Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

He needs to go into production!!

ACote wrote:I think a couple of pics are in order at least for the curious. (me). Sad to hear about your new top, I was hoping for one of these down the line.

Alex--
Since you asked, here's the location of all pictures taken during effort. I am still heavily considering the McMaster-Carr options provided by James in an earlier reply. Yes, it will mean ripping the entire set of seals off and starting over, but I'm not in love with this setup, and since I have already competed on the gong show and won, what's more 'tinkering' investment cost? I'd like to be able to roll the windows up with the doors closed.

http://mauisrl311.shutterfly.com.

PS: the profile of the Smoothline seal versus the Nissan seal is was certainly telling to me, combined with the gobs of sealant used to attach the seal to the front bow area, it just would never fit--or fit poorly riding too high! Pictures here: http://mauisrl311.shutterfly.com/pictures/12

I hope everyone understands that I was trying to work with them to improve their product, not have it be an end of production decision if it comes to that. I was honestly expecting a MUCH different response each time I called. At the point of order, I had even offered to take installation pictures to help them improve the installation instructions and provide a high windshield picture for their website, at least (which they could get anytime from this forum)!

The weatherstrip that they used is clearly inappropriate for the places installed. There is a lot that can be done to improve that top.

mauisrl311 wrote: Alex--
Since you asked, here's the location of all pictures taken during effort.
http://mauisrl311.shutterfly.com.

Did you order a brand new top from Smoothline with vinyl covering?

It's really hard for me to read this topic because it just pisses me off, and it's not even my car. Understand, customer service, even in a hospital ER, is a central part of my job. Crap happens, that's a given. It's their ATTITUDE afterwards that's unacceptable and business foolishness. They have NO idea who you are, what connections or influences you may have. You can bet if Chip Foose was building this car they would have been on their knees and bending backwards to take care of you. You and your money should be just as important as anyone's. Amazing how stupid and short sighted some companies are. You gave them multiple opportunities to set things right; they are not interested or honorable. I say burn em. Or email the CEO and say the mayor of such n such town is not happy with how their top fits on his car and see what happens. What bullshit.

Looks bush league to me. The vinyl effect is pretty cool though.

We have all considered the Parrish/Smoothline a premium product, but this definitely doesn't fit the bill in my definition of such.

dw

Photos of the CF hardtop, looks like a Smoothline. Hope they molded it from an older one.
http://311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f= ... 67#p136761

dbrick wrote:Photos of the CF hardtop, looks like a Smoothline. Hope they molded it from an older one.
http://311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f= ... 67#p136761

THAT top is beautiful!

It's going to look great on the car. Woody is a maniac.

Mauisrl311,
Mahalo for the posting: you’ve helped others in the roadster community by sharing your misadventure with Smooth Line in a well-documented, calm manner. A recent experience with them involving replacement weatherstripping for our top ended in a similarly disappointing way, though not nearly on the same financial scale you experienced. Here are some recent photos of our top (purchased in the early 80s) when they carried the Parrish badge:



Hopefully the photos are good enough to show that the fit both inside and out is pretty snug and tight, and the weatherstrip is nothing like what was included with your car. BTW, they told me that this new w’strip has superseded what Parrish used, but what we’ll use it for now that we’re stuck with it is far from certain – sealing for the bottom edge of our garage door, maybe?
Similar experiences with Smooth Line, e.g.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-gene ... rdtop.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

make it difficult to conclude that the firm is open to customer feedback. Perhaps if there is some consolation in all of this, we can try to imagine similar treatment from Dann, Dean, Ross, or the other reputable vendors of the 311s site. Can’t imagine it? That’s the point.

Jon Hayden
SRL31108153
HLS3000327 (Nov. '69 240Z sold but fondly remembered)

Jon--

Thanks for the posting. Interesting how your original Parrish hardtop uses the same clamps as the soft top, including the center one, which my Smoothline does not even have a mounting post for. It is interesting to me that if the Smoothline top was from an original Parrish mold, how different the fastening approach is for the front bow (not to mention that I had different distances to the top bow for the 2 sides and they certainly do NOT have a way of using the original soft top clamps). I do like the fit of your former car's top and really like the form over the door windows. This seems to me to be how these tops should look. I'll be sealing my garage door (with a newly available seal) any day now and thinking fondly of what could have been if a particular manufacturer wanted to work toward a solution rather than punt and run.

Had a mould made for the so called light weight hard top that came with the half baked 66 roadster project on BAT.
Parrish low windshield mould will be made end of the year.

Prices for repros Richard?

I see that Richard is bucking conventional wisdom on wheel size for the blue race car, at least for the front. Looks good, just like 22s on a Malibu...

Greg, that's step one.. step two is to build a second front suspension, then he will have a Tyrell style 6 wheeler…