Partial Roof

[Hodee]

I live in Texas which makes driving my Alpine in the summer feel like a toaster oven . I am considering putting together a partial soft top that only goes from the windscreen to the roll bar to block sun. Has anyone done this already? I assume my biggest problem will be reducing the “flutter and flapping “. I think using a standard front soft top rail with original clasps will work for the front. The rest is a big guess…

 

[Toyanvil]

One day I am going to build one for my series 2, I am in Bakersfield Ca and it's been over 105 degrees here. I am thinking about using a soft top header bar clamped to the windshield and then over the roll bar, like a Jeep. If it flutters, I am thinking I could add battens like a sail boat has.

 

[DanR]

Have at it, Guys ! I'm sure others have had similar thoughts....just never put them to the test

 

[PROCRAFT]

Bill Ashby built a Capri/Bikini ? top for his Alpine much like Toyanvil's talking about probably find it on the British V8 site lots of pics there. Went to the site no pics.of the top!

 

[loose_electron]

One day I am going to build one for my series 2, I am in Bakersfield Ca and it's been over 105 degrees here. I am thinking about using a soft top header bar clamped to the windshield and then over the roll bar, like a Jeep. If it flutters, I am thinking I could add battens like a sail boat has.

Interesting idea. If my car had a roll bar I would jump right on this. (Hmmm...)

Pulling a couple ideas from the sailboat side of my life:

Look into using Sunbrella fabric to make this. (lasts forever and does not shrink)
Boating "canvas shops" can probably do the fitting and stitching.
The front edge using the soft top header bar makes good sense.
Battens probably not needed. Something that stretches tightly would suffice.
Something that pulls across the top of the roll bar, goes around the back side of the bar and snaps to fasteners on the bottom of the bar would work. Need to carefully fit it so it is tight. (This is done on boats all the time)

Google "Bimini Top" for lots of examples from the boating world.

 

[260Alpine]

Like this Miata one:

 

[Toyanvil]

I would use battens to bow up the center to have head room and not flop around in the wind, and still be able to roll it up in the trunk. I think on my series 2 this would also help to not pull to hard on the windshield frame.

 

[Warren]

Here's a nice MG seen locally.
Using a soft top header bow and doing something similar is one of my fun things I'd like to do when I only have one car to deal with.
A Tiger guy Sarris has a shop in the Lakewood area and his brother is a boat canvas guy.
I'd look to them when I could get it on the to do list.

 

[alpine_64]

What is the appeal of the half top? Os it to have shade but still have the open air behind?

Why not have a soft top modified or made with a zip rear window?

 

[loose_electron]

What is the appeal of the half top? Os it to have shade but still have the open air behind?

Why not have a soft top modified or made with a zip rear window?

Shade from the sun and still lots of air flow. Very desirable in the hot and sunny climates of the southwest.

 

[alpine_64]

Shade from the sun and still lots of air flow. Very desirable in the hot and sunny climates of the southwest.

So why not make a zip out rear window...especially for a SV.. Can make the rear window larger too... Thats actaully what many miata/ bmw etc of the 90s and early 2000s did... And stops it looking like a homeless person is camping in your sports car

 

[puff4]

They've made loads of these for TR3 and TR4 cars... I've seen several variations. Google "TR4 Bimini Top" and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Warren]

A zip out window is what came on Falcons and Mustang's.
Who's going to take a brand new Robbins top and make the window a zip in? Sure that'd be nice as I replaced the Falcon one a couple of times.
A quick set top for a squall or as a shade is nice.

 

[MikeH]

The rear window unzipped, but not all the way around, just the sides and top. The main reason for this was so the plastic window did not get creased when the top was lowered.

 

[Warren]

As we veer off course a little bit.
The best thing about the zip in window was it was easy to replace. The Fox body Mustang had a two piece affair. That folded. Plastic windows are lame...
Most of the time when you saw a car with the zipped window down it was probably cut out because it turns so yellow you couldn't see out of it. My perspective as an owner was the reason it was zip in was so it could be easily replaced You could get about 4 to 5 years out of the whole top and maybe 3 if you were lucky for the plastic window. * Depends upon your parking it with the top up uncovered and in the California Sun or depending upon your latitude.

They are called rag tops for a reason. Just making them other than a seasonal car is tough.

 

[DanR]

Perhaps Robbins could be persuaded to do a Zip for the rear. Anyone interested?

 

[loose_electron]

So why not make a zip out rear window...especially for a SV.. Can make the rear window larger too... Thats actaully what many miata/ bmw etc of the 90s and early 2000s did... And stops it looking like a homeless person is camping in your sports car

In this case I think both options are viable.
As they say, whatever works!