Which creaks more - OEM Hardtop or Soft top?
10-22-2013, 07:47 PM
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Which creaks more - OEM Hardtop or Soft top?
I think the wife has given me a green light to pick up a hardtop, and unless I find a genuine Mugen in the sub-$4k range I will be going with a used OEM top. However, I don't like creaks/rattles/noises in my cars and I do go out of my way to resolve them if I can.
I'm not doing the hardtop for any other reason than I like the look. So if putting one on means that the car will have more creaks and rattles than the OEM soft top, I'm going to pass. Anyone have any insight?
I'm not doing the hardtop for any other reason than I like the look. So if putting one on means that the car will have more creaks and rattles than the OEM soft top, I'm going to pass. Anyone have any insight?
10-22-2013, 08:35 PM
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If there are rattles with the OEM hard top, they're easily fixed by adjusting whichever lock/latch is making noise. This can mean re-latching, or unscrewing things and tinkering with placement. Once that's settled, you don't have to worry about rattling.
Still, you should be aware that it is loud in the cabin with the hard top on. It measures 100 dB at 70 mph which can cause permanent hearing loss after 2 hours of exposure. Most of that noise is below 500 Hz, so if you have an exhaust that is loud on its own, you may get annoyed over time. I've yet to measure noise with the soft top since I just replaced a broken one this week, but I can tell you it's much quieter with the soft top up than when I'm using the hard top.
Still, you should be aware that it is loud in the cabin with the hard top on. It measures 100 dB at 70 mph which can cause permanent hearing loss after 2 hours of exposure. Most of that noise is below 500 Hz, so if you have an exhaust that is loud on its own, you may get annoyed over time. I've yet to measure noise with the soft top since I just replaced a broken one this week, but I can tell you it's much quieter with the soft top up than when I'm using the hard top.
10-22-2013, 10:02 PM
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Wind noise is reduced, it's low-end rumble that is increased significantly. My hard top seems to amplify engine and exhaust noise and keep it in the cabin. Could be a fluke. What seals are you referring to?
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10-23-2013, 05:19 AM
#8
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I too agree that things get louder with a hardtop. Not necessarily wind noise and creeks or whistles. More as was already stated engine and exhaust noise and just over all car noises seem to be louder because the hardtop acts as a shield that keep sounds bouncing and locked in the cabin. The soft top material quiets and muffles sound waves instead of reflecting them, as would any fabric do.
10-23-2013, 06:18 AM
#9
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It's Fall here where I live, the wife and I took the hardtop off for the first time in a LONG time. WOW, so much quieter. Granted, we had the windows up and the rear windscreen up. My hardtop rattles and creaks A LOT BUT, i LOVE THE LOOK and it's great for tracking.
Full disclosure, I have a gutted trunk, a test pipe, removed all heat shields beneath the car, and an HKS exhaust all helping to make noise. I think the hardtop just compounds the noise issue.
I can't comment on rattles and squeaks w/ the soft top as I haven't had it up and driven the car like that in years.
Get a hardtop, look kool and deal with the noise.
Full disclosure, I have a gutted trunk, a test pipe, removed all heat shields beneath the car, and an HKS exhaust all helping to make noise. I think the hardtop just compounds the noise issue.
I can't comment on rattles and squeaks w/ the soft top as I haven't had it up and driven the car like that in years.
Get a hardtop, look kool and deal with the noise.
10-23-2013, 04:25 PM
#10
the OEM hardtop liner has a funny way of insulating noise into the cabin. Any mechanical noise coming into the cabin from the engine and powertrain seems to be trapped into the cabin space, much like being in a rubber room that has sound proofing qualities. It keeps outside noise out, but noise seeping through the cabin gets trapped. When I switched to a Mugen hardtop the sound quality improved dramatically, the hard surfaces of he Mugen carbon fibre top didn't seem to isolate interior noise like my oem hardtop did, it was much improved IMO.
I didn't find the oem hardtop loud, but I just didn't like the quality of the noise being trapped in the cabin. I was running the stock exhaust and stock intake, and I found the car pretty quiet with the hardtop in place. I thought the softop was much more noisier in terms of outside road noise coming inwards.
There has been a mugen FRP hardtop for sale in the classifieds forum for the last few weeks which is beautiful, painted black and with blue suede custom liner on the interior. It looks like a great piece. If I didn't have a Mugen carbon fiber hardtop I'd buy this one in a minute, check out the post below:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/105...#entry22836852
I didn't find the oem hardtop loud, but I just didn't like the quality of the noise being trapped in the cabin. I was running the stock exhaust and stock intake, and I found the car pretty quiet with the hardtop in place. I thought the softop was much more noisier in terms of outside road noise coming inwards.
There has been a mugen FRP hardtop for sale in the classifieds forum for the last few weeks which is beautiful, painted black and with blue suede custom liner on the interior. It looks like a great piece. If I didn't have a Mugen carbon fiber hardtop I'd buy this one in a minute, check out the post below:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/105...#entry22836852