honestly wheres the hardtop?
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From: Akron, Ohio
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by Bill F
" A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof." Metal (hard) Cloth (soft).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9
If you advertised a 1968 Road Runner on EBAY as a "Hardtop" and in reality it was a 2 dr. "Sedan". You would be misrepresenting the car.
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by supercrossfire
if smeone doesnt make a hardtop soon im going to make one out of plywood and 2x4 wood. i hate my roadster. im in my mid 20's and it makes me feel less of a man. our arch enemies like the "sky" and "solstice" have one and even the miata and new bmw have one. i also dont like the fact that the soft top looks fine on the passenger side and the drivers side looks deformed with the wrinkles and it almost looks like the soft top has to be streched out to look more curvy. is my roadster the only one that always get wrinkles only on the driver side.
naughteven
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From: St. Louis
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by supercrossfire
i paid way to much money for my roadster, i would be loosing alot of money if i traded it in for a hardtop, i liked the option of putting the top down for a week then it got boring, its just that i could use more trunk room and i love the rear quarter panels on the coupes im sorry its my first convertible im just not used to looking at that soft top. i like the back of the car that people refer to "its like a dog taking a poop" ,well im stuck with it so ill have to deal with the fact that i live in new england and that i will enjoy the top down for a few months and ill have to get used to the fact that anyone with a pocket knife can just welcome their way into the car and do whatever they please, quick question will the alarm go off if the top does get ripped open? dont get me wrong i would have a complete different opinion if there was an optional hardtop. ive had countless amounts of good comments but not at much as i would if it was a hardtop coupe.
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From: Schertz, TX.
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by +fireamx
Well if you really want to split hairs Bill, this is an even better explaination.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9
If you advertised a 1968 Road Runner on EBAY as a "Hardtop" and in reality it was a 2 dr. "Sedan". You would be misrepresenting the car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9
If you advertised a 1968 Road Runner on EBAY as a "Hardtop" and in reality it was a 2 dr. "Sedan". You would be misrepresenting the car.
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Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
You say the lack of a hard top makes you feel less of a man...is this a euphemism for something else going on?
Granted a hard top XF would have been a nice/neat/etc. thing, but is just isn't going to happen as others have pointed out. While I've only owned my for a year, I've never seen a reason for a hard top. In cold weather, when I drive it, the heater good enough; when it rains, I stay dry; when it's sunny and at the right tempreture for my whimpy butt, I don't even notice it has a top.
Seriously, if the Sky, Solstice or even Miata make you feel less a man because they have hard tops, then you need to consider a different car.
Granted a hard top XF would have been a nice/neat/etc. thing, but is just isn't going to happen as others have pointed out. While I've only owned my for a year, I've never seen a reason for a hard top. In cold weather, when I drive it, the heater good enough; when it rains, I stay dry; when it's sunny and at the right tempreture for my whimpy butt, I don't even notice it has a top.
Seriously, if the Sky, Solstice or even Miata make you feel less a man because they have hard tops, then you need to consider a different car.
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From: Chicago, IL
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by cassidyrj1
OK i just did this, this morning. Its not a great photo shop but it gives people a idea.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
[IMG]
[/IMG]
In other news, how many people are seriously interested in an upholstered interior fiberglass hard top should we decide to make one?
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by cassidyrj1
OK i just did this, this morning. Its not a great photo shop but it gives people a idea.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG]
[/IMG]naughteven
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From: St Louis MO
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From: Fairfax, VA
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
All jokes aside, the S2000 has a plethora of available hardtops in both carbon fiber and aluminum, heck the factory S2000CR comes with one! The Miata, Z4, Prowler also have hardtops available.
I think the convertible top XF could look really, really cool with a euro-style hardtop in carbon.
I think the convertible top XF could look really, really cool with a euro-style hardtop in carbon.
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Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by FP
I'm with you Doc. I think the XF is one of very few cars that looks nice even with the top up.
But for the price of these great cars this is a sweet looking ride even if you have a few wrinkles. Mine are very lightly there but not a big deal. If you treat your top it may go away because the top may get a bit darker but either way this care looks great top up or down!
I took a long time to make my decision on a convertible and I am very happy with the xfire. BTW if you went the solstice route you may have liked the top better (i doubt it) but would have really hated driving that piece of junk.
