Temporary Targa top?

Is there a way you can make it watter rsistant and able to fit snug?

 

Not in a way that would be better and easier than your own top.

 

Is there a way to make it water resistant and stay on while driving? Just in case a rain storm catches you off guard? I would likely only use it when parked, but thought I would ask. I guess suction cup technology has only improved so much

 

I am also answering to miketuason.

I guess there could be a way to be able to keep the top on while driving not too fast but to create a water seal would not be practical. In that respect I agree with Dr Tommy Cosgrove. Just use the top when the weather is not too kind.
I always keep my top in the car stowed behind the top cover. It really takes me probably less that 1 minute to have the top installed.

Gianluca

 

It's up to you guys but personally I'd rather spend my money with a fellow F-chatter than another company.

Gianluca's offer sounds pretty good to me!

It looks like we are up to 20 now....

dogue
sparta49
miketuason
flyingboa
Gator FL
silver horse
4re 4me
Gerry 328
jdubbya
Tillman
Mike C
jimveres
DrewStoddard
gilnsammy
inowownone
Verell
Matt308

+3 off-line

20 total

Let the majority decide but If Gianluca can make something similar for $130 or less he would get my vote! I'll let Carbrella know whatever we decide.

John

 

count me in for one providing not an arm and a leg.

Tony

 

Umm, thought they'd be water resistant. Here in NE, we're subject to sudden showers, I was hoping for something I could pop on quickly while shopping 'just in case it rains', to keep the sun off of the interior on sunny days, & to discourage passersby from reaching inside by appearing to be a roof.

Also want something that will keep dust out while the car is in the garage, but easier to remove & stow than the targa top when I want to make a quick run up the street for something on a nice day.

BTW, what is 'Sunbrella'?

 

assume that the top will fit both the 308 & 328?

Tony

 

I'm still in.

 

till 88 I believe they said. As far as I can tell the 308 and 328 tops are the same.

 

Hi Verell,
Sunbrella is a marine acrylic woven fabric normally used in outside applications. It is indeed water resistant but not waterproof. I feel it would be more than sufficent for this application but it would not be suitable to make a convertible top. For that one would need to use Sunbrella Supreme (100% waterproof) or Sea Mark. The latter is a converted product using Sunbrella and backing it with marine grade vinyl and it would be suitable for a convertible top. There is Sunbrella Plus that has a coating on the back and it increases the water resistance. Also, Sunbrella Supreme has a lighter colour on the back so that there is a more open feeling when used on a boat as a bimini top etc. This material is almost $ 40-50 x yard, however.
Sur-Last is another product (made by the same people of Sunbrella) that could be a candidate. Highly water resistant and very stable (no shrink or stretch). Usually for boat and cockpit covers.
At any rate, the above products are considered among the highest quality product of their kind. Possibly a little overkill for this application.
Regular Sunbrella has a water repellent applied at the factory and it should be redone efery 3 years or so. Remember that these product are exposed usually all year long to the elements in a marine environment.
There are also other equivalent products on the market (usually less expensive) that could fit the bill.
before anything happens, I would do some research to get a good quality/cost value. To give you an idea, the above products range from 20some to 40some dollars per yard. Not a huge difference in reality but why spend the money if not really needed?
Of course a regular fabric backed vinyl (like the one used in the trunk cover) could be used and it would be water proof. I am not sure tha the apparence would be the best for this application. The look of a woven fabric for a top would be my preference.

Another thing. The "core" of the portable roof would be made of corrugated plastic therefore the only "real" point of water entry would be the 2 center "channels" (hinges) to allow for folding. I would guess that the 2 external channels would not be an issue because thery are already at the window. Nevertheless I could easily add a thin waterproof material inside to further protect the seam. (maybe not really scotch tape but...you get the idea).
Another issue I have been thinking about is to add something (elegant) to prevent someone to easily steal the cover. I will need to brainstorm on that one.

I can see a lot of concern about waterproofing and driveability of the car with the cover. Once again, I think the real top is the easiest and best item for this task. I also believe that in an emergency the temporary top would provide ample water protection and could provide reasonable amount of driveability (say 25-30 mph) to reach a shelterd area; above that speed the negative pressure imposed on the top would just make it fly away.

