Hi all,
I am looking to get a set of the Rogue solid mount hard top bracket sets to mount the hard top permanently to the car, although the solid mount kit is meant for weight reduction I was initially interested from a security point of view.
Much like the MX5 hard tops there are just 4 latches that hold the hard top to the car, these aren't locking latches so a thief could easily break a window, un latch them and walk away with the hard top - as most people are aware these hard tops are getting rarer and more expensive.
I my car will be a weekend road car with some track work and although I won't have a soft top in the car and have a hard top fitted (for weight reduction) I will still be using the stock seatbelts - Rogue motorsports strongly recommends to NOT run stock seatbelts with their mounts. This would mean that it is harness only which isn't ideal for a road car so I am looking at other options.
I am wanting to up the security on the latches so I am tempted to perhaps run a locking pin of some sort on the bracket or maybe a security bracket over the top of the release button which will make it harder for anyone to simply unlatch the hard top.
Has anyone tried anything like this before? I guess for the top windscreen mounts you could run a bracket to hold it to the car and remove the OEM latch, I think the issue with the Rogue kit is that the side brackets interfere with the OEM seatbelt points and bar.
I will be looking to fit a half cage/roll hoop at some point for safety but will still be wanting to run the stock seatbelts which should be ok as there wouldn't be any cage in front of me.
Just wondering what peoples suggestions might be - will be interested to see if there is a way to make the latch lockable or disable the unlatch button - maybe pulling a pin to make the button removable.
Looks like someone made some for the S2000:
m https://www.heeltoeauto.com/pitboard/?p=908 (https://www.heeltoeauto.com/pitboard/?p=908) m
I have never heard of anyone's HT being stolen.
These cars really aren't the target of thefts not common enough.
Quote from: "1979scotte"I have never heard of anyone's HT being stolen.
These cars really aren't the target of thefts not common enough.
Hmm that's true, will have a think about it, just seems quite a simple thing to steal as its not locking, I have seen that some of the MX5 mounts will fit the MR2 as they use the same sort latches, annoying as I did have a full set of MX5 hard top mounts in the garage!
Really need to retain the stock seatbelts so might see if I can hard mount the front of the hard top and leave the stock latches for each side.
I did chuckle at the notion of someone "walking" away with a hard top... More like stagger along!
I think the hard tops will have reached their peak value a year or two back, and the prices will be stable or reduce. These cars are simply not generally valued enough to keep repairing them, and there weren't that many in the UK to start with. So as there are less being used as year around transport the demand for hard tops logically goes down together with the price. I hasten to add that I am not about to suggest our roadsters are going to increase in value - I don't see that happening at all for many to years come.
I have owned all kinds of convertibles, and I have never been the victim of roof theft, nor ever heard of anyone having their hard top stolen. I wouldn't worry about it - in fact I don't, I have a hard top!
Now you might live in an area prone to car theft, so you of course you will know best, but I did note your location is stealthy hidden...
Quote from: "MR TWO"I think the hard tops will have reached their peak value a year or two back, and the prices will be stable or reduce. These cars are simply not generally valued enough to keep repairing them, and there weren't that many in the UK to start with. So as there are less being used as year around transport the demand for hard tops logically goes down together with the price. I hasten to add that I am not about to suggest our roadsters are going to increase in value - I don't see that happening at all for many to years come.
I have owned all kinds of convertibles, and I have never been the victim of roof theft, nor ever heard of anyone having their hard top stolen. I wouldn't worry about it - in fact I don't, I have a hard top!
Now you might live in an area prone to car theft, so you of course you will know best, but I did note your location is stealthy hidden...
Point taken, will just go with the standard latches then, will be keeping the car for a long time so was working through any options I needed to research into.
Wipe all this thread and don't tell anyone it's not locked on....lol
Quote from: "Markb"Wipe all this thread and don't tell anyone it's not locked on....lol
That actually a good point.
People probably have no idea how easily they come off.
I mean how many people own a soft top and of them how many have a hard top?