S2 longtail on an S1?

[Rich H]

saw it yesterday, Bloke in a suit and tie driving around in a silver convertible Ka all covered in chrome bits.

I was driving the manly MX-5 at the time.

[ExigeKen]

That's Lancashire for you

[GregR]

And back on topic...

...not sure what is quite so fiddly with the S1 roof? I've used a few S2 roofs and didn't find them especially better.

With the S1, provided you get well drilled, it's a doddle. Although I admit it works way better when there's two of you to tackle it

Agree on the well drilled point Campbell The idea was really to make things easier for the novice, i.e. my g/f Alix who I'm trying to get to use the car more this year. The standard roof 'as is' has a few things that you can get wrong (e.g. not popping in the windscreen seal correctly such that when you tighten the allen bolts, it tries to free itself) that the S2 roof looks like its solved - theres also less of a sequence to remember (i.e. less to forget!) with the later roof.

Its always nice to try and find a solution - making the roof easier to fit may make the exquisitness of an S1 more accesible to the general public

[simon]

...not sure what is quite so fiddly with the S1 roof? I've used a few S2 roofs and didn't find them especially better.

Have you tried a short roof S2? Have to assume you haven't or there's no way you'd say that
I can get my roof on in about the same time it takes an S1 driver to clip the 2 side bars in!

[campbell]

Have you tried a short roof S2? Have to assume you haven't or there's no way you'd say that
I can get my roof on in about the same time it takes an S1 driver to clip the 2 side bars in!

I have tried both types. Agree that the short version is quicker, so good for those who have manual dexterity challenges.

Greg, as for making it easier for the g/f, just get her out in the car more but insist she fits the roof whenever it's needed. The practice will soon get her the hang of it!

On a more serious note, there are actually some basic checks you can ask her to make at each stage. For the windscreen flap, for example, she should be able to get her nail into the gap between the flap and the header rail guide at either side...if not, it's not seated correctly. Also, does your roof have a wee tab protruding in the middle of that front flap? That aligns with a small gap on the screen header rail, so helps ensure it's centred.

The cams on the tails are always tightened by sweeping the Allen key towards the back of the car - of course you need to start with the key handle pointing outboard, not inboard! But this is an easy way to remember since intuitively, this is the direction you would pull on to make the roof taut...which is precisely what that part is doing.

I myself had a mare with a cant rail not long after getting the car, and I forced it onto the fitting on the door pillar out of line...and bent the metal spring clip Bent it back, but never the same since. So now I always take care that I line them up properly, again it's like a double-check and if it feels really tight, it's probably wrong. As it were

A couple of other tips:

- if caught in the rain with roof off, just drive through it until she finds a convenient covered spot eg filling station or multi-storey car park etc...you get less wet whilst moving than when scrambling with an unfamiliar roof in pouring, potentially cold, rain!

- if no choice but to fit in pouring rain, then get the front flap into the header rail before fitting anything else *, the cant rails and lateral bows can all be fitted under it and this means the interior stays dry...so you can dry off inside when you are finished and don't have to sit in a large puddle!

These are just a couple of off the cuff ideas but maybe they'll help. Failing that, we can have a WAGS Roof Workshop day sometime while we all sit about laughing at 'em...and giving incisive advise as well, obviously! S2 owners can come along as well, of course, as we are an inclusive bunch us S1'ers.

Campbell



* - in fact this makes a great rapid, temporary shower cap, as shown to me by Lawrence years back...you can leave the wings of the canvas draped OUTSIDE the window glasses, hook the tails in without tightening the cams, and hey presto.

[Victor Meldrew]

S1... for men who are real men...

S2.. for those what are soft...

So where do the 7 owners fit into this

and then the atom owners?

Or Vx owners?
Or the europa owners?


Is there some rating table for gayest car?

Now thats two different ends of the spectrum again..

Seven's and Atoms are for the "Driving Gods"....
and as I said earlier... theres the other side of the spectrum....

[ExigeKen]

Is there some rating table for gayest car?

Please don't start Neil again. Mind you some recent posts have a few favourites for gayest SE members

[Tom]

Is there some rating table for gayest car?

Please don't start Neil again. Mind you some recent posts have a few favourites for http://www.scottishexiges.com

i'm sure there's a post about this somewhere else......

[rossybee]

Is there some rating table for gayest car?

Please don't start Neil again. Mind you some recent posts have a few favourites for gayest SE members

Yeah, and I drive a 7 - so can I be touching both ends of the spectrum simultaneously?


And is there a double entendre in there somewhere?

[ExigeKen]

Neil's ferrets touch both ends often