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I'm going to make transparent top for Lotus Elise/Exige

9K views 42 replies 21 participants last post by  Crazy05 
#1 ·
I've decided that I'm going to (attempt at least) to make a transparent top my my Lotus Elise. IF it all works out, I'll be offering them for sale.

I have a couple of questions and hopefully some folks here can help me out.

At one point I bought one - but it attached the same way as the hardtop -- and long story short it was a sucky design that resulted in the top flying off the car on the highway -- I do not want this to happen to me or anyone else -- so mine is not going to work that way at all.

My plan is to make the top attach like the soft-top does. Had the one I bought attached this way, it never would of flown off the car.

I've looked at several different designs -- and one option is to actually start with the side pieces of the soft tops. I figured what I could so is source those from Lotus and buy a set and give it a try -- my problem is that I'm not sure exactly what part(s) it is I need.
When I look at the parts catalog -- I see these two parts
C116V0003H and C116V0004H
...but I don't know if it comes with all the other internal pieces. What I think I really need is basically everything for the soft top -- minus the canvas top itself -- I need the entire mechanisms that attach to the sides of the soft tops. Any leads on where I can get those would be great.

So -- couple of questions -- first off - can anyone tell me where to get the 2 parts that I need (and if I have to buy all the internal parts separately) --- and 2nd -- IF I can get this all to work -- would there actually be any interest in these if I can keep the price under $1,300 or so? -- my goal is to keep the price around the same amount it would cost for a used factory hard-top and require zero modifications to the car to work.

I think it would be really neat if I can do this -- plus it would only take like 10 seconds to put it on and off :) Obviously they would be transparent, but would be tinted and have UV protection as well.
 
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#3 ·
I am going to use polycarbonate and it will thick enough there will be minimal flex...so the sides rotating into place is not an option.. however if I make the top pins work like the bottom pins (move in and out) then problem solved. I just wonder if its worth modifying the Lotus side pieces (I dunno what those cost) or if I'd be better off making my own. I really want to try to keep the costs down so I can offer the tops cheap to all the Lotus folks.
 
#6 ·
I don't think there is anything wrong with the stock hardtop fixing as they do not seem to fly off with any regularity

Since the factory top uses 4 of the same locating pins the soft top uses, I was trying to come up with a clever way of using some sliding pins to make removal less of a chore, but did not succeed in finding anything elegant

I think the problem is aftermarket tops are too flexible.

I would suggest a fiberglass under structure for attachment and sealing at the windows with a clear outer surface.
 
#9 · (Edited)
#11 ·
I am not sure of the value of a transparent top.

Wouldn't that create lots of heat on sunny days, tinting or not?

Our feeble a/c would not keep up, but mine does when my soft top is on.

Sorry, but seems a silly waste of $$ to me at least.

g
 
#13 ·
I'm intrigued by this, and have batted around the idea of doing it myself for years.

For the pins, there are COTS options that might work, just need to sort out attachment to the formed polycarbonate sheet itself.

To me the appeal is all about aerodynamics and sunlight. When I have the hardtop on, it can still feel claustrophobic. A clear panoramic roof would address that. And of course wind noise at speed would be greatly reduced compared to fully open top.

Best of luck, will be following closely!
 
#15 ·
I talked in great length to JAMMOTO several times. Those were going to be made out of acrylic. Last time I talked to him he said that the place that was going to manufacture them had an oven fail so they couldn't make it...and at one point told me that they were going to have them for somewhere between $1600 and $1800. So few problems with that -- acrylic seems like a bad thing to use because the way it breaks -- so unless you want to get stabbed by pieces of your top in the event of a crash this seems like a bad material. Then there is the manufacturing process -- which requires big expensive equipment ..which is going to result in a high price. Now the specs called for 3/8" in their case.
I also had a Visim top - that is the one that flew off my car -- some pics of it before that happened in link below -- where I mention JAMMOTO I think too. The design of the visim top used just four bolts to hold it on - which went in like the hard top. This means that in the back, there is that little 90 degree piece of metal is shoved up under the faster on the car. I do not think the top was 3/8" think -- it seemed more like it might of been 1/4" or less. Soo..now you have impending disaster because there is too much flex after it's attached to the car. In my case - the little faster in the back broke -- it's attached to the car and made of plastic from the Lotus factory. A little bit of flex and now there is a wind pocket which push it up in the middle a little bit -- and bye bye transparent top. It's my thinking that if you used the pins like the soft top in conjunction with thicker less flexible piece of polycarbonate then it would be impossible to have happen as what did to my visim one.

