[Val]

I am considering an elise as my new car. So, a couple of questions.
How do you put soft top on? Do you need any instruments? How long does it take? And does it fit in the boot?

I am quite worried what will happen when driving around and a heavy rain suddenly starts :huh:

 

[zvezdah1]

It is stored in the trunk, takes maybe two minutes to put on. Instructions are in owners handbook.
Chris

 

[YELOTUS]

Your location is Moscow as in Russia?? Lotus is really expanding its dealer network
Concerning top... easy to remove and install...can be done in 30 seconds once you get hang of it...not tools etc required at all. Rolls up and place in the top bag and fits rilght into the boot (trunk). Will it leak? Some have reported leaks in heavy rain and others no leaks at all...but Lotus did place a sticker on the top stating it can leak under certain rain conditions...hell it is a Brit car and they love their rain so much want some inside
Michael

 

[Val]

hell it is a Brit car and they love their rain so much want some inside
Michael

We now also have TVRs (well, i guess its not suprising now ) and Noble...

I will have to put the roof on everytime i park the car, coz its not a good idea to leave it open on a street :no:
So is it going to be a bit of pain in the a$$ or its OK? (eg 40 minutes drive to a shop, put roof on, 20 mins in the shop, remove, 40 mins drive back).

 

[Barney Jr]

You' ll be fine. With a bit of practise you will get pretty quick. Otherwise you could consider a hardtop?

 

[Stan]

From a prior post of mine:

"The top is actually quite simple to install and remove. It's just unfamiliar the first few times.

Here's how I do it.

1) Approaching the car I hit the alarm button to turn it off and then raise the engine cover.

2) Walking over to the passenger side I open the door and release the side rail and roll it most of the way towards the driver's side, just past the furthest of the two plastic stiffening strips or bows that run longitudinally. Then I remove that strip as my hands are nearest it, followed by the closer one. The strips are springey and they are not hard to remove at all with one hand.

3) Closing the passenger door I place the two strips into the trunk with my right hand as I walk around the back of the car toward the driver's side. You don't even break a stride.

4) Opening the driver's door I release the remaining side rail and lift the already rolled-up top off the car and walk to the trunk where I load it in. Close the trunk. I close the trunk by dropping it from about 10 inches up. Sounds like a car door closing.

5) Walk back to the still open driver's door and get in.

By the way the top is easy to clean if you bring it in the house. I use Porsche or BMW top cleaner followed by a rinse. Don't let bird droppings stay on the fabric as they can stain due to the acid. It's a good idea to retreat the top with a canvas treatment periodically. That way water beads."

 

[pinmagic]

Stan:

IIRC, the owner's manual says not to use any cleaning products on the top at all. (I don't have it handy, but I'm pretty sure of that.)

Neil

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

my procedure is the same as Stans with the one difference that I stow the bows within the rolled top so as I roll it out the bows are right there ready to be inserted in their slots.

 

[Stan]

>>>IIRC, the owner's manual says not to use any cleaning products on the top at all. (I don't have it handy, but I'm pretty sure of that.)<<<

Yes it says that... "Do NOT use a detergent, which may affect the waterproofing properties of the material". Probably the worst detergent you could use on our tops would be something like Dawn dishwashing liquid. Many detailers use that to safely remove any wax from painted surfaces. Lotus suggests vacuuming the top before cleaning it. Black tops can be pretty dirty yet still appear fairly clean since they are so dark and nonreflective. I like to wash my top off the car if more than water would hit it....that way any of the canvas top glop won't get on the paint. The top is so small that it's easy to clean indoors.

I use a cleaner made just for the purpose of cleaning treated canvas tops. Many of the European cars with canvas roofs use the German canvas and this is a well known product in terms of care needs. The water beading is not affected by the canvas top cleaner. And the top can also be retreated from time to time. Lotus doesn't sell any glop for detailing, but the manual does say to check with your dealer for Lotus Approved care products. I'm not aware that there are any just yet.

>>> I stow the bows within the rolled top?<<<

I have thought about doing this but am worried they might crease the top or fall and slide over the paint job or something. When I put the top back on I grab both the strips and the rolled up top from the trunk. How has the rolled up storage strategy worked for you?

 

[Surferjer]

Stan-I'm thread heisting here, but two questions:

1) What do you use to get cone marks off the Starshield? What a bitch!

