Alfa Romeo 4C Forums banner
41 - 58 of 58 Posts
Interest here too... Especially for a lower cost, "racing"/lightweight version that just keeps water out and looks good, noise be damned. Just easy on the rain channels? They ruin the look and a small lip is really all the same on such inset canopies - when you open the door rain will get in by buckets anyways!

And just to throw it in if it ends up on the pricier end: some heavy tinted transparency would be awesome, exotic!
Image

Maybe double bubble for extra helmet space?
The sky's the limit...
 
Just out of curiosity is anyone interested in a lower cost, more durable, lightweight, better insulated but probably not as pretty as the carbon fiber hardtop for the 4C Spider?

The reason I ask is a couple of people and myself were thinking about making 10 or so using some new technology.
I would love to purchase. Let me know guys whenever you have some news.
 
I’m interested. Would welcome an update and to hear more details about what you’re planning.
 
It’s like hearing echoes from across a remote valley on a still Winters day… @tibby , any news or was it a dead end?
I can ask again and look around for other suppliers.....

This was the guy who had interst but never heard back again from him....

 
I honestly think people with spiders would be interested in having multiple hard tops, just like they often have more than one set of wheels. The top can be a fashion accessory. It can change the personality of the car by changing it up. I have multiple tops for my X1/9s, including a much coveted lexan top that allows the open feel of the targa even during inclement weather. Then there’s body color in gloss, body color in Matte that is original to the car, and charcoal gray that matches the paint below the belt line. The lexan and charcoal tops can be used on either car. Matching tops to body color is slick looking while the others look more aggressive. One can do this with the mirrors too. For the 4C I think there are even more possibilities. Imagine a gun metal version in gloss to match one’s wheels, or a brushed aluminum. Carbon is obvious. Colorless lexan, smoked lexan, etc. because the car is such a bargain at baseline, having lots of options to quickly change up the look could be really cool and affordable . I’d love to see a constructor take a broader view of the possibilities. Just my two cents.
 
This is interesting and I think worth continued exploration. I would love to know more about the process they are using to construct the tops, and more so the source of the hardware they are using for constructing the tops. Being able to produce using fiberglass opens up the option of vinyl wrapping as well, so lots of personalization options. Has the price of PrePreg gone up that much that the price of the CF top has doubled in the last 3-4 years? Ike is it the cost of developing the mold to shape it to desired “double bubble” shape of the original hard top? If it’s the raw materials costs then there’s not much to fix that. But if it’s the upfront development investment then I would think the size of the market would be the primary determinant. Can we measure that here with a poll to find market size at different price points? With regard to lexan, the one I have for my X1/9s was custom made and formed by hand with a heat gun and sacrificing an existing top to serve as a shape mold. It was then adhered to hardware with an airpcraft adhesive. It turned out beautifully. I can get in touch with the craftsman who made it for me to ask if he would have an interest in the project or a collaboration. Lots of options. The 4C is a halo car for me so I’m willing to spend some money to fulfill a dream.
 
I'm definitely interested, but would need more specifics before committing. Since the last thread was over a year ago, did this project stall out?
Go over to Squawkers’ posts on the other Carbon fiber hardtop double dome roof thread.
 
41 - 58 of 58 Posts