Hey Everyone,

Our design team has been quietly working on a new hardtop design based upon the comments we have received since we had introduced our first hardtop. BTW, that hardtop has been selling very well with lots of happy customers including quite a few froum members.

Two piece Hardtop shown with the thin line dividing the front and rear section

We have tried to address the fact that many people wanted a hardtop which will allow access to the trunk without removing the hardtop and also a hardtop which would retain the look of the Solstice humps on the deck. This design is a two piece hardtop while will allow the smaller section to lift with the truck. It will be lightweight so it does not put much stress on the hinges when opened. Your truck will open as you normally open it. The main hardtop roof section, which has the window, will stay in place when accessing the trunk. The main hardtop section can be easily removed and the rear hardtop section can left on as a styling bar or it can be removed and stored in the trunk if desired.

We are also considering producing the same hardtop in one piece as a "racer" lighweight style , bare bones without interior but with hardware and all the rubber seals.

Keep in mind this is a one off proto at this point. We expect to begin the tooling process soon but want to hear you input.

We have not nailed down any costs on either hardtop design but more likely the two piece design will be more than our current design currently at $1399.00 the "racer " model may be less.


There it is give us your comments favorable and unfavorable. Ask your questions.


Thanks,
Gary

Attached Thumbnails

       

That it NICE! man it makes me want to keep my car!

__________________
Vin 2896 Deep

If you make a comparable one for the Sky I will go into credit card debt to purchase it.

Seriously. It gets a bit nippy down here in the winter and that would be a perfect way to keep the car warm and deal with the weather, plus i can stow the soft top elsewhere and... holy crap... have a trunk!

Can you post a pic with the trunk deck up?

TIA!

__________________
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

#139640 '07 NA Sly Fully Loaded 12/1/07
#106614 12/15/05 NA Sly Traded @ 35k Miles

Be too blessed to be stressed! ~ Joel Osteen
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.

NASSOA(TM)
Founding Member- Council Chair

The pictures are a one piece tooling prototype. Pictures of the two sections may not be available untill tooling is completed and actual prices are produced.

Man, you have finally done it. FANTASTIC JOB!!!!!

__________________
Team Solstice 2008
Click My modifications
See my car on cardomain.com
NASSOA Founding Member #48

...awesome...

To me....the side(from the back of side window...to of the back of the top is too wide...)otherwize the opening around rear window should slant more to flow with the lines of the car(not so squared up!). More in line with the shape of the vert top. That would also make for a smaller..and lighter hinged portion. I do think that you're on the right track. Looking better and better!

__________________
GREYFOX
2007 Solstice GXP 5 speed Stick
Sly..Ebony..Darkside..loaded(no Onstar)
Add ons...Door pouches/armrests...Vent
Grills..Decals..Splash Guards...FlowMaster80
Purchased June 21,2007 Start of summer solstice!

How about removing the stock trunk, and turn it into a coupe?

__________________
Kendall
2008 Sky R3DLIN3
White/Black/Chrome/Auto
Mods: K&N, Koni, SMS Throttle body, Hahn IC & BSR, Dejon IC pipes, elbow, & gauge pod,
Aeroforce Interceptor, Autometer boost gauge.

From my Interceptor: 0-60 4.54, 1/8 8.37 @ 83, 1/4 12.93 @ 104

Nice job guys!

__________________
ASTI - Aftermarket Solutions Through Innovation

What is the likely weight of the shown version and the "racer" model?

With the racer model, what is the difference between your top and the GM one? (other than cosmetics, of course.)

Material? It looked a little like the skin was vinyl- I'd prefer fiberglass or plastic.

What is the window material? Plastic? Glass? Does it have a defroster?

Why do you have the huge overhang over the window between the buttresses? Is that structural (for the 2 piece design) or cosmetic? Have you done any aerodynamic testing?

What will the seam look like in practice? That white line in the pics only appears to mark where the split will be, and isn't an actual seam.

How easy will it be to remove the center section on it's own? How about the whole top?
Can the top be used without the section that attaches to the trunk lid?

I'm of course not expecting any rollover protection from a part like this, but how "sturdy" will it be if used in autocross, trackday, dragstrip or "fun driving" situations? I'm not interested if this thing will be popping out of place or cracking if the chassis flexes while approaching the limits of the car.

I really like the idea a hard top with trunk access, as I never wanted a convertible in the first place, but I didn't want to wait for the coupe to get my Mallett.

Overall it looks good, but I think that the "buttress" area and the overhang over the rear window still need some work. It's hard to say for sure without either one in front of me, but the GM top's buttresses seem to approach the middle of the car with a steeper angle, and slopes downward at the back.

It also slopes downward at the rear more, making the top look smaller. Your top is giving me a '32 Ford Coupe vibe because the top (seems to) go straight back instead of sloping downwards.
If you're finding that this shape significantly reduces drag, I'm for it, but if not I like the GM one better.

One more bonus puzzler: Is it possible that your design would be producable as a targa-top? I'm not saying I'd be interested in that, I'm just curious.

__________________
Mallett Solstice
THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT GOODYEAR RSA TIRES!!! MUST READ!!!

still needs a teeny bit of tweaking to get the proportions correct. I think the GM top expresses EXACTLY what everyone wants to see... touch more exaggeration in the curves up top and what jesse mentioned about the buttresses. There's something about them not quite right...

Seriously - getting this design on point will get people in line for a hard top.


oh and thank you!

I like it, when do you estimate completion by?

__________________
Lil chromies
stubby antenna
Hahns Hi flow cat
Hahns stage II turbo
Synchronic Blow Off-Valve
RK Sports body kit
kappasphere rear valence
Solo Performance mach exhausts
konig hot swap wheels
BF Goodrich TA tires
DDM Pro Beam

Nice try, but the proportions seem off to me. At the back, it seems too high. It looks like it needs to be shaved down an inch or so. I like the way the GM top looks. As mentioned above, it is Exactly right. IMO.

After looking at it some more, it might just be a perception thing because the prototype is black. It might look a little different if it was the same color as the car.

__________________
1972 Yamaha TD-3 : 1972 Yamaha TR-3 : 1980 Harris TZ350G : 1990 Yamaha TZ-RZ350 special : John Ashmead's 1990 Muzzy Kawasaki : 2004 Yamaha R1 : 2006 Triumph Daytona 675 : 2006 Pontiac Solstice LS2 V8

agreed - where's that photoshop guy when you need him.