Okay, I've got a CR - which blessed me with a hardtop from the dealership.

I know a couple of you guys have aftermarket hardtops.

Anybody got a trick for doing it without needing two people? Right now I've just got the hardtop on it's stand in the corner of the garage, and driving the Si when the conditions aren't right for the top being off.

This is incredibly inefficient... and I may not always have a 2nd person to help me put the top back on, or take it back off. (my fiancee helped me take it off last, and wasn't paying attention to where the metal rods were, and scratched the shit out of my CR spoiler... so she's banned from helping me unless absolutely required).

 

From what I've read, you can get it off if you stand in in the middle of the car, kind of straddling the tunnel. then you could just walk out the car door and get it off if you have a big enough garage to maneuver in.

Might work putting it back on too, but not sure how easy/hard it would be to align everything by yourself.

 

Although I've never actually seen one, supposedly there's an electronic lift/hoist made for just this purpose. I think there's also a manual hoist, too that uses a pulley or winch. I don't know who sells them or how much they cost tho.

Edit... here's somewhat of a DIY to maybe give you some ideas: Hard Top Hoist Install.

 

I've got an oem Hardtop and im not doing it by myself. I don't wanna drop it or scratch the car so I get my Gf to help when she's home or my neighbor. I do have a soft top still for when I need it.

Get a hoist. Then it suspends from the ceiling

 

Hrm.

Unfortunately I don't have the pleasure of having beams on the ceiling of the garage (and my livingroom is right above the garage)

I've figured that I could straddle the center console, and lift using my back; however, I park the Si next to the s2k, and don't have the space to just go sideways...

If I can get my hands on a welder, and a basketball goal with the sand weight, I might be able to build something that goes over the car. I could use some climbing rope and carabiners with a crank and 2 pulleys... that would suit the job. Put some latches with a hole in them for the drop pins and the hooks and lift it straight up.

Hrm! Engineering time!

 

Julie, looks like all the electronic and manual hoists are ceiling mounted...

Bit of a bummer as I am living in a townhouse, so not completely sure I am allowed to mount such an apparatus to the ceiling.

On the plus side, it's all very affordable - few hundred bucks.

 

The floor joists of your living room(beams for the garage ceiling) should easily support the hardtop. If not I would have serious concerns about your weight, and the furniture you have in that room.

 

 

I think the problem is more that his landlord might now allow him drilling holes into his garage ceiling.

 

i've now jinxed myself with my hardtop. I never take it off but i did the other day and now it won't line up at all on the driver side front catcher. i put the soft top up a few times and i think shit got out of alignment. any ideas??