For the XK’s hood I just used a generic bicycle storage carrier from eBay with some 1 inch webbing as a sling. Works nicely for basic storage.
Yeah, maybe I over-thought it. But the ease of the HF electric hoist to control the removal and install was just too tempting.
Were the two front stays necessary? Were you just earthquake proofing it?
The ropes from the 4 corners to the ceiling are not taut and not necessary. They are my ‘oh sh#t’ backup support. They also keep the top from rotating or swaying (w/o them it is suspended from a single point).
A follow-up on my hardtop dangling solution as today came the real test – could I lower it and install it working solo?
A piece of cake. The Harbor Freight hoist allowed the top to be gradually lowered to a soft landing in the desired spot.
Resting on those pillows allowed the rear ‘hook’ to be removed. Total time was about 10 minutes.
The hoist & trapeze (described above) need about a 10’ ceiling the way I did it, there may be ways to work with lower ceilings.
Now everything just hangs there until removal and storage is again needed:
I wonder if my wife would let me move that into the bedroom? Probably not.
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Geo, I would be interested in your configuration and assembly details if possible. It looks like I
already have the HF hoist which I purchased a couple years ago for the same purpose. Just never got around to the figuring out the bracketry/hoist points,etc. Did you adapt an existing system ? I’ve looked at many on line.
No particular system was used as the basis, just common sense and some experimentation.
The main element is what I call the trapeze which is a length of tubular (rectangular) metal I happened to already have. I was originally going to use a length of conduit and I still think that would work, but the tube was handy.
I experimented and found the placement that took most of the weight and left the top slightly ‘rear heavy’:
The top weighs about 51 lbs and the trapeze carries about 46 of those pounds. So whatever I used to hold the rear edge only had to hold 5 lbs and that could be spread over a long stretch to minimize strain on that fragile area. I considered hooks, then much wider hooks and finally realized one very long hook would get me there. Cut from a length of 4" ABS pipe:
That was pretty much the extent of the design effort. There was some trial and error to find suitable lengths for the lines - the handy thing about rope is that it can be easily modified until you like the result.
Hung at that angle the first contact upon lowering is the the top of the windscreen which makes it simple to ease everything in place and undo the rear hook as shown in the soft landing photo in the prior post.
3 carabiners were used to connect the lines to a single snap hook:
Google was used to look at various knots - I made extensive use of the Halyard Hitch (the 2015 Knot of the Year) though many other knots would also be suitable.
The HF hoist was hung using 3 eyebolts into a rafter and a length of iron pipe:
I have a TR4 and I actually think I can get the E-Type hardtop on & off in less time than what it takes to do the soft top on the Triumph.
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Especially when the top has shrunk over the summer… 
Thanks, sometimes I wonder if I have any common sense remaining, just haven’t done anything yet. But I do appreciate
Your reply and info. Just have to get off the dime and do it. Are you in Tucson ? I’m north in Gilbert. Thanks for taking the time.
I’m anxious to get the newly painted and reupholstered BRG hardtop onto the newly painted BRG car.
Mike Harris
480-388-0288
