What is best way to store OEM hardtop

[wastntim]

I am looking for suggestions on how to store my OEM hardtop. I just bought a three piece top but thought I would keep the stock top as well to use on track days. Anyone built or bought anything to effectively store their hardtop without damaging it?

 

[ViperJoe]

I bought these "L" style btackets at Home Depot. I mounted 3 on the wall screwed into the wall studs. I then got some round foam pipe insulation and placed it onto these round tube brackets. Used smaller pieces of this insulation on top of the already installed insullation on all three points of contact.

I used this same "system" for the hardtop on 2 Vipers with no issues.

This costs like 15-20 bucks.

I also have mounted 3 of these brackets below my top brackets to store my soft top, back glass, and tonneau

There are guys that have made inclosed wooden cabinets etc but this is cheap and functional.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

2- 18" pieces of 1" x 1/8" or so flat stock. Bent a 6" 'L' in each of these 2 pieces. Attached the longer straight parts (about 2' apart) to the sill plate in the back of the garage which is up about 4.5' in the air. A few layers of rubber weather stripping and tape over the part which the top sits on and up the 'L'. The top is wrapped in a furniture blanket and leaned into the wall at about a 15-20 degree angle. One could always add a bungee cord from top to bottom to secure better. The angle on mine would take an act of nature to tip over. Total cost: $5 or so for the weather stripping. I had the flat stock from who knows when.

For storage in the winter, the soft top sits on these bracket and the hard top sits on the car unlatched.

Steve

 

[ruckdr]

Store it on the car.

 

[ViperJames]

Store it on the car.

WOW...you registered 10/17/00 and you have 1017 posts! that is WEIRD!

 

[wastntim]

Any pictures?

 

[Randy]

I am looking for suggestions on how to store my OEM hardtop. I just bought a three piece top but thought I would keep the stock top as well to use on track days. Anyone built or bought anything to effectively store their hardtop without damaging it?

Yeah, too bad search doesn't seem to work, or I'd point you to the thread on this a while back.

So, here's my solution: I store it against the ceiling of my garage. This method has a number of advantages; it keeps it out of harms way, doesn't risk it when moving it to/from someplace since its stored directly above the car, and can be *easily* removed and installed by one person.

Cost for the setup was about $300; $70 for an electric hoist from Harbor Freight, the rest of the cost for stranded wire cable, four pullies, turnbuckles for fine adjustment of cable length, aluminum stock, electrical cable to move the control unit, etc. Someone evidently without a good grasp of the term called it "Rube Goldberg", but its actually very simple and effective:

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

So, here's my solution: I store it against the ceiling of my garage. This method has a number of advantages; it keeps it out of harms way, doesn't risk it when moving it to/from someplace since its stored directly above the car, and can be *easily* removed and installed by one person.

Cost for the setup was about $300; $70 for an electric hoist from Harbor Freight, the rest of the cost for stranded wire cable, four pullies, turnbuckles for fine adjustment of cable length, aluminum stock, electrical cable to move the control unit, etc. Someone evidently without a good grasp of the term called it "Rube Goldberg", but its actually very simple and effective:

Wow! Pretty elaborate for a Viper top Randy!! Actually I did nearly the exact same thing almost 20 years ago for a full size truck fiberglass topper. Unistrut underneath both ends and a pulley system off the ceiling. I didn't use an electric hoist--just a little come-a-long. I don't think it cost over $50 bucks for everything. Rope was good enough. As with yours, one man could easily take the topper off and on.

Steve

 

[wastntim]

I like the ideas. Now to choose one.

 

[ruckdr]

ViperJames wrote:

WOW...you registered 10/17/00 and you have 1017 posts! that is WEIRD!

Not sure what is WEIRD; is it the fact that I have owned my Viper since 2000 (6 years), or that I have 1017 posts, or only have 1017 posts???????

wastntim, asked how best to store the hardtop, and I knew he would get all the answers described here - I have seen them before, but sometimes we forget the obvious.

Later,

 

[99 R/T 10]

Although this is a bad picture, you'll get the idea. I built(if I can remeber correctly) a 60X80 box 8" deep. Mounted it to the wall and the top is held in place with a bungee.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

ViperJames wrote:

WOW...you registered 10/17/00 and you have 1017 posts! that is WEIRD!

Not sure what is WEIRD; is it the fact that I have owned my Viper since 2000 (6 years), or that I have 1017 posts, or only have 1017 posts???????

He means you made your 1,017 post on 10-17 (the numbers of the date are also 1017). Unless ofcourse you write the date as 10-17-06, and then its nothing wierd about it