Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
03-15-2008, 04:07 PM
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Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
Thanks to searching around http://www.s2ki.com and https://honda-tech.com, I was able to complete this install without any issues. Before I begin, I would like to thank the poster who made this on S2KI, as I used his how-to thread quite a bit.
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/ind...10158
The following link was also helpful, and it's also included in the hardtop kit as a manual.
http://www.jayhondaaccessories...p.pdf
EDIT: The pictures are being displayed slightly smaller than I expected. I will fix later.
When the top is scheduled to be delivered, make sure someone is home to check for damage and possibly assist the driver in unloading the box. The box is 115lbs and quite large, so it may be awkward when lifting. Most of the box is empty space, reinforcements, and padding. Of the deliveries I've seen of hardtops on the forums, they come in a pretty large box truck, so make sure you don't live in a small development like me where it takes 30 minutes for the driver to figure out how to leave.
Here's the box right after unloading it from the truck. I made sure to ask the driver what the process is if there is any damage. He gave me his freight company's contact number, insurance number, as well as the sender of the hardtop's number (Hardtopguy).
There were a bunch of footprints and scratch marks all over the top of the box lid. I hope they took this advice.
When I opened the box, I realized that it would take nothing short of a nuclear blast to damage anything inside. It was packed VERY well, so I must thank Honda/Hardtopguy for this. Please note that member Davizzle of http://www.s2ki.com claimed the box, so it's his if he wants it.
Well, let's get on with the install. The first and easiest thing to do was to install the two rubber bumper/stoppers on the little metal tabs of the softop. They just slide right on. Make sure they're put on snugly, so when the top is closed, it doesn't put pressure on the fabric. When the top is fully opened, these rubber stoppers are meant to give cushion to the two halves of the top that fold onto each other. They don't touch currently, even with the hardtop pushing down on it. I guess it doesn't hurt to keep it there.
Next, you want to remove the door sills. I started on the driver's side, but the passenger side is exactly the same. I took pictures of the driver's side process because there is an extra wiring harness for the hardtop defroster system. The door sill is held on by 3 white plastic clips. Just pull up firmly and it will pop out. Make sure you collect the plastic clips if they fall to the ground. They will slide back into the back of the door sill for use again later.
I need to clean under there!
Back to looking at the instructions I printed out from http://www.s2ki.com/forums/ind...10158.
The next step is to remove the rear panel behind the driver's seat. When I slid the seat forward, I noticed some nice treasures. 25 cents for tolls and the comment card from my first HPDE event.
As you can see, the rear panel is held on by 8mm bolts that also have a Phillips screw head. I started with a screwdriver, but it felt as though I may strip the screw. Changed to a 8mm socket and it came right out. After the two "hooks" are removed, the entire panel can pop out. It's held on by a few clips, just stick your fingers under there and pull outward. Please note that the passenger side doesn't have hooks. They have a "blank" that pops out, which then exposes the same 8mm screw/bolt.
Next you want to remove the side panel. This is the next panel you see behind the door sill. The door sill was removed so that you can remove this panel. You will see a single self tapping Phillips screw holding this in place. Unscrew this and this panel also pops out. It's held in by one white retaining clip (same as in the door sill), and a bunch of other clips built into the panel.
This is what the area looks like when the panel is removed.
For some older year S2000s, I believe the next step may be a bit gruesome. I hear that you have to pound some of the inner body panel in so that it follows the curve of the outer frame. I was a bit hesitant on this step, but then I realized that AP2>AP1 and I didn't have to do anything.
For reference, this is what my area looks like.
This is what the S2KI member's car looked like. He had to pound the metal in in the circled area.
My driver's side hardtop catcher fit without any modifications. A trick to mount it is to note that it won't sit flush right away. Don't tighten all the bolts until they are all in evenly. As you tighten each bolt millimeter by millimeter, you'll notice that the catcher will fit perfectly. You will notice a somewhat long wire harness coming from the driver's side catcher. This will be the defroster wiring. On older model S2000's, I believe you plug this directly into the only available 2 pin connector near the bottom of the door area. On mine, I couldn't find any available connectors. Through HT and S2KI, I discovered that I didn't read the instructions carefully enough. With the newer AP2s, the hardtop kit includes a Y connector. You can use this to connect all the wires together. Afterwards, you can use the included cushion tape to arrange the wires behind the panel. I didn't use the tape.