This whole top would not get, however, damaged by water as all the materials (with the exception of the molded steel screw in the suction cup) would be water proof.

Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

Gianluca

 

I would think so but I defer that one to the experts in the forum. On the other hand I believe that the real advantage of having someone like me do this, is the flexibility in production. I have had my own bookbindery for 25 years and I have made plenty of special projects, one of the kind item more time than I care to think about. The savings of 30-40 $ over a commercial outfit maybe nice but I do not think is the driving force behind this project.
Therefore, even if the 328 is slightly different, as long as I have a size/pattern to go by, I can just make the one that fits your car and also have the pattern for future orders
Another thing: I am assuming that most people would like to have a black top. The savings in buying 20-30 yards vs. buying 1 yd. is not really that great so if anyone would like to have a different colour (and the fabrics come in some beautiful colours) please, be my guest.

Gianluca

 

I absolutely agree with you

Thank you for the thought!

Gianluca

 

Gianluca, Thanks for stepping up and offering to do this for us! I am fine with you making them. -m

 

I'm in, and I'm in Denver so if Gianluca isnt going to produce them, I can go to the address listed on the Carbrella ad posted and do a trial fitting.

Carbrella appears to be a Denver based company.

James in Denver

 

I'm good either way.

 

Gianluca, thanks for stepping up. Please let us know what colors are available when you have the prototype completed. I like to leave my top at home for the extra leg room. We don't get much rain in AZ but occasionally you are caught in a summer shower and it would be great to have a water resistant top that will protect the interior from a quick shower. Most importantly for me is that it will keep the sun off the interior when stopping for lunch on a drive, that way I can leave the real top at home on sunny days. Thanks again.

Terry

 

I see a few asking about driving with the cover on...but looking at the picture, I don't see how the heck could you possibly get in the car and get the top back in place...suction cupped to the outside of the windows even if it would stay on while driving???? Then you have to get out again somehow??? It really looks like a parking lot/garage cover, her in PA, it’s the fear of the afternoon thunderstorms more then the sun that make me install the top, so this design won’t help me I guess.

Maybe a waterproof cover that that covers the whole cockpit glass area? Maybe 4 straps that hook to the wheel wells and a rod to support the center so water can’t collect, similar to a boat cover??? That would keep ALL the sun out of the car and the rain too and would roll/fold pretty small????

When I first saw the title of the thread I had a vision of a folding frame covered with a convertible top material making a soft top that installed like the factory hard top, but folded up....I'm not sure what advantage something like that would have, but I'm fairly certain it could be made without too much trouble.

What I would really really like is a 5lb or less hard top so it's easier to handle and maybe a touch of GTB curve to give a bit more head room....this one has been running though my head for some time now.

Sorry if I just added confusion to the thread…..

 

I wouldn't get to dependent on water repellency with this thing. Mine was never designed to do that and exactly what amount of convenience are we saving ourselves by going to the trouble and added expense of making it water proof? If you need to keep rain out simply put the top back on. A 308 is not an MG, if it starts to rain going to the trouble of putting the top back on isn't going to take 10 minutes. Some may say that they keep the top at home - that it may not be with them in a rain emergency. Why not just take it with you if it MAY rain? Why would anyone drive an open Ferrari away from home under the threat of rain? I just keep my top behind the seats under the cover where it is supposed to go at all times. I can't think of a better place to put it. Why WOULD you put it anywhere else? There it won't get lost, kicked, scratched, dropped, used as a shelf, get in the way, etc. It is out of the way and always there if I need it. I use the temp top in the garage and at a car get-together on a hot summer day because it is very very very simple and does an excellent job of keeping out dust and sun. Asking it to do anything else is attempting to reinvent the original top and in doing so we have now lost to whole point of this project - simplicity.

Let's keep it cheap and simple.

 

Here, here! Don't overdesign it, let's just git er done!

 

+1, keep it simple and black.

 

Thank you for pointing out the suction cups issue.

Gianluca

 

mk e
I posted in between your message and it became part of the quote.
Sorry about that.

Gianluca

 

No worries, but you can edit it for 1 hour, look at the bottom of your you, and click the edit button.

 

Mine too...but as other have said, the best thing is probably to keep this discussion on track with a simple sun cover and we can ponder the way cool stuff in another thread.