3D Printed Hardtop
I am working on getting a production version of Inateno’s hardtop design ready. I have gone through 4 iterations to arrive at a version that is suitable for my track car, but there are several improvements I want to make before offering these tops for sale.
I will be attempting to modify the mounting points to include actual metal fasteners rather than just relying on bolting straight into the plastic.
I am going to experiment with materials. The PETG tops that I printed melted in direct sun on a hot day and were not suitable for use. The ASA top that I printed warped too much and did not assemble well. It also was very brittle and would crack when adding fasteners.
I am going to experiment with wall thickness and infill, modifying key areas.
The goal of this project will be to produce a “hardtop in a box” that can be shipped to you for easy DIY assembly.
Update:
Testing on V5 of the hardtop has been going very well! So far I have met all three of my goals and more.
Mounting points now have metal nuts embedded in the part. This makes the mounting points MUCH stronger and I will now trust this top to stay with just the factory mounting points.
I have found a material that is the bee’s knees. It is carbon fiber reinforced ASA. This material has great strength, heat resistance, UV resistance, dimensional stability, and layer adhesion. I’m very excited for how this is turning out.
After adding several hundred modifiers to key areas, I have been able to maximize strength and minimize weight. The top without the window will weigh less than 8kg / 18lbs!
I was able to create a window outline. Each top will include a paper template for cutting your window out of lexan, including screw holes spaced every 100mm. Each top will also include a paper mask so you can add a painted edge to the outside of the window. This all comes together to give the window a symmetrical and professional look.
I have been able to improve on Inateno’s assembly instructions and will include several tips to make DIY assembly as straight forward as possible.
I worked out a deal with Inateno and you will have the option to purchase his STL files of the hardtop in case you would like to have them for the future.