Best soft top for the $$$$
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2,266 Posts
IMHO its the Everett Morrison. Fits the FFR fine and is made of hartz cloth (like a subrella material) that has a much richer look than the vinyl on the FFR top. The side curtains unzip. Total cost is same as FFR possibly about $50 less.
-Matt
-Matt
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750 Posts
I,m with Matt. I have an FFR top and my friend, Forrest Horvath, has an EM top and I think the EM top looks better and is of better quality, IMHO, and for the same money.
Ergie
Ergie
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1,021 Posts
There was a guy on the california coast I think his handle is crzn 427 that was working on making a top that folded back for the FFR he allready had one on his lone star. but it looked good and seemed like it would be very convienent. I wouldn't mind an update on how it was coming along.
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750 Posts
Gatorac, the EM will fit with no mods.I don't notice any roll bar hump in Forrests top, so if it touches the top it's not much.
Ergie
Ergie
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2,266 Posts
I really installed my EM soft top very tight. I have 2 roll bars. It does touch them just a tiny bit but the fit is great. The only mod that was a little unusual was having to drill a large hole into the inner door panels so that you can get the nut on the ferrule that gets installed to recieve the post on the side curtains. There are 2 posts on each side curtain. The front post on the EM side curtains passes through the front outer & inner door very close to the dash. The holes in the end are not noticeable. No one has even noticed mine yet. Sorry don't have a pic. I need to borrow a digital camera. I haven't even updated my site or posted the finished car pics. Too busy driving it!
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6,409 Posts
I am the person who makes the folding soft top for Cobras. I do it as a retirement hobby. It is keeping me pretty busy for now.
I have avoided putting too much information on the Forums because I haven't yet become a sponsor, and I didn't think I could handle the volume of work that may result from the advertising.
I do custom work and required that the persons car, or one of the same manufacturer, be in my garage to insure a proper fit.
In the beginning, it took almost a month and a half to do all of the work. This included making the fiberglass mainframe on the customer's car to insure a good fit, and fitting the windows to the windshield angle for a complete custom product. I would also hand cut all of the aluminum links for the folding mechanism and all of the stainless steel brackets that held everything together.
My main frame fits around the back of the cockpit and clamps to the lip of the body, there may be an interferece with some of the 'high back' seats I have seen on other posts. Until I try one I won't know for sure. The clamps make the top easily removable for those who don't want it on for asthetic reasons.
My top won't work with a forward braced roll bar.
The top will not fit in the trunk, I designed it to stay on the body and reserve the trunk for other items needed on long trips. This also allows the side windows to stay in place with the top down (or they can be removed with the top up).
I have found that different Cobra kit manufacturers have vastly different shapes on the body behind the cockpit, so making a product to fit all Cobras is not practicle for a small operation like mine.
I made my first top to fit my LAExotics, and tried to get other LAE ownwers interested. After several years, and a few tops, I did receive a great deal of interest, mainly from FFR owners, at the 2001 Knott's show.
I then made the decision to sell my LAE, buy an FFR and concentrate on the FFRs for my hobby. In the process of doing all of this I agreed to make tops for the first several interested FFR owners before finishing my car.
At first I made all of the parts by hand. I now have a laser cutter making most all of the metal parts. This saves me a significant amount of time and insures uniformity. It has been an interesting process to get my drawings loaded in a data base.
At this time I am finishing the first of these tops, the one for Todger, and will have patterns for the other items made as well to cut down on layout time. I can still accomidate some custom work, if needed, in the windshield angle and in headroom for tall drivers, or short drivers with thick padded seats.
I use material that is made for convertible tops. It has an outer surface, either vinyl or cloth (and is available in various colors) a rubber "sandwiched" middle and a black cloth inner liner. The cloth outer is quite a bit more expensive than the vinyl, but the overall cost per top is only about $100. difference.
I have a waiting list that I am working on to satisfy my early commitments. After that I will finish building my car and then make as many tops as I can.
Sorry for the long post, this story dosen't condense very well and I hope I have answered everyone's questions.
[ June 14, 2002, 01:41 AM: Message edited by: CRZN427 ]
I have avoided putting too much information on the Forums because I haven't yet become a sponsor, and I didn't think I could handle the volume of work that may result from the advertising.
I do custom work and required that the persons car, or one of the same manufacturer, be in my garage to insure a proper fit.
In the beginning, it took almost a month and a half to do all of the work. This included making the fiberglass mainframe on the customer's car to insure a good fit, and fitting the windows to the windshield angle for a complete custom product. I would also hand cut all of the aluminum links for the folding mechanism and all of the stainless steel brackets that held everything together.
My main frame fits around the back of the cockpit and clamps to the lip of the body, there may be an interferece with some of the 'high back' seats I have seen on other posts. Until I try one I won't know for sure. The clamps make the top easily removable for those who don't want it on for asthetic reasons.
My top won't work with a forward braced roll bar.
The top will not fit in the trunk, I designed it to stay on the body and reserve the trunk for other items needed on long trips. This also allows the side windows to stay in place with the top down (or they can be removed with the top up).
I have found that different Cobra kit manufacturers have vastly different shapes on the body behind the cockpit, so making a product to fit all Cobras is not practicle for a small operation like mine.
I made my first top to fit my LAExotics, and tried to get other LAE ownwers interested. After several years, and a few tops, I did receive a great deal of interest, mainly from FFR owners, at the 2001 Knott's show.
I then made the decision to sell my LAE, buy an FFR and concentrate on the FFRs for my hobby. In the process of doing all of this I agreed to make tops for the first several interested FFR owners before finishing my car.
At first I made all of the parts by hand. I now have a laser cutter making most all of the metal parts. This saves me a significant amount of time and insures uniformity. It has been an interesting process to get my drawings loaded in a data base.
At this time I am finishing the first of these tops, the one for Todger, and will have patterns for the other items made as well to cut down on layout time. I can still accomidate some custom work, if needed, in the windshield angle and in headroom for tall drivers, or short drivers with thick padded seats.
I use material that is made for convertible tops. It has an outer surface, either vinyl or cloth (and is available in various colors) a rubber "sandwiched" middle and a black cloth inner liner. The cloth outer is quite a bit more expensive than the vinyl, but the overall cost per top is only about $100. difference.
I have a waiting list that I am working on to satisfy my early commitments. After that I will finish building my car and then make as many tops as I can.
Sorry for the long post, this story dosen't condense very well and I hope I have answered everyone's questions.
[ June 14, 2002, 01:41 AM: Message edited by: CRZN427 ]
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