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Ashley aftermarket hardtop
- Thread starter agmason54
- Start date
alpine_64
Donation Time
Al,
Are you referring to the Astro fastback fiberglass hardtops? The ashley ones out of the Uk dont seem to be anywhere.. i have seen a couple of astros over the years.. and quite sure the one you are referring to was the one on a SIV with wires.. tyres flat and a basket case car right?
Are you referring to the Astro fastback fiberglass hardtops? The ashley ones out of the Uk dont seem to be anywhere.. i have seen a couple of astros over the years.. and quite sure the one you are referring to was the one on a SIV with wires.. tyres flat and a basket case car right?
MK
I found them on Google under 'Ashley Sunbeam Alpine aftermarket hardtop'.
I have seen adds for Astro hardtops also like the one you mentioned but I would hardly call that one a basket case. Someone posted a picture of one on a Tiger race car. Ashley made a top for SI-II. I like it better than the finned Harrington. I'd be willing to trade a running car for an Ashley top.
Al
I found them on Google under 'Ashley Sunbeam Alpine aftermarket hardtop'.
I have seen adds for Astro hardtops also like the one you mentioned but I would hardly call that one a basket case. Someone posted a picture of one on a Tiger race car. Ashley made a top for SI-II. I like it better than the finned Harrington. I'd be willing to trade a running car for an Ashley top.
Al
Al, not sure you found this site but seems to have a lot details about these tops.
http://www.ashleysportiva.zoomshare.com/0.html
http://www.ashleysportiva.zoomshare.com/0.html
alpine_64
Donation Time
Al it was me who posted the pics of the hardtop on the Larry Reid sports cars prep'ed tiger 1/4 mile car.
I think the Harrington website has pics of it on there under other conversions, There was also an old article on here with some info on them. The only pics other than the brochure i have seen was in the Uk in the 60's.. the guy said he scraped the car and was looking for another top/... dont think they made many. and dont think many, if any, have survived
alpine_64
Donation Time
Al,
go here.. but i doubt any made it to the USA.. and not so sure any will be in the Uk either... they are decent looking.
http://www.harringtonalpine.org/index.php?categoryid=80
go here.. but i doubt any made it to the USA.. and not so sure any will be in the Uk either... they are decent looking.
http://www.harringtonalpine.org/index.php?categoryid=80
alpine_64
Donation Time
Al,
Go to the menu on the left side >
>MISC.
>OTHER ALPINE CONV.
and you will see a row of pics of the ashley top
65beam
Donation Time
ashley
it looks like you would have to remove the trunk lid to use this top. the advertisement does not mention panels to cover the trunk area. without these panels you would be able to see the trunk hinge panel and open trunk area. unlike the harrington alpine, this top would not increase the interior room. it would be the same as a normal hardtop with the exception of a large rear window.
it looks like you would have to remove the trunk lid to use this top. the advertisement does not mention panels to cover the trunk area. without these panels you would be able to see the trunk hinge panel and open trunk area. unlike the harrington alpine, this top would not increase the interior room. it would be the same as a normal hardtop with the exception of a large rear window.
Mk,
Yes I would love to have an Ashley top for SI-II. I have three SIIs and one SI for good luck to put it on. I would also settle for an Astro top for a SIII GT. I have sort of an aftermarket hardtop collection going on.Cutting a custom window would be cake.
Bob Webb
I don't get your point....I like everything about it.....
R 66,
I will have to speak to Olly...
Later
Al
Yes I would love to have an Ashley top for SI-II. I have three SIIs and one SI for good luck to put it on. I would also settle for an Astro top for a SIII GT. I have sort of an aftermarket hardtop collection going on.Cutting a custom window would be cake.
Bob Webb
I don't get your point....I like everything about it.....
R 66,
I will have to speak to Olly...
Later
Al
65beam
Donation Time
hardtop
al,
as with any well restored car, it's all in the details. if you ever owned a harrington you would understand why i asked this question. a harrington alpine had the trunk hinge panel moved back to accomodate the top and the much smaller trunk lid which in all reality was a sectioned alpine trunk. this left more room behind the seats and the added interior panels closed off the trunk from the interior. a lemans had most of the rear of the body removed from the door back. if this top is removable in a matter of minutes and you can go back to a roadster that tells me there were no modifications made to the body. michael posted a photo but what would be interesting is to see other details of the install. michael, have you seen the car in your photo? did you get any other photos of the interior or how the top is attached?
al,
as with any well restored car, it's all in the details. if you ever owned a harrington you would understand why i asked this question. a harrington alpine had the trunk hinge panel moved back to accomodate the top and the much smaller trunk lid which in all reality was a sectioned alpine trunk. this left more room behind the seats and the added interior panels closed off the trunk from the interior. a lemans had most of the rear of the body removed from the door back. if this top is removable in a matter of minutes and you can go back to a roadster that tells me there were no modifications made to the body. michael posted a photo but what would be interesting is to see other details of the install. michael, have you seen the car in your photo? did you get any other photos of the interior or how the top is attached?
alpine_64
Donation Time
Bob,
If you lok at the pictures the Ashly top actually has a seperate boot, with concealed hinges, a better detail than the early harringtons bar the last few with the cantilever boot lid.
