Hey guys, quick question...

On my 2001 S, I bought the car privately from a guy and it included the OEM hardtop. Just cruising around through photos, I noticed a difference in the way the hardtops were painted. Look at these photos;

My 2001 S2000 w/OEM hardtop. NOTE the black textured band around the base.



Here is a photo I stole from a classified ad. NOTE the lack of black band around the base.



Is this simply a difference between the model years of the S2000 the hardtop came with? Just curious. Thanks.

EDIT: messed up the photos

 

Is it that rubber weather stripping? Maybe you can just take it out? Maybe thats what the other owners do im not sure Im pretty sure that all oem hardtops are the same though.

 

IMHO, your top has been painted with that black band around the bottom.

Or is it tape?

 

I've got an AP1, with an OEM hardtop from 01, and it doesn't have the stripping on it.

 

As far as I know, it isn't paint. It definitely has a distinct "texture" to the black section. Almost like bed liner type material...

I don't want to pry at it in case it isn't tape that won't come off...

 

I'm pretty that is the weather stripping . Mine did show the stripping when it was new but has since flattened out and is no longer visable.

Edit- Changed my mind after looking at the picture again.
I don't know what that is. Probably a minor mod by the owner. Totally unnecessary.

 

Could be a mod by a previous owner. I'm wondering if they were maybe trying to hide a scratch or something right there at the base.

Kind of bums me out. I don't like the way it looks really...

 

Maybe the previous owner put it there to avoid getting handprints on the paint?

That's all I can come up with.

 

So I'm guessing the general consensus is that the black strip on my hardtop is NOT OEM...

 

My NFR OEM hard top did not have black 'trim' around the base when it came from the factory.