what looks better hard or soft?

[joel h]

out of interest what do you lot think looks best on the stag, hardtop in body colour, hardtop with contrasting colour if so what combinations or softt top. happy Easter everyone
joel.

[4x4]

First choice is going out topless
After that - soft top.

[Staggard]

First choice is going out topless
After that - soft top.

Get's my vote

[Gresley]

Hard top in body colour for me... I think the Stag looks really sleek with it's top on

Happy Easter

Brian

[Stagdad]

Hard top.jpgReally Brian

[jleyton]

Both

I reckon they're virtually two different cars, in both looks and nature with the hard top or soft top on.

Cheers

Julian

[Staggard]

Hard top in body colour for me... I think the Stag looks really sleek with it's top on

Happy Easter

Brian

Does'nt that kind of defeat the object and make it a two door 2500 ?

[Guest]

I was a bit reluctant to open up the thread given its title.................

Good question though and I think the Stag looks equally good in any of its three options. Does anyone have pictures of one with a vinyl covered hardtop fitted?

[DJT]

Good question Joel, and one which has divided owners before.

For me, it's topless whenever possible and I only use the soft top if caught out in the rain, or to stop the complaints from SWMBO if it turns cold....... I don't like driving the Stag with the soft top up due to the poor 3/4 visibility. So for winter driving the hard top goes on. As Julian says, it makes it a completely different driving experience and much safer, especially in poor weather, due to the increased visibility.

These are the reasons why a new soft top has never reached the top of my to-do list, despite having mediocre quality tops on both Stags I have owned. I have never been able to justify the cost for a top that only gets raised a handful of times a year.

As for colours. The hard top originally belonged to my white Stag and was a matching one when I bought the car. But when I rebuilt the top about 10 years ago I decided to have it painted black as IMO it looks better than a white top on a white car. When I sold the damaged white Stag I kept the top because the colour matched one on the carmine Stag was rusty. I sold that on to another Stag owner who wanted a project. IMO the black looks good against any colour of Stag, whereas only some colours look good with a matching lid.

Colour-coordinated soft tops are another 'marmite' question. Some people believe that only black should be used. Again IMO some colours look good with coloured tops (Red/Red, Green/Green, Blue/Blue or Brown/Brown for example).

[pcoleman]

java green with hard top in dark black ,its a nice contrast although I dont fit it as not used in winter. open top is no1 IMHO and replacing the soft top at don trimming in 2 weeks for a new BRG coloured top.watch this space

peter

[Rubce]

I was a bit reluctant to open up the thread given its title.................

Good question though and I think the Stag looks equally good in any of its three options. Does anyone have pictures of one with a vinyl covered hardtop fitted?

Hi there are several photos on this forum of my french blue stag fitted with a black vinyl hardtop. Use the advanced search function and search titles only for "hardtop refurbishment - advice required" and you will find a thread containing them.

regards

Bruce

[jakesmig]

Hard tops come better in aluminium, I've yet to see one in any colour that compares favourably.
Hard top
hard top.jpg
soft top
soft top.jpg
topless
topless.jpg

[Dylan]

For aesthetics, I think the Stag (whatever colour) looks most elegant with soft top up, in proper black mohair, and of course no side windows. I agree about the crap visibility though - nightmare reversing into the street from my driveway. But hey, that's the price you pay for beauty!

I think the hard-top is a bit of a nightmare frankly (well, mine is). So much so I didn't bother fitting it this winter, and the Stag lives outside.
Dylan

[Tdm]

Just to add to the debate - Like the "Aldi" advert - I like this one and I like that one. I think it is a matter of personal choice and the time of the year.
The hard top does have it's uses though as can be seen in the bottom right photo of the enclosed photo collage carrying all our luggage and quite a few of our belongings when we emigrated in 2004. The top left picture shows it minus hard top and minus stripes and whitewalls when it came back from a respray here a few years ago. Bottom left is how the car currently looks as at present I have nowhere to store my hard top and my soft top is damaged.

[flying farmer]

Interestingly I have had more "nice car mate" comments with the hard top on my Topaz Stag than with the top down. I hate driving it with the soft top up, its like driving a van.
I never really liked the shape of the soft top when it is up, the shape of the top on the TR looks much better, I think it is the lack of windows that makes the difference.
That said, I think dark coloured cars look better with the soft top up than light coloured ones

Neil