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NICAL hardtop

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Michael Oritt

Michael Oritt

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After years of procrastination I finally finished fitting the NICAL hardtop and side curtains (they were the real bear) that I bought a long time back and had it and the car painted.

I know hardtops are not for everyone but I am one of those that thinks they grace the lines of our cars, even if the aftermarket tops for 100's have to be shortened a bit.

I have had my dose of UV's and don't miss going bareback, though it is no big deal to take the hardtop off. With the side curtains off the car is very civilized and the aft-facing rallye scoop brings a nice breeze into the cockpit. The side curtains NICAL supplies are sliders and provide a reasonably snug fit on the cold days such as we are now having, though I don't think they will seal against rain very well.
 
Michael, I agree with you that a Healey with a hard top is a good looking car. Of all the hardtops available for the Healey cars, I personally think the BT7 is the best. Of course, that's the one I have. I am closing in on the end of my restoration and had my top painted Healey Blue to go on a blue over white car. I haven't mounted it yet, but I will soon.
 
Michael -

You know I love the look of a hardtop on a big Healey, especially at speed..... Great job finally getting it together!

'57 100-6 MM PRW T2.jpg
 
is the hardtop for a two seater bn6 the same overall size or is it shorter?
 
Very nice! I may go with a hardtop also. I've also had too many uv rays.
 
maxwedge5281 said:
is the hardtop for a two seater bn6 the same overall size or is it shorter?
Click to expand...

Maxswedge--

If you are asking whether the BN6 top is the same dimension as that for a 100 the answer is no as the 100 has a shorter wheelbase, most or all of the difference occurring, I believe, in the door opening.

NICAL does make tops for convertibles but I don't know if he makes them for the six-cylinder roadsters. I assume you know that there is a big difference between the factory four-seater top and the two-seater top that you need. Many people have tried to convert one of the four-seater tops, which are a lot easier to find, to fit a two-seater and have given up in the end.
 
michael, i was asking specifically is there a difference in overall dimension between the bn6 two seater and the 3000 cars. do you have a side view of your 100 car? thank you.
 
Sorry, I was not sure about what you were inquiring.

I'm sure there are six-cylinder guys who will know for sure but I believe that the hardtops for the 100-6's and 3000's were the same, both for the four-seaters and two-seaters.

I don't have a good profile shot of my car with hardtop mounted available to post now..
 
maxwedge5281 said:
michael, i was asking specifically is there a difference in overall dimension between the bn6 two seater and the 3000 cars. do you have a side view of your 100 car? thank you.
Click to expand...

The 2-seater 3000 roadster hardtop and the BN6 hardtop are the same, as is the 4-seater 3000 roadster hardtop and BN4 hardtop.
 
Interesting article.

I don't know about the hardtop NICAL supplies for BJ7-8's but the one for my 100 is a very thin shell and initially I found it impossible to fit the rear window due to the top's flexing. I purchased two of the "aluminum stabilizing bars" mentioned in the article to triangulate the window aperture and only then was it possible to exert the necessary pressure against the rubber trim to get the rear window to slip into the groove. I like the way they look anyway--a definite Healey characteristic.
 
A roadster is a great way to go but I do like a hardtop for the longer journeys. When I bought my four seater BT7 it came with a hardtop. When I bought my two seater BN7 it did not have a hardtop and it made a difference . So after looking for more than two years I found a decent 2 seater hardtop and jumped on it. The two seaters are as rare as hen's teeth so I was lucky to find it.

Both tops are fairly easy to take on and off so it is not that big of commitment to throw it on for a long drive. For road trips I fashioned a rack out of furniture grade ABS that packs easily in my trunk so I can remove and store the top (s) at my destination.

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One of Pete's is very high on my wish list. They are really well made and fit beautifully.
 
I would like one of the replicas for my BJ8. I had an original on my 100 6 and like the Sun shade. I did buy an aftermarket one that was actually made in the 70s for the BJ8 but I can't bring myself to work on it. It just does not have the right style. I am finding that we our club has a run somewhere, I take the old mini more often since it has a roof and I don't get so windblown and cooked from the sun.
Jerry
 
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