Hey LT,
I just removed the hardtop on my new-to-me 06 Elise and discovered some cracks along the rear part of the hardtop where the top sits on top of the rear windshield. I've searched on the forums and didn't find any threads talking about the same kind of cracks (only stress fractures at mounting points, which this doesn't seem to be), so I was wondering if any other people on here have noticed the same kinds of issues and what recommendations you guys might have to address this?
Again, the cracks that you're seeing are located long the rear of the hardtop where it sits above the rear windshield. Honestly, it feels like the crack could be just the dried paint coming off, but it's a little thick for me to be sure about that; I think it could also be a layer of fiberglass coming apart (is the hardtop made of fiberglass?) but I really have no experience with fiberglass so this is just my conjecture.
For what it's worth, I watched a video about the Lotus hardtop and noticed some cracks on the reviewer's hardtop as well, but his were on the front side of the hardtop (where it sits on the front windshield) and that looks a little more innocuous than the cracks in my hardtop. Link here:
at 1:46. Unfortunately, the crack in the video isn't very clear as the reviewer kind of just pans past it. In any case, this suggests to me that these cracks could be more common?
My question to you guys are:
1. Is damage like this pretty common with our hardtops? Is this an instance of TADTS?
2. What are your recommendations here? Is this just a paint cracking issue that I can potentially just ignore or does it seem like an actual crack in the structure that I should try to address? If the latter, any recommendations on who I can speak to about it? A body shop or some place that specializes in fiberglass?
Thanks guys!
I just removed the hardtop on my new-to-me 06 Elise and discovered some cracks along the rear part of the hardtop where the top sits on top of the rear windshield. I've searched on the forums and didn't find any threads talking about the same kind of cracks (only stress fractures at mounting points, which this doesn't seem to be), so I was wondering if any other people on here have noticed the same kinds of issues and what recommendations you guys might have to address this?
Again, the cracks that you're seeing are located long the rear of the hardtop where it sits above the rear windshield. Honestly, it feels like the crack could be just the dried paint coming off, but it's a little thick for me to be sure about that; I think it could also be a layer of fiberglass coming apart (is the hardtop made of fiberglass?) but I really have no experience with fiberglass so this is just my conjecture.
For what it's worth, I watched a video about the Lotus hardtop and noticed some cracks on the reviewer's hardtop as well, but his were on the front side of the hardtop (where it sits on the front windshield) and that looks a little more innocuous than the cracks in my hardtop. Link here:
My question to you guys are:
1. Is damage like this pretty common with our hardtops? Is this an instance of TADTS?
2. What are your recommendations here? Is this just a paint cracking issue that I can potentially just ignore or does it seem like an actual crack in the structure that I should try to address? If the latter, any recommendations on who I can speak to about it? A body shop or some place that specializes in fiberglass?
Thanks guys!