The boot has to be removed for the ashley, and given its on a SI/II base you have the flat rear section you could easily put carpet on. As i said in the earlier post.. the soft top would be removed as the windows have been replaced by longer square edged ones so you cant use the factory soft top.. what i assume you get when you "unbolt" is like the Gt alpine.. open car with no weather protection!
No interior pics.. and that photo was not mine.. i did find the pic of it period racing.. they are rare and far between.. pitty
If you lok at the pictures the Ashly top actually has a seperate boot, with concealed hinges, a better detail than the early harringtons bar the last few with the cantilever boot lid.
The boot has to be removed for the ashley, and given its on a SI/II base you have the flat rear section you could easily put carpet on. As i said in the earlier post.. the soft top would be removed as the windows have been replaced by longer square edged ones so you cant use the factory soft top.. what i assume you get when you "unbolt" is like the Gt alpine.. open car with no weather protection!
No interior pics.. and that photo was not mine.. i did find the pic of it period racing.. they are rare and far between.. pitty
alpine_64
Donation Time
While on the subject of factory V aftermarket.. how about modified factory?
Q: "Where can i get a window for my SI/II hardtop?"
A : "well there are some suppliers.. but they cost a little"
Q: "can i modify my factory top to take a different window?"
A: "sure.. here is what i did"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Othe...8?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4170cbfc88#v4-40
Q: "Where can i get a window for my SI/II hardtop?"
A : "well there are some suppliers.. but they cost a little"
Q: "can i modify my factory top to take a different window?"
A: "sure.. here is what i did"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Othe...8?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4170cbfc88#v4-40
65beam
Donation Time
hardtop
michael,
are you saying that if you set this top on the car with the trunk lid removed, all you see when looking thru the rear window is an open trunk area and body parts? that's not something i would want to have people look at. it would show an unfinished, i don't care what my car looks likes attitude. it's all about the details. did ashley intend to finish the interior? did they supply the parts to finish it off?
michael,
are you saying that if you set this top on the car with the trunk lid removed, all you see when looking thru the rear window is an open trunk area and body parts? that's not something i would want to have people look at. it would show an unfinished, i don't care what my car looks likes attitude. it's all about the details. did ashley intend to finish the interior? did they supply the parts to finish it off?
alpine_64
Donation Time
Bob,
Ashley may have provided kits for the rear area, owners may have made them as they saw fit, I dont know and there is not much documentation around. It would not be very hard to make a nice fit out in the rear area, and to be honest it would not be hard to do a nicer job than many of the Harringtons, lots of the vertical panels in those are vynil covered and have exposed trim screws and smaller pieces that join to make larger profiles.
Would be nice to make panels with proper trim clips and you could cover the rear luggage area in carpet or trim in vinyl and add e-type style chrome/stainless luggage runners on the horizontal surface.
It would be a nice project and no reason it couldn't be as nice or nicer than others... As with Harringtons .. I guess yo could have them bespoke to your requirements.
Ashley may have provided kits for the rear area, owners may have made them as they saw fit, I dont know and there is not much documentation around. It would not be very hard to make a nice fit out in the rear area, and to be honest it would not be hard to do a nicer job than many of the Harringtons, lots of the vertical panels in those are vynil covered and have exposed trim screws and smaller pieces that join to make larger profiles.
Would be nice to make panels with proper trim clips and you could cover the rear luggage area in carpet or trim in vinyl and add e-type style chrome/stainless luggage runners on the horizontal surface.
It would be a nice project and no reason it couldn't be as nice or nicer than others... As with Harringtons .. I guess yo could have them bespoke to your requirements.
65beam
Donation Time
ashley top
michael,
you would still have to contend with the body panel for the trunk hinges and the soft top area unless you cut all of it out. then you could configure it to the harrington alpine style or lemans style. i don't remember much about what ian did to the interior of his blue car when he restored the car but i do know that the lemans has a nice interior job. the side panels behind the B post do not have screws. they are made up of different wood pieces fastened together with vinyl. they have clips similar to what holds the door panels on. the one piece at the rear under the hatch does have a curved piece of wood about 1 inch square with screws that hold this section to the body. the black screws i have installed now are very hard to notice. the vertical B post panel also has clips. my red car still has the original panels on the side and across the back. other than the screws on the back panel, that's it for screws. i did leave the arm rests off the doors on the red car. the RHD car will not be getting the knee pads, etc reinstalled either.
michael,
you would still have to contend with the body panel for the trunk hinges and the soft top area unless you cut all of it out. then you could configure it to the harrington alpine style or lemans style. i don't remember much about what ian did to the interior of his blue car when he restored the car but i do know that the lemans has a nice interior job. the side panels behind the B post do not have screws. they are made up of different wood pieces fastened together with vinyl. they have clips similar to what holds the door panels on. the one piece at the rear under the hatch does have a curved piece of wood about 1 inch square with screws that hold this section to the body. the black screws i have installed now are very hard to notice. the vertical B post panel also has clips. my red car still has the original panels on the side and across the back. other than the screws on the back panel, that's it for screws. i did leave the arm rests off the doors on the red car. the RHD car will not be getting the knee pads, etc reinstalled either.