In response to people asking about the inside of the car getting hot -- yes I was worried about that too when I put mine on. In the middle of the summer in 90 degree heat it made no difference in inside temp at all -- which was shocking as I have a black leather interior.

Someone also asked about JAMMOTO taking deposits -- it's my understanding that they took no deposits -- all you could do was signup on the website and you got on the list -- I was number 2 on the list lol. Anyway when I talked to them on the phone they were not taking deposits -- so I doubt they ever did.

Turbopun -- I figured I couldn't be the only guy thinking about this. One of the obstacles is attaching the side rails -- whatever those turn out to be -- to the formed polycarbonate sheet .One things I've learned in my research is that polycarbonate attaches to polycarbonate REALLY REALLY good...so it makes me wonder if you could use some sort of polycarbonate rods as the side rails - and then drill holes in the ends of the rod for placement of the pins that you can slide in and out. If it was shaped like the soft top end pieces it would be kinda a 1/2 oval rod. -- Or use polycarbonate tubes vs rods for the middle part of the side piece to keep costs down -- so just a few inches of rod at the corners, the rest hollow tubes.. Of course the other option is just to attach it to a set existing soft top pieces (and there are ways to do that with specific glues depending on materials) and rework the end pieces so all the pegs move instead of just the bottom ones. If I used polycarbonate parts I could put a tiny colored led light in one end of it it and make the whole thing light up when you opened the door -- ya know we all need the 'coool' factor lol.
The other obstacle is of course weather stripping. On the front and back is simple -- the side rails I'd have to come up with something if polycarbonate i sued - but that seems like a simple issue to overcome. Frankly I'd rather use the polycarbonate side rails because I think it would look better and bond to the top better.

Having had a transparent top -- I can tell you it's great. You don't feel claustrophobic -- that giant piece along the top of the windshield is gone -- you can see stoplights out the top which is quite nice -- and unlike no top you're out of the elements and you can roll the windows up for a quieter ride - really best of both worlds in these cars. Mine made the ride quite as the hard top if not more because it's flat and thus aerodynamic so there is actually less wind noise - plus no damn sqweeeeks either.

https://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f259/polycarbonate-top-yellow-2005-elise-407745/
 
#19 ·
I have one of the Visium tops - they're great. I would recommend one over a factory top to anyone that asks my opinion ( I have both).

The Visium top is much easier to put on and take off - the mounting hardware is much less fiddly than the factory top.

I have a black Elise so, the tinted Visium top looks really good on it. I think this would be a different case if your Elise is Fly Yellow.

It does make the car feel less claustrophobic. It doesn't make the car noticeably hotter (but then, I don't install it in June...I use it in January.) If it's over 45°, the top is off. If it's raining, I don't drive the car.

As for @TechnoHippie 's failure of his - I have no idea what happened. I know that he and I aren't the only people that own these, and he's the only person I've heard about that's had that sort of a problem. I've used mine for several years, on two different cars (I originally bought it for my Tesla Roadster, and kept it when I got the Elise). It's been faultless.

I do agree with some that the price is a bit high. I haven't looked into them in a while but, when I bought mine, they had a "Standard" version and a "Deluxe" version - I got the Deluxe version...which came with a cleaning kit and a soft cover. The soft cover is OK but, these "additions" really weren't worth the additional price. I felt like I got a little ripped off with the "Deluxe" version.

