A&Q about Lotus
Q:
I'm still waiting to get my hardtop in... though i got to see it on the car before i drove it home (with the soft top on)... is the purpse of that trim piece just cosmetics? Seems like a hassle of 3 extra screws if you wanna keep things simple. Without it maybe you could convert the other 4 screws to screws with finger knobs on them (www.mcmaster.com probably has them) so you don't need any tools.
A:
It's aesthetics.
John
A:
It actually stops the front center section from raising up and leaking air at speed. At 80-100 mph if whistles like crazy without it installed.
A:
And it's to add padding in the case of an impact if your head hits the windshield frame... so it has a safety use too. (it stops your head from hitting the metal with protruding screw anchors...).
A:
It also holds your radar detector cord nicely against the roof. Mine dangles a bit with the top off.
I've found that a Valentine 1 can be mounted high on the windshield and the large rearview mirror acts as the "mute" button, due to the tight fit.
A:
Originally Posted by PsychoRallye
And it's to add padding in the case of an impact if your head hits the windshield frame... so it has a safety use too. (it stops your head from hitting the metal with protruding screw anchors...).
Bingo.
A:
The 3 extra bolts really only add maybe 2 minutes to the install, it's not a pain at all.
A:
It makes Julian fries, too.
A:
Actually cleans up the interior look and is easy to install. I just put my hardtop on for the first time as I've driven the car with either no top or the soft top since I bought it in May. After reading some threads here I thought it may be a pain, but it went on pretty easily and I put it on by myself. Just don't tighten the screws till they're all started, which is common sense anyway.
A:
It's also a handy place to mount the V1 display. A little piece of the rough side of velcro stuck to the display, and voila.
Q
A:
It totally blocks my vision out the front of the car.
A:
I hated mine because it blocked my foreward vision. I have taken a lot of extra stuff off my Elise but it really looked unfinished with no cover. I had a trim shop cut about the front 3 inches off the front edge and recover it in the same material. It was like $30 or $35. I can now just see the windshield frame so the cover is not blocking anything. It should be that way stock and fooks factory.
A:
Originally Posted by peck555
It totally blocks my vision out the front of the car.
I am 6' 6" and couldn't deal with the amount of vertical space that the header trim piece took up when installed. I pulled the material back on mine (off the front part) and cut about 2 ½ to 2 ¾ inches off the front of mine, shaped with a sander, resprayed with adhesive and then rewrapped the material. Now it doesn't take up any of the vertical view out of the window, but provides just enough of a lip to still "grab" the windshield frame (on the curved part now rather than under the frame as before) to keep the top from buldging in the middle.
A:
I just went out and took a couple of pictures of the trim piece:
A:
Originally Posted by darkSol
It actually stops the front center section from raising up and leaking air at speed. At 80-100 mph if whistles like crazy without it installed.
I don't think that is true. I removed that piece on both my Elise and Exige as soon I could, and I track them without any problems or whistling. Removing the piece improves visibility. If your hard top is not sealing, then it might not be bolted down well enough. The trim piece isn't really strong enough to hold anything in place.