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NICAL 100 Hardtop

Michael Oritt

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I purchased a hardtop from Nick Freeman (NICAL Engineering) at Conclave, fit it to the car and installed the rear window before departing for home. The top is much more attractive than shown in the promo pictures and really compliments the lines of the car. Attached is a picture shot in front of the hotel on Friday morning prior to my fitting the rear window.

I'll be disassembling the top for finishing, installation of an air vent and probably a brake light and final painting. I think I am going to stick with white as it looks great and evokes the look of the rallye cars though of course none were 100's.

I'll try to post some pictures to the forum from time to time.
 

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OP
Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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Well that's certainly not a hardtop, that's Buddy, my faithful Golden Retriever! Let's try this again: Attached is a shot of the car with the hardtop fit.
 

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Lin

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Mike,
The top is nice looking! A good acquisition. So what kind of jewelry will Mary be receiving? BTW I assume you saw the Mike Lempert photos of you and your BN7. They are good shots. If you missed them check his web site.
Cheers
Lin
60 BT7 in restoration
59 Bugeye
 
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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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[ QUOTE ]
Mike,
So what kind of jewelry will Mary be receiving? BTW I assume you saw the Mike Lempert photos of you.

Lin:

Good one, but she already has a hardtop for her car (doesn't that qualify as jewelry?)

I saw Lempert's shots from Conclave and had to laugh at the caption of me "On the track" which is not always the case....
 

curtis

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It looks very good. What do you have to do to fit it? Are there any alterations or does it go straight on? Are there different sidescreens?

Curtis.
PS
I understand Cape International are working on one .Will be interesting to compare.
 
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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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[ QUOTE ]
It looks very good. What do you have to do to fit it? Are there any alterations or does it go straight on? Are there different sidescreens?

Curtis.


[/ QUOTE ]

Curtis--

The top is secured to the car at six points: (1 and 2)via two thumbscrews attached to the top that fasten to two brackets that are screwed to the windshield stantions, (3 and 4) via two J-hooks attached to two triangular brackets--similar to those on 6-cylinder tops--that are fastened to the top and engage two plates secured to the car where the convertible top normally is attached, and (5 and 6) via two small triangular pieces attached to the top that slip under the chrome-plated thingies on the rear tonneau (that also hold down the back of the convertible top, tonneau cover, etc.) The convertible top is removed from the car when the plates referred to in 3 and 4 are installed. The top is slid forward so that parts 5 and 6 slip under the thingies, then the front thumbscrews, then the J-hooks. It probably takes less time to attach/remove the top than it did for me to write the above.

The sidescreens are entirely different than stock as the "window cutout" is similar to that on a six-cylinder car (shaped like a parallelogram).

For those who are wondering, this is not a cheap part--everything, including the top (ready for blocking and painting), side-curtains, roof vent (not installed yet), duties, shipping, taxes, profit, and extra-dealer markup ran not much under $3K. Then again, all of the Universal Laminations tops that I have seen onebay were going for around $1200-1500 and they were in need of complete restorations--Some lacked side curtains and rear lights.
 

curtis

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Thanks Michael,that's really helpful.The last one I saw in England required altering and drilling the windcsreen frame and the stanchions and seemed too much trouble.But if I understand right this hardtop works with existing fitments.
Who and where are NICAL?

Curtis
 

healey106

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I saw the hardtop in the crate before it went on Michael's 100 and all the fittings, which basically duplicate the fittings on the factory hardtop are SS. Nick certainly did his homework. The interior paneling is also close to the material original to the factory hardtop - jim lesher /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Michael,that's really helpful.The last one I saw in England required altering and drilling the windcsreen frame and the stanchions and seemed too much trouble.But if I understand right this hardtop works with existing fitments.
Who and where are NICAL?

Curtis

[/ QUOTE ]
-----------------
Curtis--

Not quite correct: The top has two brackets with swingbolts and thumbscrews mounted to its front inside corners (much like where the hooks are on 6-cylinder cars). These attach to brackets mounted near the top of each stantion that are attached by screws into two holes each that must be drilled and tapped. The stantion brackets are not obtrusive and could in any case be easily removed for whatever reason.

NICAL is Nical Engineering, LTD--go to: https://www.2pmltd.com/Nical%20Eng/ though the site seems to be under construction and I do not see any info on the top posted.

I will try to get some photos up soon.
 

pbraun

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nice, nice ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hey, Michael, what ever happened to that 100M in concours? The car just vanished after judging - too bad, I wanted to look at that closer!
Great to meet you, Michael,- sorry I missed you, Patton, and others!
Next year, then !
or, ENCOUNTER ! - Aug. 10 - 14th, King of Prussia, PA
 
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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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I spent today making up better brackets that slide under the chrome stays on the tonneau than those supplied and attached to them and the top rim of the window opening a pair of aluminum stays as supplied for BT/BN hardtops. After fitting the rear perspex with the seller at Conclave there was a slight assymetry in the way that the rear window opening shaped out--the top is very flexible and perhaps we installed the window a bit off kilter, but my feeling was that the stays would stiffen up the top and allow me to get the opening shaped correctly before installing the window. At the end of the day the stays were fit and the opening looks very symmetrical. Tomorrow I am giving it to a fellow who will prime and paint it (white) and with any luck I will have the top on and looking good at the Pittsubrgh Vintage Gran Prix next weekend. Sorry, no pictures from today--we were working too hard!
 
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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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Yesterday evening I went to the shop of the fellow with whom I have been working. He shot the top in bright white and clear-coated it and it looked great.

After installing the roof vent and the brackets I put some new weatherstripping around the base of the top and glued in a thicker seal along the front edge that contacts the windshield, then we fit the top to the car--very nice fit all around.

Now came the tough part: reinstalling the back window. After an hour of struggling with it we came to the conclusion that unfortunately Freeman and I trimmed the height of the window about 3/8" too much in the middle and there was just not enough material to go into both the top and bottom seal grooves. wizzed off, I did the best I could and we finished up late last night--I guess I will need to either get a plastic stretcher or a new rear window.

Anyway, I left this morning for Pittsburgh and got enough rain on the road today to at least pronounce the front seal leakproof. I'll be at the car show tomorrow and the race on Sunday.

Whatever, the top looks and feels great and the roof vent really lets a nice stream of air through the car at speed. I'll post some pictures when I get home.
 

Dave Russell

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[ QUOTE ]
Any sources for 100/4 tops?

Thanks.
Trevor
BN1

[/ QUOTE ]
Michael's car IS a BN1 / 100-4, this is the subject of the discussion?
D
 

deluxe

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Sorry, any info on how to get in touch with Nical? As Michael said the site doesn't link through to any info on the roof. Perhaps Michael could post Nick's email?

Trevor
 
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