I noticed in Harry Metcalfe’s video of his Sprint that he stows the top/hood in the trunk/boot. My top is fixed across the back edge, as is the partial tonneau that covers it when folded. Can I remove those fixing pieces and replace them with snaps similar to the others on the sides? Also of course I’d have to re-do those points on the top itself, plus the tonneau.
Is this a thing people do? Pluses or minuses involved if one were to do so?
I (& many others) have indeed done what you’re suggesting. I have a roof bag (supplied by Sue Miller) & put that either behind the seats or in the Trunk.
Yes, the parcel tray gets very crowded with the top and bows trying to take the same space. It’s a neater look with just the bows under the cover.
You have reminded me to ask Sue (again)for my roof bag ordered many years ago…… She always says, oops sorry Alan, I made one and sent It to Phil 
It is straightforward to change the fixed to the rear deck hood to removable and worth doing to keep things neat with the top down.
Hi,
I have gone the other way.
Initially a fully removable hood, but I put it back to standard for two reasons.
First reason, I got caught in a monsoon. and got absolutley soaked. It does take time to erect a hood that is stored in the boot I reckon 10 minutes from start to finish.
Second reason I was always worried about the window when the boot was loaded up.
And lastly, @Tim Wilkes will like this, this is how it was designed to be.
Just my 2p
cheers
Mark
Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I agree that the parcel tray is a bit stuffed, especially in my case because I protect the windows with a towel. I have a tonneau that needs hardware too, so I think I may make a project of it and do the whole works. Easy enough to reverse if I don’t like it.
I decided to take my hood and frame off the car completely as I found I was (almost) never using it. It is stored in my garage. I have the tonneau attached to the rear edge and stored in the hood tray and I use this to keep the water out when it is parked up and likely to rain. Easy to reverse if I choose to do so.
He does, indeed!
Tim
Done and dusted. I used a 5/16” punch and a block of wood under the material. Once the hole was made, a 3/8” socket underneath made it much easier to press the Tenax top half through the hole far enough for the backing plate to catch some threads. All in all a very easy conversion. The tonneau will present a bit more of a challenge as it has no existing holes and so I’ll have to spend time fitting it as I go.
I have an appropriately sized canvas duffel on the way for trunk storage of the liberated top/hood.
Interesting. Did Lotus change the way that the top was handled over the years?
My ‘72 Sprint, which I’ve only owned since 2015, came with the top completely removable. So Tenex fasteners all around, same with the boot cover. But it also came with the Lotus diagram showing how to fold it up into the tray, around the frame.
It makes a neat package, I don’t know why anyone would do it differently, but to each their own, obviously.
I’ve seen other Elan’s with the rear of the top “permanently” attached to the body - so this was standard at one time? Or always, and mine is a modification? The latter would be a bit surprising, given the folding diagram which assumes the top is removable, and the fact that when I bought a replacement top, it came with Tenex fasteners all around.
Hi,
Yours was a modification, all hoods were attached to the body AFAIAA.
cheers
Mark
The instructions I have show the back edge of the top/hood fixed to the body. Mine was fixed with 7 Tenax studs which I reused. Yes the top does fit along with the frame but it is needlessly fiddly and doesn’t do good things for the windows.
I’m absolutely with Mark on keeping the hood permanently attached as that is was the way they came from the factory. The hood that came with my S4 when I bought it new could be erected in seconds (well it needed about 60 of them!), an enthusiastic passenger helps.
In the 50 odd years of ownership I have fitted two replacement hoods and neither folded as well as the factory item. Following the handbook instructions the original hood folded and packed completely and neatly within the hood tray with minimal stress on the windows. Today aftermarket hoods might actually have been manufactured with better quality materials and to a higher standard but essentially they are copies and I am not convinced they are dimensionally an exact copy. (I stand to be corrected as my last purchased hood was over 20 years ago).
Ian
My aftermarket hood supplied by Sue Miller fits great under the 1/2 tonneau cover, I’ll post pictures later. The issue ith new hoods is the front bar is plastic and does not bend inwards from the edge. However with careful jiggling all fits well
I still have my original hood for my ‘72 Sprint and I’m really tempted to see if someone can replicated perfectly. It fit the best.
As long as I have owned my Elan, I have had two US made Robbins tops. They took some extra work at a trim shop to fit properly. The vinyl is heavier than original so it doesn’t fold up as easily in cold weather. So, the easiest thing for fitting was to leave the top loose in the hood tray and have attach the top to the studs every time I put it up. Same with the tonneau.
It simply worked best for me that way.
Perhaps I am fussier about the windows than most. I like to use a towel or similar to protect them. That adds bulk.
I have done the same with a soft towel. On hot days, the towel fabric imprints on the plastic windows though. YMMV
