Suapended hardtop

[Donkey]

Hi guys,

We are about to move back to the UK and would like to suspend my hardtop above the car in the new garage, something I can't do at present.
I've reviewed all the posts on the subject and they are most instructive, with one exception.
Can anyone tell me what clearance I should be looking to achieve. I'm currently awaiting the agent to come back to me on the height of the new garage (floor to lowest part of roof).
I'm just doing a bit of forward thinking.

Thanks,

Brian

[Bakdraft007]

Hi guys,

We are about to move back to the UK and would like to suspend my hardtop above the car in the new garage, something I can't do at present.
I've reviewed all the posts on the subject and they are most instructive, with one exception.
Can anyone tell me what clearance I should be looking to achieve. I'm currently awaiting the agent to come back to me on the height of the new garage (floor to lowest part of roof).
I'm just doing a bit of forward thinking.

Thanks,

Brian

The bottom on my hood hanging is exactly 5' 8" ..I know this as my head just grazes it when my car is not there.. Have it too low and you will walk into it! In my opinion that's a good height

Dave

[AJLC]

Hi,
There are lots of threads on the forum, I have looked at those and I have just got mine set up. There are some fancy hoist set ups available for a lot of money and it took a bit of working out how to make or find an alternative. A couple of forum members suggested using a roof rack so a hunt on ebay yielded an old style roof rack for gutter cars which was £15 delivered. Next came a £50 ebay winch (again a forum suggestion). This has 2000ib pull and with Stag hard top weighing in around 200lb its well in range. I have a trussed garage roof and only about 8ft /2.5m height. So given that roof is pushing down onto trusses and winch was pulling up, I mounted two pieces of 3 x 2 under the trusses and bolted winch to these. I did need some longer bolts to go trough but had those in the garage. Next came the rigging, using poly rope and some luggage straps I did the initial balance tests and adjusted to get the hardtop level just off the floor. Once happy, I doubled (well trebled!) up on these just in case... Once up in the roof space I rigged a couple of heavy duty luggage straps over the rafters and under the hardtop to support the resting weight in addition to the winch. I had heard horror stories of hardtop crashing on top of cars and most definitely didn't want that to happen. So now it clears the car but I have a canoe and windsurfer between the rafters that I can't move anywhere else so it could go a bit higher if I moved them. That would mean I am less likely to bang my head on it! Pipe insulation all round the edge has at least saved me some pain! So total cost including some extra luggage straps was less than £75. I haven't got a photo of final positioning with the extra securing straps etc but I have probably gone a bit OTT with securing it. I am a recent new member so can't claim any credit for the winch and roof rack ideas, they all came from SOC members out there who have been there and done, so thank you to them.
Tony
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[AJLC]

Final photo

[Bakdraft007]

Wow.. you worked hard on that one.. and I am not knocking it.. but OTT. I only say that as it might put people off making one. Mine is a simple electric winch, simply mounted onto a single roof bar... it works beautifully, however, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

Dave

[Donkey]

Excellent, most helpful, thanks chaps.

Brian

[Phil S]

£15 including the timber, as long as the back edge of the hardtop clears the windscreen all is good to go.
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