Ditch the Hardtop ?

Neil72 · Post by **Neil72** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:30 pm

Does anyone know what effect a hardtop has on trade in value ?

I have one cluttering up the corner of my garage (removed the day I bought the car and won't go back on until the day I sell it) and I was half thinking of punting it on ebay and putting the proceeds towards a nice Larini exhaust.

Just want to make sure I won't wipe £'000s off the resale value of my car if I chose to go down this route.

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:34 pm

When I was looking for mine a hardtop was a must, but having owned the car a while I realise you don't really need it, even though I do like it and use it alot (daily **cough cough** drive) if anything it makes it more desirable in the same way that the exhaust won't add any/much to the resale price but will make it more desirable. in my opinion it's 6 & 1/2 dozen

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:53 pm

It ain't eating anything and should your softtop end up with some damage you still have an option

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:37 pm

Most new-to-elise owners think it is imperative to have a hard top - let's face it, we were all there at some point.

I doubt it would make too much odds trading it in at a garage but in a private sale it might just swing it or be useful as a bargaining tool reducing the car price slightly and then eBaying the HT.

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:46 pm

Hard top on the S1 was great for winter last time around. If I could find one in Scandal Green I'd have it!

craigs135s · Post by **craigs135s** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:02 pm

Am sure i have seen one for sale in S Green. Can't remember where though.

Cheers
C

craigs135s · Post by **craigs135s** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:04 pm

http://forums.seloc.org/classified.php? ... ad&id=5291

Yip i new i had seen one for sale.

Cheers
C

Baggy · Post by **Baggy** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:08 pm

Nah

punt it and spend the money on beer.

you know it makes sense

DJ · Post by DJ » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:40 am

Stewart wrote:Most new-to-elise owners think it is imperative to have a hard top - let's face it, we were all there at some point.

I doubt it would make too much odds trading it in at a garage but in a private sale it might just swing it or be useful as a bargaining tool reducing the car price slightly and then eBaying the HT.

Was high on my requirement list when looking to buy. Then when I bought the car without one, thought it would be my first purchase. Glad I didn't get one now.
Not sure what car you have. If it's the trade-in price differential, you could ask Graeme at MMC. If under £500, ebay it.

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:56 am

When I was still wet behind the ears I thought the hrdtop was an essential. After a while it became needless clutter for me to stub my toe on in the spare room. Ebayed it for £600. For that money, you can get S2 suspension for your S1 which will be far more desirable to anyone thinking of buying the car (well, if they have half a clue it will be!)

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:25 am

craigs135s wrote:http://forums.seloc.org/classified.php? ... ad&id=5291

Yip i new i had seen one for sale.

Cheers
C

Nice one, thanks! I never read Selcock.

£800 though is crazy money for such a stupid colour.

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:47 pm

If i mentioned it looks like a hardtop would make a cracking sledge would this influence your choice

tut · Post by **tut** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:20 pm

When I bought the present N1 in 2001, it was six years old, one owner, and had 3,000 miles on it and five services. It also had a hardtop fitted from new, and an unused softop and roll bar cover that was still in bubblewrap.

Drove it home, sold the hardtop on Pistonheads for £750, and the softtop is still like new.

tut

Neil72 · Post by **Neil72** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:38 pm

I was never really bothered about having a hardtop in the first place, it just happened to come with the car when I bought it. In fact, I could almost ebay the soft top along with it as I tend to run roofless most of the time.

DJ wrote:
Was high on my requirement list when looking to buy. Then when I bought the car without one, thought it would be my first purchase. Glad I didn't get one now.
Not sure what car you have. If it's the trade-in price differential, you could ask Graeme at MMC. If under £500, ebay it.

It's a 2005 111S and the hardtop was standard factory spec on this car which is what prompted me to think I might be wiser keeping it. Graeme called me during the week actually and it crossed my mind later that I should have asked his opinion. Might give him a call.

Interesting to note that those who have flogged off their hardtop in the past have not regretted doing so. Time to do some homework on ebay I think.......

Corranga · Post by **Corranga** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:06 pm

Personally, my hardtop lives on my car (another daily driver) but then my softtops stitching is pretty bad, and i've just handed it to my dad to take into Murrays for the Lotus refurb...

A hardtop was a must for me when I was looking to buy, but again that might be the not having owned one before thing...

It may not necessarily raise the value, but might make it easier to sell on to the thousands who have never owned an Elise, and I think they make the car look better too... (though not better than with no roof...)