Flip top roof idea

[Benjy]

Ahoy All

I can see this working on a Europa although I appreciate it is hardly adding lightness nor simplifying!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/30wYAXayfgw

Cheers

Benjy 54/0949

[4129R]

As the car is a combination of a minimalist metal chassis, and a very light fibreglass body, which combine to form a rigid car, I believe the structural integrity of the car is partly reliant on the roof panel.

I am sure that Colin kept everything to a minimum to keep the weight down.

[TurboFource]

Interesting….it would make easier to get in!

[314159td]

There are many roadster chopped Europas out there, and their issues are unrelated to the roof being missing.
Looking at the A-pillars, you can quickly tell the strength is coming from the backbone chassis and the sills, not the roof panel.

[EuropaTC]

There are many roadster chopped Europas out there, and their issues are unrelated to the roof being missing.
Looking at the A-pillars, you can quickly tell the strength is coming from the backbone chassis and the sills, not the roof panel.

I think you're probably right, my take would be that the roof panel is more about supporting the windscreen and keeping the rain off rather than overall stiffness. Yes, there will be some contribution to stiffness but when you look at the number of cars that show stress cracks at the top of the A pillar, it can't be working that well ?

Brian

[Bryan Boyle]

There are many roadster chopped Europas out there, and their issues are unrelated to the roof being missing.
Looking at the A-pillars, you can quickly tell the strength is coming from the backbone chassis and the sills, not the roof panel.

I think you're probably right, my take would be that the roof panel is more about supporting the windscreen and keeping the rain off rather than overall stiffness. Yes, there will be some contribution to stiffness but when you look at the number of cars that show stress cracks at the top of the A pillar, it can't be working that well ?

Brian

I think you see those cracks on the rubber windscreen cars more than the post-1.1.1970...thinking the bonded glass stiffened the a pillar up a bit.  But your point is well-taken, Brian...But I don't know that I'd want to flip the roof over and obstruct the vent openings in the bootlid and disturb the airflow in that area. 

[Dreamer]

I saw a Europa roadster in Oshawa Ontario in the 80’s. It was going in the opposite direction to me and I never saw it again. Around 2000 I met the owner/builder of that car in of all places a Ducati Rally in Dahlonega Georgia. He told me he had driven the car up from I think it was Texas to see a Can Am race at Mosport. He further explained to me that the rear window surround was important to the body integrity. So He kept that but removed the rear window and the roof in front of that area. I think he said he had a fabric roof cover but it was more for over night and not water tight.
I always thought that the Europa would make a good candidate for a “T Top” like the C3 Corvette and all the other GM modes that had them.