Nate
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From: Akron, Ohio
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by naughteven
In 1973, Volvo introduced a similar design. I almost bought one, but couldn't get the baby's playpen into the back door. They only made this car for one year, and I understand they're quite rare.
naughteven
naughteven
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...num=4&ct=title
I also considered buying one when they were new. But I think they cost around $6k, and that was out of my price range at the time.
I always kind of liked the BMW Z3 "Coupe" too, but not enough to ever buy one.
I've drawn a few sketches of a Crossfire with the same basic design, but was never able to come up with anything that looked any good. I did enjoy Cassidy's photo shop though. It's interesting to see what ones imagination can come up with.
After the Volvo came out, GM previewed a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am as a "sports wagon" concept, and it looked really cool. I think this design study was responsible for the creation of an "aftermarket" fiberglass wagon addition for the C3 Vette.
http://www.indiemonkey.com/firebird/
Last edited by +fireamx; 01-12-2009 at 01:42 PM.
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From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by +fireamx
Actually the 1800ES was introduced in 1971 as a 72 model, and they stopped production in 1973. I think it was only a 2 year run.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...num=4&ct=title
I considered buying one also when they were new. But I think they cost around $6k, and that was out of my price range at the time.
I always kind of liked the BMW Z3 "Coupe" too, but not enough to ever buy one.
I've drawn a few sketches of a Crossfire with the same basic design, but was never able to come up with anything that looked any good. I did enjoy Cassidy's photo shop though. It's interesting to see what ones imagination can come up with.
After the Volvo came out, GM previewed a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am as a "sports wagon" concept, and it looked really cool. But the closest anybody ever came to actually building one, was an aftermarket fiberglass wagon addition for the C3 Vette.
http://www.indiemonkey.com/firebird/
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...num=4&ct=title
I considered buying one also when they were new. But I think they cost around $6k, and that was out of my price range at the time.
I always kind of liked the BMW Z3 "Coupe" too, but not enough to ever buy one.
I've drawn a few sketches of a Crossfire with the same basic design, but was never able to come up with anything that looked any good. I did enjoy Cassidy's photo shop though. It's interesting to see what ones imagination can come up with.
After the Volvo came out, GM previewed a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am as a "sports wagon" concept, and it looked really cool. But the closest anybody ever came to actually building one, was an aftermarket fiberglass wagon addition for the C3 Vette.
http://www.indiemonkey.com/firebird/
However, although I can now afford a car (I really couldn't in 1973) like the 1800ES, I still like the Crossfire Roadster just the way it is, sans hardtop.
naughteven
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From: Akron, Ohio
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Originally Posted by rcompart
IIn other news, how many people are seriously interested in an upholstered interior fiberglass hard top should we decide to make one?
http://www.corvetteblogger.com/index...3A070B32186C94
I'm not sure, but I think they even reproduce the curved "Plexiglass" rear window.
The angle of the side 1/4 window is even close to matching the door window of the Crossfire.
If you guys could come up with a similar design of the Vette top, I think it would really give the Crossfire an even more "Classic Retro Look" than it already has.
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From: Fairfax, VA
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
"Classic Retro" is really not a good look in my opinion. That's putting it gently, I really hate "classic retro". I saw the same thing attempted by Ford for the Thunderbird and it was really, really nasty. The original '55 Tbird was a beauty, but the attempt to use some of the old design cues in a modern chassis was really not good.
What should be done is euro-style, modern, aerodynamic, with function and form done together. It shouldn't attempt to fit in with Stoddard's original Crossfire design. It should instead seek to make the existing body of the car look better, not be a weak nod to a bygone era.
As for Volvos, my favorite is the Volvo P1800 ST1, the station wagon look was awesome on the Z3 M Coupe, but it wouldn't work with the Crossfire.
What should be done is euro-style, modern, aerodynamic, with function and form done together. It shouldn't attempt to fit in with Stoddard's original Crossfire design. It should instead seek to make the existing body of the car look better, not be a weak nod to a bygone era.
As for Volvos, my favorite is the Volvo P1800 ST1, the station wagon look was awesome on the Z3 M Coupe, but it wouldn't work with the Crossfire.
Last edited by sonoronos; 01-12-2009 at 02:35 PM.
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From: Plainfield,Illinois
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From: Holland MI
Re: honestly wheres the hardtop?
Please post pictures of your 2x4, plywood hardtop. Advise what color rattle can paint you used to match the car. I'm sure some Pep Boy front seats and a fart-can exhaust will completely restore your manhood.
Please do NOT show up at any GTG with your monstrosity.
Please do NOT show up at any GTG with your monstrosity.