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Hardtop storage

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philknight

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I would like to rig something up that would hoist my factory hardtop from the car up to the ceiling of my garage and store it there when not in use. Ideally this would be done solo, safely, with no damage to the car or top. After backing into the garage it would have to raise up and back to clear the garage door in the up position. Any ideas?
Phil
 
Don't hang it like this because it will leave an imprint on the sides where the nylon strap meets the top. I think you are better off with a rack that they sell for hardtops whereas it is stored standing upright. If you need to hoist it, use a piece of 2x6 across the underside and don't let cord or strap touch the top's sides.


This is how the PO stored the top and there are marks where the strap meets the top.
TOPhang.jpg
 
Yea, I was afraid of something like that. I think I need a 2x4 running underneath the B post connection bolted through the recievers on the top, then something rearward to keep it level as it goes up. Anybody try something similar?
 
What I did for my TR3 hardtop was to bend up 3 hooks from flat iron, that reach around the edge of the hardtop and lift from underneath the rails. Coated them with "Liquid Rubber". Soft cotton rope links the 3 hooks, then goes through a pulley mounted to the rafters. Makes it much easier to R&R the HT myself, as I can just park the car under the HT hoist and raise or lower it with the rope directly onto the car.

Plan to do something similar for the Stag HT, but I'll probably look for a power hoist or multiple sheave pulley. It's kind of heavy to lift with a single rope, and I wouldn't want to drop it.
 
Miata(that other brand ya know)Has available a hard top hoist.Its special strap design that safely hoists the Ht top just as you want.I purchased one & it does work,& is cost effective.I use it on my 1500(79)56#Spitfire HT.
KenWhitelightning
I think i have a photo hangin around somewhere.
 
myspitfire said:
Miata(that other brand ya know)Has available a hard top hoist.Its special strap design that safely hoists the Ht top just as you want.I purchased one & it does work,& is cost effective.I use it on my 1500(79)56#Spitfire HT.
KenWhitelightning
I think i have a photo hangin around somewhere.
Click to expand...
Wondering if you are still using the Miata hardtop hoist, and if so, could you share some pics? Thanks
 
A friend helped me design a hoist setup for the HT on my Mercedes. Harbor Freight hoist, a piece of 1" iron pipe covered in pipe insulation, some eyebolts and nuts, and 1" tie-downs, plus what it took to attach to a VERY LARGE rafter we found in the perfect spot above the ceiling. IIRC, the grand total (with a bunch of leftover hardware) was under $100. Plus $100 in beer for my friend (that's one evening's worth for him)

I only wish that it raised higher, but otherwise I couldn't be happier.

Using tie-down straps (one separate strap for each hook point) lets me adjust the center of gravity. Note that I also have an additional set of safety straps in case the hoist comes to life and decides to unwind on its own.

20190505_142952.jpg


My initial plan was to drive the car out and lower the top onto a rolling stand (which came with the car), but the top has spent several years up there (about 8-10 months at a time) with zero issues. (To be fair, Mercedes engineers managed to design the top so that the weatherstripping is all protected from a lift like this! )
 
Tried them all on floor dolley, rope/pulleys, chain fall finally best solution. Similar to benz owner crawled in attic with 12" long uni-strut to span/clamp to 2 rafters each side of mount. Attached harbor freight electric wench to ceiling only thing I would have done different is mount hoist to floor run through vertical pulley then horizontal pulley above picking point.

TR6 usually parked head in when R&R top back it under use to take couple hrs R&R now 45 min, cover is queen size bed pad. Pic file too large to upload here to see pic (scroll to 7th row) > '72"Buttascotch"TR6 <
 
I tried making a rig using 1” pex pipe but the pipe flexed too much so I put a pice of 1
’ copper inside the plastic pipe which worked. I covered the pipe with foam insulation then rigged a rope to it and through a pulley screwed into my garage ceiling. Everything looked like it was going to work until I pulled the top off my TR3 and found that my 8 foot ceiling didn’t allow the top to be high enough, or not as high as I wanted. I tried raising and lowering the top to see how it would work and I decided that it wasn’t worth scratching the paint on my car trying to maneuver the top down and then forward on each side by myself. I think it is more of a two man job for me. So I am storing mine on the Eastwood rack I used while restoring the car. It takes up space in the garage though . If I had a higher ceiling I would go with the electric wench . I have one in my storage shed I used to take the body off the frame and then remounting it. I use it now for lifting my riding mower to clean the deck and sharpen the blades. But it only has a 7 foot ceiling.
 
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