Hard top dilemma

[Alvin]

What are your opinions on having a hard top, pro's and con's.

Everything that is mentioned above, plus my 2 cents:
I like the hardtop because:
- I think it looks much better than a soft top up (though no top is ALWAYS better).
- I find the car cooler on hot days, warmer on cool days
- It's like having two cars in one: take the hard top off; it's a roadster! Put the hard top on, it's a coupe! Each has its own personality and feel.
- Long trips are more comfortable. I can carry a conversation without shouting.

I dislike it because:
- Added weight
- Unless you really have dedicated space in your garage, storing it can be irritating.


My car came with a soft top but no hardtop. For 12 years I drove topless. In those 12 years, I folded/unfolded the soft top maybe a handful of times. I ended up removing it from the car and it was either stored at home, or in the up position. I thought, If I don't use a softtop as it was intended, just get a hardtop!

Makes me wonder, no matter how stunning Alvin's car looks, how can he not want to go topless more often, especially considering where he lives!

1) I'm topless right now!

2) why are you wondering about me and my car? Stalker

#AlvinSucks

#TRUTH

[John B]

My 2000 came with both a hard and soft top. The hard top was on when I got it and the (new) soft top was not installed. I immediately gave the hard top away and am currently running completely topless without the soft top either and will probably keep it that way. I like the way it looks without either top and don't drive it in the rain anyways.

[2mAn]

My situation was similar to John B, but my car had a haggard soft top and I had no intention of ever having the top, so its sold... I have wanted a hard top lately only to try out an idea... I get bored and want to try ideas that occupy mental space

[Bigtaku]

My first car came with a hard top, tonneau cover and no soft top. Loved the tonneau but it was hard to get on and off. After my brother loaned the car to a friend for the day (without asking) my hardtop went airborne when the friend got to about 50mph. The top was broken pretty bad so instead of fixing it I bought a soft top frame and cover. I lived in Alaska at the time so the soft top was more practical for my sunny day only drives that turned to rain. I now have a soft and hardtop for my custom roadster. I think the hardtop will be for show days only unless I go for a very long trip.

[FairladySPL]

Forget the hardtop.

As an Easterner, we don't enjoy as much top-down driving weather as people who live in the West. Yet, as these cars approach the 50 year mark (or have already past the half century), few owners use them as all-weather, all season cars anyway. They are a nice-weather car, intended to be a convertible for the full experience.

Background. In high school I had an Austin-Healey. I sold it as I prepared to go to college, rationalizing that a sunroof in a '71 Capri would approximate the wonderful top-down feeling I enjoyed so much, season permitting.

The sunroof was not nearly the same thing. Exit, one Capri, enter, my first 311. The car was seven years old at the time, reliable, and probably a good candidate for an all-season, all weather commuter car for the 60 mile round trip to school. Yes, the folding top was flappy, leaky & noisy, but as a late-teenager I didn't care.

Next, a second 311 that had no soft top frame, but came with a hard top instead! Hey, now here's a commuter car. Did that, yep, made sense, by now the car was about a dozen years old.

Sold both, got the one I have now. 34 years later, I don't commute in it any more (unless its a reliably nice day!). The soft top and frame have not been on the car for about ten years. That means the car is ready to go at a moment's whim, full breeze, full joy.

As it should be.

From two weekends ago.

[MonkeyMike]

Man, here I am looking for one... and everyone in Cali is giving theirs away. sigh.

~mike

[Alvin]

Man, here I am looking for one... and everyone in Cali is giving theirs away. sigh.

~mike

They are easy to find. You can buy a new one right now!
http://www.smoothline.com/datsun-hardtop

[brn2rde]

Man, here I am looking for one... and everyone in Cali is giving theirs away. sigh.

~mike

They are easy to find. You can buy a new one right now!
http://www.smoothline.com/datsun-hardtop

Sure, but who wants to buy one when word on the street is you can't hardly give them away? BTW, if anyone wants to get rid of one, let me know. I have 2 roadsters and could use a nice hardtop....

[auggiemize]

I got SO excited about a give away in the NE; it was the design I loved, in apparently great shape, and I found a young man (friends of friends..) to haul it down to me in NC...but there was a "miscommunication" the day before the deal, of who the giftee was, and it wasn't me. Giant bummer...Incredibly disappointed...so, Still looking also. All for going topless, but our climate dictates that dry is good in the cool/cold days.

[Buttasc0ttch]

I have a hard top question....

A person on OfferUp is selling a hardtop which he believes is for the Low Windshield (he is not quite sure because he bought the top for his MG thinking it would fit with light modification, he does not own a Datsun)

I have a 1968' 1600 so will this hardtop fit my vehicle or not because of the windshield size?
What is the best way to find out which vehicle the hardtop belongs to without having to drive out an hour to meet him and find out it doesn't fit?

[68DSU]

I left the tonneau (SP?) cover on to protect the paint. Mine was also a daily driver for a long time and the hard top was great in the colder season. The drawback for me was that I had to make a decision before I started out. On or off. Sometimes a freezing morning was worth the top off afternoon. You can save the space by removing the soft top too. For me its a seasonal thing. I have other convertibles and we really don't take the ops down or off from October to March anyway.
It is said that a true convertible owner gets wet two times each year. Once when the top is left off too long and you catch the first rain, and once when it is taken off too early and you catch the last one.

[ACote]

I have a hard top question....

A person on OfferUp is selling a hardtop which he believes is for the Low Windshield (he is not quite sure because he bought the top for his MG thinking it would fit with light modification, he does not own a Datsun)

I have a 1968' 1600 so will this hardtop fit my vehicle or not because of the windshield size?
What is the best way to find out which vehicle the hardtop belongs to without having to drive out an hour to meet him and find out it doesn't fit?

Easiest way is to check the latches as they changed for the high windshield. Or post a pic here.
A low windshield hard top will not fit the 68+ cars.

[mraitch]

measure windshield height on your car and have him measure the clearance on his top

[notoptoy]

Low windshield has only two latches where the High windshield has 3 of a different style. So a picture of the latches should actually be enough. Make sure that the latches are included, as they are pricey to pick up after the fact.

[Lorna c]

they stink . don't bother . you can't take it with you if you want it off like the ragtop. mine flew off on I-5 the day I brought it home .. haha idk where it ended up .. the clips we're on it was the bummer but ragtop all the way ! I barely have the ragtop up ever , storage would be all it's good for really.