Interior Exterior
Q:
Looking at some dzus nuts, I was wondering if it would be possible to use dzus fasteners to make it faster to get the Elise's hardtop on and off?
A:
theyd have to be pretty strong and be able to torque down pretty heavily, it only takes a few minutes to get it off anyway, most of it is the little stick on bits and the top headliner. you only have to unbolt one side anyway
A:
You only have to unbolt one side? Huh, the salesman said that there were some bolts in front for the headliner, some underneath it for the front, and some in the rear for the back.
A:
well the headliner has 3 bolts, that has to be removed first, so its actually the headliner then the sides, the fittings are slot and pin so it slides out to the side.
i found this out after one of my bolts was so tight, the crappy allen key that comes with the car (which isn't even the right type, its a torx bolt) stripped, then the bolt stripped 30 minutes later strugggling trying to get it to leverage out, i went around to the other side, and it just lifted off, then i saw the tracks it slides out of ... doh..
if they bolts aren't tight, the top rattles a lot.
A:
Ah, so three in front for the headliner, and two in the back (well really, one in each of the back corners)? Do you have to have the headliner on?
A:
yeah 3 in the headliner, i dont think you have to have it on, its pretty fast to get it off and on though it fits really well.
then theres a bolt at each corner, the back two hold on a metal U shaped clip that attaches to the rear of the roof, and then at the front another two bolts that are attached to an bracked with a post that sticks out.
thebolts loosen and are the type that have a gap, then another thread so you can unbolt them a bit, then they're loose, then they'll thread again so you can keep them in place. but like i said, i've only had to unbolt the drivers side, then lift up the drivers slide slightly standing from the passenger side and slide it out, either side seems to work though,it just happens that my stuck bolt is on that side
you have to do it just right for it to slip out, it seems stuck, i tried for ages the wrong way and it wouldn't budge, then it just popped out, someone else tried it today and couldn't remove it , but once it was held the right way it was ok
A:
...the crappy allen key that comes with the car (which isn't even the right type, its a torx bolt)...
I was wondering about this too when I got my car I saw that allen key, and realized I was probably gonna do some damage, so I went looking through my own tools for the right size torx bit...I didn't have one. As I was walking back to the car, I happened to glance down at the packaging that the hardtop storage cover was in and noticed that there was an allen-key-type torx thing in it...it fit perfectly. So, the hard top did come with the proper tool to remove it, but it was very well hidden.
A:
I was wondering about this too when I got my car I saw that allen key, and realized I was probably gonna do some damage, so I went looking through my own tools for the right size torx bit...I didn't have one. As I was walking back to the car, I happened to glance down at the packaging that the hardtop storage cover was in and noticed that there was an allen-key-type torx thing in it...it fit perfectly. So, the hard top did come with the proper tool to remove it, but it was very well hidden.
The proper tool is a T40 Torx driver. It's much easier to take the top on and off with a good quality screwdriver-type Torx tool. I purchased one and added it to my toolkit.
A:
Considering how the bolts in the hardtop are configured, it would be very difficult to redesign it with quick release fasteners. A better approach, if time is of concern, would be to get a T40 bit for one of those slender electric screwdrivers.
A:
i'll have to go looking for that key thanks for the tip! i did wonder why
A:
I got a torx allen-type wrench in my toolkit. I also got the allen wrenches.
A good investment was the ratcheting screwdriver with the proper torx bit. Although it doesn't help in the back so much (access) it's wonderful for the fronts and the liner, too.
A:
I mentioned to Jer before, I use a Black & Decker battery-powered screwdriver...the torx bit plus extender/adapter piece allows access to the rear screws, and lets me put the top on/off in 2 min., tops.
A:
and by some strange coincedence i left my spare key at scelises last nite, then i noticed a torx wrench in the front seat, so i said i'll be over to swap it for my key, but strangely they said it came from my cars toolkit (it wasn't there before) so apparently my fairy lotus godmother installed a torx wrench in place of my busted up allen wrench.
presumably i still have one in the top cover, i have to go check