For anyone that owns a authentic Mugen, even an Amuse top... Do you have trouble pulling the trigger at the expense of $6-7k??? It seems most companies charge for the product and the R&D that is involved with the making of it. I just see a $6k price tag and wonder HOW???

OEM tops are simply about supply and demand. They are discontinued, At one point I belive I read that they were once $800 from Honda. (How true it is I don't know) but to go from $800 to $3,000-4,000 is sort of mind blowing.

 

The main reason JDm parts are extremely pricey now is due to the exchange rate. it used to be much more reasonable.

Also people forget that the OEM tops MSRP was quite high when they were offered. Sure some people like hard top guy sold them for less but thats long since past and unless you have a time machine what something used to cost doesn't matter much. "Oh this gullwing merc used to cost $8k new so why would I pay $$1mil for one now?." The OEM tops are a fair buy at $3k if you get all the hardware and if you get the right color (or black since that works on anything).

 

$3k + is cheap for most tops I've seen. It seems as if many want $3k alone for the top not including the hardware.. $500 more usually for hardware.

Not a bad deal if you don't have to paint match.

 

It's wild how times change, recently I feel like people think you're an a$$hole if you buy authentic parts (wheels, top, etc). It's almost like "shame on you for spending more!" lol.

I'd love to see one of the replica hardtop manufacturers design and build their own design from scratch. Something completely unique and not a copy or a modified mold of an existing top. Give us something new and different in a quality piece that fits like OEM and is functional.

 

agreed.

 

Never said that.

I feel that the copy of the mold is an excuse for not buying it. Most don't go with he copies because of credibility.. (and thats fine) Some people just prefer the real deal, My thought process is if I were to flip my car neither top will save my life. They both will crack and crumble the same way.

If I were building a showcar and cared about judges deducting points, or what magazine editors thought I would probably do it but for what I want out of the car I just can't see spending that kind of money. I have yet to see the differences between them in a wind tunnel either and would love to see if anyone can provide a link.

 

I don't think his comment is necessarily directed towards you, just a thought in general.

Just to comment on your wind tunnel thing, there obviously wouldn't be a difference between a 100% replica and the real thing in a wind tunnel since the shapes are exactly the same. The main differences are the quality of the pieces. A Dry carbon Mugen hardtop vs a "Carbon Fiber" replica top (CF in quotes because they are usually all Fiberglass with a single layer of Cf on top). These two are vastly different in quality from each other. Sure the Dry Carbon Mugen top is really expensive and not necessarily necessary unless you are trying to save every ounce of weight, but there's no denying the quality and manufacturing process for dry carbon is top notch. Having that said, no one here is saying anyone has to buy the best parts available for their car—that is obviously up to the owner. And every owner has their own reason for buying replica or not.

For me, since I haven’t seen ANY replica top surpass the quality of an authentic top, it’s a no brainer. I like to put quality parts on my car and don’t mind paying for it (to a certain extent of course). I’ve had plenty of fake aero parts in my history of modding cars and they all left me regretful for purchasing them. Some people are fine with 100% of the look, but 50% of the quality when they buy replicas. And since this thread was started regarding the OEM top vs any replica top, for sure, there is no replica that will match the quality of the OEM top. I had one and it was amazing, a great deal even at today’s insane prices. If an aftermarket company decided to make an aluminum top with full interior lining, the MSRP would probably be over 8K. Different strokes for different folks.

 

I don't think his comment is necessarily directed towards you, just a thought in general.

Just to comment on your wind tunnel thing, there obviously wouldn't be a difference between a 100% replica and the real thing in a wind tunnel since the shapes are exactly the same. The main differences are the quality of the pieces. A Dry carbon Mugen hardtop vs a "Carbon Fiber" replica top (CF in quotes because they are usually all Fiberglass with a single layer of Cf on top). These two are vastly different in quality from each other. Sure the Dry Carbon Mugen top is really expensive and not necessarily necessary unless you are trying to save every ounce of weight, but there's no denying the quality and manufacturing process for dry carbon is top notch. Having that said, no one here is saying anyone has to buy the best parts available for their car—that is obviously up to the owner. And every owner has their own reason for buying replica or not.

For me, since I haven’t seen ANY replica top surpass the quality of an authentic top, it’s a no brainer. I like to put quality parts on my car and don’t mind paying for it (to a certain extent of course). I’ve had plenty of fake aero parts in my history of modding cars and they all left me regretful for purchasing them. Some people are fine with 100% of the look, but 50% of the quality when they buy replicas. And since this thread was started regarding the OEM top vs any replica top, for sure, there is no replica that will match the quality of the OEM top. I had one and it was amazing, a great deal even at today’s insane prices. If an aftermarket company decided to make an aluminum top with full interior lining, the MSRP would probably be over 8K. Different strokes for different folks.
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/\ This.

It was a general statement.

In my opinion no one should be making copies of another companies top without written/legal permission. Wheels to hardtops. It just plain doesn't look like a good business practice.

 

We have a new hard top, USA made, top quality, NASA-compliant, suitable for street cars and race cars at a price that is significantly better than OEM, available with Lexan or glass rear windows which will be available in about 4-5 weeks. Learn from our mistakes: don't bother with the over-seas made knock off stuff, it's simply not worth the hassle.

 

^ Do share!!!!