2) What did you say you applied to the plastic vents to make them all shiny and black?

Thanks man. I plowed some cones this weekend, and there are some serious marks If they don't come out, I'll treat 'em like war scars-with honor and dignity LOL

 

[Stan]

>>>1) What do you use to get cone marks off the Starshield? What a bitch! <<<

Mostly I have hit cones with the side sills in front of the rear wheels. First I try bug and tar remover along with a cleaner wax. That worked well at that Aberdeen event and I did it right there on the spot. If they are pretty serious marks the aforementioned won't work. In that case I have used Gojo citrus cleaner with pumice. That absolutely, positively will get the marks off but may dull the surface of the film. But try milder stuff first and go more aggressive only as required.

Some also suggest using that mildy abrasive sponge whose name I forget but that is sold in food stores...magic something. I tried it and it was pretty slow going. You can bring any surface dulling back to life with some wax though. The side film looks like it will be something to replace from time to time. Kicked up rocks can cut right through it!

>>>2) What did you say you applied to the plastic vents to make them all shiny and black? <<<

Plexus plastic cleaner and polish. Boating and motorcycle places carry it. Some airplane places too. It gets wax out of the pores fairly well and leaves behind a protective film that is fairly long lived. It's also good to use on the paint film.

Some folks feel that the marks on the film are so much harder to remove than any on the paint due to porosity or heat/friction factors. You can painter-tape problem areas and that saves clean up time later on but can look ugly. Some folks suggest adding lots of wax that is not polished off to lubricate the areas.

 

[jml1952]

From a prior post of mine:

"The top is actually quite simple to install and remove. It's just unfamiliar the first few times.

Here's how I do it.

1) Approaching the car I hit the alarm button to turn it off and then raise the engine cover.

2) Walking over to the passenger side I open the door and release the side rail and roll it most of the way towards the driver's side, just past the furthest of the two plastic stiffening strips or bows that run longitudinally. Then I remove that strip as my hands are nearest it, followed by the closer one. The strips are springey and they are not hard to remove at all with one hand.

3) Closing the passenger door I place the two strips into the trunk with my right hand as I walk around the back of the car toward the driver's side. You don't even break a stride.

4) Opening the driver's door I release the remaining side rail and lift the already rolled-up top off the car and walk to the trunk where I load it in. Close the trunk. I close the trunk by dropping it from about 10 inches up. Sounds like a car door closing.

5) Walk back to the still open driver's door and get in.

By the way the top is easy to clean if you bring it in the house. I use Porsche or BMW top cleaner followed by a rinse. Don't let bird droppings stay on the fabric as they can stain due to the acid. It's a good idea to retreat the top with a canvas treatment periodically. That way water beads."

Wait a minute, I got lost after step 1. When does the instructional video come out.

 

[Randy Chase]

Stan-I'm thread heisting here, but two questions:

1) What do you use to get cone marks off the Starshield? What a bitch!

Im am now using what Starsheild used when they came over. 70% alcohol from Walmart.

 

[mikester]

Val, I would suggest that you seriously consider the optional hardtop, if security is an issue. The hard top is NOT easy to remove (it takes about 15 - 20 minutes by most accounts), but it looks great on the car and it will be much more secure. The hard top does not stow in the car's luggage area, BTW.

 

[Surferjer]

I think I'll try the Gojo cleaner Stan suggested first before pouring alcohol on there If that don't work, though, I'll try anything.

I have the distinct feeling that I'll be painting the front clam every 2-3 years in any case. The Starshield might protect a lot, but it can be made to look like crap in and of itself. I have a number of, um, blemishes. Some I don't even know where they came from.

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

>>> I stow the bows within the rolled top?<<<

I have thought about doing this but am worried they might crease the top or fall and slide over the paint job or something. When I put the top back on I grab both the strips and the rolled up top from the trunk. How has the rolled up storage strategy worked for you?

Stan,

So far so good with rolling the top with the bows in it. No creases and no damage. I do make sure that the bows lay flat and sideways in the rolled top to prevent damage. I used this method because I was worried about the bows damaging the soft top storage bag if inserted in the bag but in retrospect a damaged bag wouldn't be as bad as a damaged soft top so I'll play with new methods this weekend.