The other really nice feature of the transparent top is that, when you're first at a stop light, you can look up, through the top and see the signal light. As these cars are so low, we all know that you're always looking UP at everything (including slammed Civics). With the factory (opaque) hardtop, you're just blind to a lot around you. With the transparent top, it opens everything up.

With all of that being said, I applaud @TechnoHippie and his efforts - I'm curious to see what he comes up with; especially his alternative mounting solution. However, given that I already own two hard tops (and don't use either of them that often), I probably won't be a customer.
 
#22 ·
I haven't heard of anyone else having the problem I did with it either...plus I bought mine used from a guy who had used it for quite a while too. In my case, it was the little plastic piece that is part of the car which part # 18 in this picture connects to
https://www.lotusgarage.com/index.php?pg=3&l=product_list&c=60
.so what broke wasn't part of the top -- it was part of the Lotus. I had my car out at BOE after all this happened and showed them the piece that had broke - I was disappointed that this piece was made of plastic and not metal. If that tiny piece was metal then it wouldn't of broke like it did. The guys at BOE said that they'd never seen one break like that before - so I chalk it up to simply bad luck on my part. IF I was to get another visium top, I would make those little plastic Lotus parts out of metal. And I agree it is a lot easier to put in than the factory hardtop - that is for sure. But there are still a few things that could be improved on -- no need for any bolt turning or loose parts to attach it -- and using the pins vs the metal clamps to attach it so you're not depending on that little piece of plastic not breaking either. That being said -- if I was you I wouldn't replace it with a different one, I'd just keep it and put eyes on that little plastic piece every now and then to make sure it hasn't developed any cracks.

Can you do me a HUGE favor and measure how thick your top is?
 
#21 ·
It seems like it would be difficult to do with all the moving parts and such -- however it would be nice if it was in 2 pieces instead of one - I guess more like t-tops with a removable bar down the middle -- that way when you took it off, you could put it behind the seats :) it would be a matter of designing the removable middle bar and how the polycarbonate would mount to it in such a way that everything snaps in and out with ease, and also seals nice with no leaks or wind noise.
At the same time part of the reason I like the transparent top is because there is no bar down the middle - it feels more open when it's on. If the center bar was made of a polycarbonate transparent rod that was removable ..ehhh now that would be perfect - but the cost would go up. I suppose I could try to make both versions. In theory if the center piece started as a polycarbonate transparent rod, I could make a hinging system on it to make it gullwing at the same time. The beauty of it would be if it all snapped out and fit behind the seats, you no longer need a soft top...so with this you don't have to own another hard top or a soft top - just need this one :) - which I suppose for a few people could justify the extra costs.
 
#26 ·
Yes that is the part that broke -- and yes it's weird --I haven't heard of anyone else that has had the same problem. I at one point tried to order a center clamp assembly and put it on my 2005 but no one had one in stock at the time. I replaced the part that broke and haven't had any trouble with my hardtop. I think if that part broke with the factory hardtop it probably wouldn't result in the top flying off either - at least if it broke where mine did -- which was the bottom half of the part broke off.
 
#27 ·
Subscribed, best of luck to you if you make this happen! Dunno if I'll be able to afford one, but I had one on my 2000 Vette, and I really loved it. I'd love to have one of these.
 
#31 ·
I have the factory top in Saffron Yellow, it came from the UK on the car and was removed as soon as I got home, never been on since. How much are you offering?
 
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#30 ·
Wait, you are supposed to put a top on your car? Who knew?
 
#41 ·
Wondering if TechnoHippie made any progress on this. I've been doing some vacuum forming and kicked around the idea for doing a clear top. I was planning to pull a mold from my hardtop to start messing with it... then I found this thread. Looks like it's been quiet for a few months, though. Just curious if there was somebody with some knowledge/experience to share.
 
#42 ·
I have kind of put this on hold for a little bit -- don't have a job right now so I really don't have the money to buy materials to experiment. Once I'm employed again I'll take it back up. In the meantime I need to sell my 2005 Yellow hardtop too so I can pay my car insurance. -- if anyone is interested in it let me know.
 
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