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Hardtop for Austin Healey 3000 BJ8

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tomnanney

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I have been thinking about getting a aftermarket hardtop for my car. I have read the forum and done some research and it appears that about 5 companies make aftermarket tops.
Smoothline(I think this is the only U.S. company), Pete Farmer, Rawles, Nical and Cape. I don't know much about any of them, although the Pete Farmer and Nical names seem to come up more than the others. I like Pete Farmers design so far the most because he can incorporate a brake light on the roof.
Does anyone have experience buying from any of these hardtops. They are all fairly expensive, especially since most are out of the UK and you would have to crate and ship to the US.
Any comments are appreicated.
thanks'
 
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Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Interesting, I was going to ask the same question pertaining to my '62 tri-carb. I'm hopeful that people more knowledgeable I will answer, but from what I have read the Pete Farmer and NICAL tops are based closely on the originals . I have e-mailed both Pete Farmer and NICAL. I haven't heard back from Pete Farmer yet but NICAL did send a reply. Nick Freeman at NICAL indicated that he is leaving for "warmer climates" for Christmas and the month of January so he won't be taking any orders until February. I'll post what I find out when I am able to get some more questions answered.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

I don't know him personally, but Pete Farmer has a great reputation in the big Healey racing community.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

I bought my 100 hardtop from Nick (NICAL) at Conclave in Winston-Salem NC a number of years back. He also delivered two or three BJ7-8 hardtops and one of the buyers was Ken Fleming who is now or was recently President of the North Carolina chapter of AHCA. I am sure you can locate Ken on the internet and get some first-hand input.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Michael, knowing what you know now 1) are you satisfied with the NICAL top? and 2) would you buy another NICAL or a top from another manufacturer? I like the NICAL but I'm having a hard time justifying the current price. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Bruce--

The 100 top is a totally different animal than that for the BJ's, but having said that I liked what I saw when Nick Freeman was delivering the two or three he brought with him. I did have to wait a good while while Nick sent me replacement side curtains as the ones he initially furnished did not conform at all with the shape of the top but he eventually did send a second set at no charge. Nick is a bit smooth but my overall experience with him was positive if a bit frustrating timewise.

Hardtops are indeed expensive and if you are not a big fan of them you will find the price very high, but I love mine and I plan to keep it on permanently as I probably have had more than my dose of UV's and I find the car much more comfortable to drive with the top on.

I don't know if you were able to reach Ken Fleming but I think you owe it to yourself to see a hardtop in the flesh before taking the plunge.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Thanks to both Michael and Rick. I was able to get an e-mail address for Ken Fleming from the fellas at Hendrix Wire Wheel in G'Boro and have e-mailed him to see if I could drop by to see his top "in person". I am originally from Winston-Salem and am going up in the morning for Christmas festivities. I still haven't heard back from Pete Farmer with answers to some questions I had. The info he send me originally says that the basic kit includes the "hard top (moulding only)" which leads me to believe that it doesn't have a headliner, which I would want. I'll post again when I obtain more info. Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Bruce--

I seem to recall that both Nick Freeman and Pete Farmer each claim that the other used his top from which to make a mold--or something like that. There may be no love lost between the two of them so just be careful what you say. I believe you can buy Freeman's top in just bare shell or with headliner kit, etc. etc. You may want to explore having that done local to you as what they furnish may not be pleasing to you.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Michael Oritt said:
Bruce--

I seem to recall that both Nick Freeman and Pete Farmer each claim that the other used his top from which to make a mold--or something like that. There may be no love lost between the two of them so just be careful what you say. I believe you can buy Freeman's top in just bare shell or with headliner kit, etc. etc. You may want to explore having that done local to you as what they furnish may not be pleasing to you.
Click to expand...

Information on the discussion:

https://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/2008/05/07/steve-pikes-repro-hardtop/
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

tomnanney said:
Duane. Is your friend Steve out of Canada or New Zealand?
Click to expand...

I purchased a few items Healey from Michael Salter, (Canada, Netbug.net). I don't have any connection with any Steve from Canada or New Zealand.

Thanks,
Duane
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Sorry, I was confused by the blog name. Who is making a repro hardtop in Canada?
thanks
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

Tom--

Michael Salter does not frequent this forum so I think I can answer for him that he is not manufacturing a reproduction Healey hardtop. The sources mentioned are Pete Farmer and Nick Freeman in the UK and Steve Pike in Australia. Smoothline manufacturing, if they are still at it, makes a hardtop that is very different in appearance from the factory tops and does not, to my eye, fulfill reasonable esthetic considerations.

Michael did, however, come up with an interesting hardtop modification on the 100 that he ran in the Targa Newfoundland (in which I sat as navigator for two years): Because the 100's top has minimal headroom and we needed to wear helmets on all of the Targa runs Michael created the necessary space by cutting two oval sections out of the top and fiberglassing into place fiberglass blisters he created by cutting sections out of, I believe, a large Easter Egg. The finished product looked surprisingly good and allowed us to carry on comfortably.

If you google "Michael Salter 100 Austin-Helaey image" you will see a pic of the car sitting on its trailer.
 
Re: Hardtop for Austin Healely 3000 BJ8

I did receive an email from Pete Farmer on December 24th and he answered all my questions. I am thinking that his top and NICAL's top are very, very similar, and both come in "kit" form in that once they are fitted to the car and painted then all the trim and headliner have to be installed. I am going to take my time deciding which top to get as by the time either got here on the coast of NC it will just about be time to take the top off for warm-weather riding, so I really wouldn't get to use it until next winter. I will say that both Nick at NICAL and Pete have been very helpful and I wouldn't have a problem dealing with either. If I was to contemplate buying a hardtop for my BJ8, I would look seriously at Smoothline , but for my BT7 I'm sure I'll get one of the "original" looking tops.
 
I have the Nical hard top for my BJ7, as Steve mentioned it was a very tough fit. Drove me crazy for months, Nick told me its how they all fit. When I received the top from NICAL , the headliner was marked with finger prints and the outside paint was chipped and marked by NICAL. It was a mess, Nick said he should of never sent it to, me, he did after several emails and phone calls give me a very small refund which was nothing compared to what I spent to completely strip the outside and inside. I was furious and wanted to send it back, but at 1000.00 plus for shipping that was not an option. He told me he would send me a headliner which he did not.(several emails and phone calls all ignored). Like Steve, I love the look and in the end it cost me at least 2000 more then the 5000.00 plus I paid to purchase, would I do it again, yes. I would ask Nick not to paint it and not to fit the headliner, and make sure he includes lots of extra headliner material, I looked everywhere for the same material, never did find it. Make sure your invoice has words that he will give you a full refund plus shipping if its not what you paid for. It bothers me to write this reply, but just the facts are written, I am hoping armed with this info you can get a better hard top. I have googled Pete F hardtop and looked for very detailed pictures and have never found any good information, would love to see and talk to someone who has his top.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Phil
 
Phil, interesting read - thanks for passing it along. Nick had mentioned to me in an email that the BJ7-BJ8 tops were much harder to fit. When and if I order one for my BT7, and whoever I order it from, I will order in kit form - primed, with all parts to be installed after fitting and painting, including headliner. I have talked to someone who might be going to the UK next month and part of his trip is planned for visiting Pete Farmer's facility. If that happens, it will be interested to hear his take on Pete's top. I, like you, hope that someone will see this discussion that has one of Pete's tops and with give us his feedback. As they say somewhere, "Stay tuned".
 
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