot of paint off, down to the metal.
My plan when I get around to it is to use some QuikLatch mini latches and some sort of tabs off the cage or interior of the car - haven't thought it through that well yet. https://www.quik-latch.com/QL-25-ser...i-latches.html Have them on the sides of my front bumper/airdam and they work super well. Some DZUS or other style fasteners from the motorcycle world would also probably work, but still require some sort of tab/bracket to hold the inner piece.
After some screwing around, I realized that 1" square tubing would make the perfect base material for tabs to hold the leading edge of the hard top to the windshield header. I was going to fold up some 1/16" steel, but this was easier - the two bends were already done at the proper angle and spacing. All it took was a little trimming on the bandsaw. BTW, if you do any metal cutting at all and don't have one of these, troll Craigslist and get with the program - millions of times better than a cut-off disc.
The leg on top is almost exactly 1", the rear (vertical) wall is the unmolested square tubing, and the bottom leg is maybe 5/8" long (do your own measuring). I drilled the bottom legs for M5 rivnuts then drilled holes in the body. After much fiddling with the alignment and fit, I worked from the center out and drilled through the fiberglass and steel for wide-head aluminum pop rivets. Now the steel brackets are permanently attached to the top. There's a gap, but I'll handle that later - I imagine there's some glue-backed L-shaped weather stripping I can slap on the windshield header over the winter. For now, some vinyl samples from the wrap place are almost adequate.
The roof also attaches at the B-pillar. Simple aluminum bends, with M6 rivnuts and more pop rivets.
The top is not attached at the rear edge.
As an additional FYI, you can paint pop-rivets ahead of time, so long as you protect the face when installing. I tried tape, but it wasn't good enough. I used some leftover thin aluminum scrap and that worked just great. Just watch for burrs and remove any that pop up.
I experienced a lot of issues my first weekend out with the top, but none were top-related. It just worked. Nice to have something that works 100% the first time out.
04-11-2023, 10:25 PM
Skin-type hardtop mounting
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