Custom Soft Top

[406Special]

Geoff and Ashley,

Thank you both for your responses and thoughts.

Before I speak with Alpine Eagle (John H in particular), I wanted to
get feedback from the many knowledgeable and competent ones here on
the list. I know that there are two soft top ways to go (having
owned a brace of Healeys many years before in Oz). Firstly a
removable frame and a single covering fabric/vinyl hood with a clear
plastic rear and side lights (windows). This is the cheapest, least
complex and noisiest option and may, due to location and fabric
fixing locations, hinder the look of the bodywork without the hood in
place. The entire frame and hood could be put away in bags in the
boot leaving the uncluttered body work around the rear clean with
little rearward obstruction. The second option, my preferred, is a
fixed in place folding frame and fabric covered arrangement that will
fold sufficiently flat so that it does not protrude too much above
the rear bulkhead (on top of the petrol tank behind the seat. On
reflection, this may require reduction in the petrol tank capacity
and therefore height, as well as movement of rear seat forwards
slightly to accommodate a folded hood. The tank capacity is large to
start with and so losing a few gallons is not an issue, same with
rear seat space. The creation of a folding hardtop is not considered
due to cost and huge loss of boot space. Ever taken a look at
current moderns with such a device - bugger all luggage capacity
except for a purse and comb. A removable hardtop might be an added
bonus though, only if it could go over a fixed in place soft top, but
again at what cost and what extra convenience if the soft top is
sufficiently cosy and sealed.

Whether or not a glass screen could be practical in this
configuration will remain a moot point, but not a deal breaker for
me, just a preference. Issue really is side windows in such an
arrangement and how to get adequate sealing over the front door
glass, especially if top and rear frame is removed to enable a frame-
less look and feel (along with removal of the rear side glass. Cars
like the Mercedes SL from 91-99 had three lights inserted in the soft
top with rear plus two around the corner sides to give more vision
and light into the cockpit. If the top on a 4 seat Bristol lacked
hard side glass at the rear, then a compromise would be to include
plastic lights into the rear curved sections either side of the rear
light. It is something I would pose to a specialist anyway as I
would not want a cheap solution like those used on Midget, Sprite,
Morgan or Lotus that's for sure. Even removable side glass behind
doors would be OK as long as sealing and fixing was up to the job as
they could be stored in bags in boot or behind and under the soft top.

I have not found a confirmed custom soft top maker in UK, although
the major supplier to the top end is Edscha in Coventry and there are
several smaller firms out there. The frame will need to be robust
and include sufficient strength along front mounting as well as the
side frame areas surrounding front windows to ensure sealing and
water restrictions. Such an approach would give the fabric hood
connection to the body a seamlessness without obvious studs, fixings
etc, just like say a Merc SL top or others.

Certainly would not want an expensive mistake or folly for sure and
appreciate feedback. Geoff, a 400 convertible would look stunning.
I think Dr Blow's got a buttermilk one which is very smart.

One of the reasons I am thinking about this option, is that having
spent (budgeted so far) a considerable sum, the extra to go the
missing roof route is probably not that much extra, but may add
considerably more fun and flexibility as well as potential value (in
the event of me or my heirs selling it). Inspiration-wise, SL-Jones
had a huge side elevation drawing on his office wall of a Bristol (a
406 if I remember) as a soft top and it looked fantastic. It was one
of his many project ideas, just like converting a 405 into a two door.

Clyde

[Kevin H]

Clyde,
The permanent folding mechanism with a lined mohair hood would be the way to go, otherwise it will look nasty. But surely it must cost the best part of £10k to do it well. My Aston Volante had a lined hood and that cost £2.5K to replace 6 years ago and that was just cloth and labour. But you have to cut and finish the body, produce a custom built rail for the top of the windscreen that the hood can lock into. You'll need a custom built frame, a new petrol tank and something to cover the area where the hood folds down when the hood is up. If you can even get the hood to fold down into a recess behind the rear seats, which I doubt because the car is too narrow to accommodate the sides of the frame mechanism. You might find you need to remodel the rear seats.

And don't think you won't need air con. Convertibles get even hotter than normal cars because the dark matt roof covering absorbs heat from the sun far more than a gloss painted metal roof does, and there will be plenty of times when it isn't desirable to have the roof down.

Also I can't see it adding value to the car, if anything I think it will reduce the number of potential buyers. Personally I would never buy an aftermarket chop top.

Just go out and buy a nice Stag for £10k