Quick off and on for tops?

[crankin]

Has anyone rigged a way to quickly remove the hard top off their series?

I guess its really a two parter...

1.) removing the screws and using clamps, vice grips, etc... to keep attached. A quick release...
2.) Pulley systems to lift off...

Thanks.

[Bostonian1976]

3) lots of friends

[greenmeanie]

4) Tall tyres and a low garage door?

[thixon]

5) Remove all fasteners, and drive 80 down the interstate. Wait, it won't go 80. Damn, foiled again.

[jp-]

4) Tall tyres and a low garage door?

With the parabolics on and new tires (with all the air let out) the roof cleared my garage door within 1".

[madp]

Just watch "The God's Must Be Crazy." All you need is a tree and a winch!

[LaneRover]

Just watch "The God's Must Be Crazy." All you need is a tree and a winch!

Actually the way they did it all you need is a tree and some wire.

Brent

[SafeAirOne]

6) Mine is a 4-step process that involves lots of patience and considerable expense, but it is clearly the easiest way if you've got the time:

a) Acquire a wife

b) Have two sons just shy of a year apart. Twins will also do.

c) Wait 16 years

d) Have sons remove top whilst you sip Guinness and supervise.

[scott]

6) Mine is a 4-step process that involves lots of patience and considerable expense, but it is clearly the easiest way if you've got the time:

a) Acquire a wife

b) Have two sons just shy of a year apart. Twins will also do.

c) Wait 16 years

d) Have sons remove top whilst you sip Guinness and supervise.

i got the twins, boy & girl 17 y/o, but mines a canvas hood. dang

what if you back into the garage, unbolt, stand knees bent in the tub with rear door open, straighten knees, reach out the door grab hook suspended with chain from rafters, get out get in cab and repeat, then drive out and your kids could do the supervising

[LH Drive]

hooks & chains

Start by backing your LR into the garage so you can later drive forward to exit the garage.
I pre-drilled and screwed in 4 large hanging hooks from Ace hardware onto my Garage overhead 2x12 wooden rafters. Space them out 2 inches wider than the hard top. Two mount just over the back corner of the side sliding window. The other 2 just over the front doors of my 88. I used two 2x6 wooden planks about 4" wider that my top. I then drilled and installed some large threaded eye bolts about 2" from each corner. Attatch a lengh of chain to the eye bolts long enough to reach the hooks mounted to the ceilling while the 2x6 planks are in position, one across the upper rear window corners and the other across the upper front door window corner (window door tops already removed and doors shut)
Unbolt the top from the body and walk around each corner lifting the top and shortening the chain lengh 2 links at a time till the top is completely off the truck. Then drive away from under the hanging hardtop.
Not an easy task but it is a one person job. My garage ceilling is'nt tall enough to mount a pulley system or I would have gone that route. The rear station wagon door has to be removed before you attempt to take the top off. I only use the 4 main bolts that attatch the top sides to the body and use 4 bolts over the window screen. One at each corner and two in the center to attatch my rear view mirror. Have it down to 30 min. to install/remove my top including swapping tailgate for SW door.

[SafeAirOne]

LH Drive has a pretty good plan...I'd probably do it that way, providing I had an 88. I Wouldn't have the room to do it with my 109 because the garage door opener/tracks/door would be in the way. My garage has an addition on the rear, so I can drive farther into my garage than most. I think with the original garage, I wouldn't even be able to do it with an 88 because of the garage door tracks/opener.

[LH Drive]

I have a 2 1/2 car garage with a small pitch flat roof. I think it would swing a full 109 hardtop even with the garage door tracks. Oh yeah,, I removed the hard top sides and hung the top upside down so I can store more parts.

[SafeAirOne]

I used two 2x6 wooden planks about 4" wider that my top. I then drilled and installed some large threaded eye bolts about 2" from each corner.

I like the use of the planks and eye-bolts--a very good idea. 2x4s would probably be sufficient. It would work well with some pulleys and a boat-trailer hand winch or two (one for front plank one for rear).

My garage ceilling is'nt tall enough to mount a pulley system or I would have gone that route.

I think you'd have enough height to use pulleys if you did it like I did with my canoe, shown in the photo. Just use steel cable, not stretchy rope. I can't get my canoe any higher because the rope thimble is at the pulley already. With your plank/eyebolt setup, the top of the rover roof would be at the ceiling before the cable hardware fouled the pulley.