I'm designing an opening roof that fold directly 180 degrees and then sits flush with the boot. I'll find some way of holding it down so it's not bouncing about but the only way I've really found is to hinge it halfway down the back window which would leave half of it sticking up. The roll cage would more than clear it but would it be legal? I could always make/aquire some covering so there's no sharp edges if needed

sounds intruiging. what car is it?

what about the hydraulics you find in the likes of peugeot convertibles? i think, given some clever design, it would do the job of folding the roof down, and the hydraulic pressure in the rams should hold it down too?

It's going to be based on the locost, but then I'm having the engine and fuel tank in the back so the rear should be big enough. Yeah I was going to use the gas struts from the bootlid off the donor car so the roof doubles as the "door" and then for roof down mode I can unclip them. Can I post a pic on here somehow I can draw a basic outline now?

start yourself a photo archive on here. don't ask me how, coz i can't remember. but you can host the pictures on here, which is very handy

i was thinking (rather than gas struts) actual hydraulics. they can often be had pretty cheap on ebay. i'm trying to think of a way to incorporate hydraulics into my car

Hope this picture shows up then you'll see what I mean
Rescued attachment Roofpic.gif

you'll need some kind of catch on the wind screen too, maybe those rubber latches? i can't find a good picture of the one i mean right now, but apparently you can use the at 90 degrees (on the windscreen) and flat (on the boot panel)

edit:
these ones?

[Edited on 4/10/08 by blakep82]

Yeah I was going to use the door catch mechanism on the windscreen. What's the rubber things?

i found better pictures


you might recognise them better as these

They look like the hinges on the kitchen cupboard doors to me

this one kind of shows them 'in action' lol
the one on the right is attached to the hook part, and the bit sticking up, pulls down to latch everything together.

Ah I get it! That looks so much easier than what I was planning on doing and solves the clipping it down problem, yeah! Where can I get some from? Also some good sealant strip?

www.rallydesign.com sell the rubber type onesit you put the rubber bit in the roof, and the hook on the outside (i'd maybe suggest after sva/iva )you'd need 2 sets of the hook part (2 for the windscreen, 2 for the boot lid) but only 1 set of the rubber latches inside the roof, so i don't know if you can buy bits seperately

Cool, if they can hold the bonnet down they'll definately hold the roof :-)

Realised something last night, I wouldn't be able to close the roof when I'm inside..

Oh well back to the drawing board