Next step is to replace the stock brushes that are attached to the side panel you just removed. You can see that the brushes are very similar, but the one to the right (supplied in hardtop kit) has a slightly larger opening in the brush area to allow for the hardtop "pin" to go through. The brushes are held on by 2 black self tapping Phillips screws. Very easy. Remove the old one, and put the new one on. At this point, if you have an older S2000, you will want to install the new hardtop strikers. They are included in the kit, if you need them. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures since I didn't use them. If you use the search feature, you will find several how-to's on installing hardtop strikers.
Now remember to do the exact same process on the passenger side. After spending quite a long time carefully figuring out the driver's side, the passenger side only took me ~10 minutes. Finally, let's go ahead and remove the hardtop from the box. Remember to get a helping hand when doing so. Imagine how pissed you would be if you just dropped your $3K hardtop on the concrete! Check again for damages/scratches. I didn't find any. I used the cardboard and bubble wrap that was provided in the box and layed it right down on the driveway.
Straight from Japan? JDM, y0! I see the color code, and some other characters that most likely translate to AP2>AP1.
Test fit it onto the car. This was a bit sketchy, as I was worried that I'd scratch the paint. I put some of the wrapping paper on the rear of the car in case my dad decided to get lazy and drop the top onto the rear deck. I found that this step isn't really necessary, as the top doesn't really get near the area. Additionally, there is a soft rubber pad that will touch the car before the glass does. I tried a few times to get everything aligned, but failed to carefully read the instructions. You must make sure you align and lock the FRONT of the top against the front window first. That will make things much easier. The front catcher/locks are VERY tight (at least mine was). I felt like it would almost snap in my hands before the top would actually lock into place. I'm confident that there will be no leaks.
Who's your daddy? That guy!
I also realized (as per the instructions) that I did not loosen the 4 bolts pictured below. Doing so will allow the entire rear portion of the top to be very loose. That way you can align and adjust the rear of the top against the catcher "hole". The silver bolts are 10mm and the black ones are 14mm.
That black lever is the thing that locks the top into place once it's fully laighned in the catcher "hole." You want to start with the lever toward the
front of the car (unlocked position). As you wiggle the top and get things aligned, you will feel the top "click" into place as you move the lever.
When the top is UNLOCKED and layed on the catcher "hole", it should be ~14mm from the car. When it's locked, it should be about 8mm or so. Many people have said that hardtops usually don't need to be adjusted/aligned at all, and it's perfect right from the box. Unforatunately mine was not. Fortunately, however, now I know how to do it, and it's very easy. Once set, it only takes a couple of minutes (with 2 people) to unlock and remove the top. After the alignment is set, you can go ahead and pop on the two plastic panels that were provided in the hardtop kit. That will cover up the exposed section with the 4 bolts. The panels popped in very easily, but for some reason I could not get the rear to set perfectly. It's hardly noticable so I left it alone. Maybe I'll take care of it another time.
The final two pictures below show the hardtop on and locked. The alignment is still off, as the passenger side was almost 3cm from the car in the locked position. I fixed it shortly afterwards.
One of my co-workers said it now looks like a Miata!
Anyway, I love the way it looks and I can't wait to drive it around when the weather is nicer, and after a fresh wash this weekend. My next step is to remove the windshield tape on the front to expose the Grand Prix White underneath. Hopefully there are no paint issues underneath. I will be waiting until the summertime to complete this, as it's going to be hot, and it should peel easier.
So far my experiences in driving with the new hardtop...
The wind noise is virtually eliminated, however there is more of a "hollow" sound now. I am able to hear the engine and exhaust significantly more. The car stock sounds like my Integra with a 2.36" Apexi World Sport cat-back exhaust. The radio sounds much better probably because the sound can now reflect on something solid. It may not be as noticable with the OEM stereo, but I definitely noticed it with my Alpine system.
At first, I was slightly worried as to how that black plastic piece above the window would look against my all white car. Turns out, that it matches just fine. The inside of the car is dark, and the rear window has some dark accents. This is only my 1st day actually having the top, and the car is spending most of the day in my work's parking lot. There is going to be some light rain today, so hopefully everything works out okay.
In terms of driving, the top does not squeak at all which is great. I don't know if it's a placebo affect, but the car actually feels stiffer! When I'm turning, it almost feels as though I have a stiffer rear sway bar, and the rear may come around easier. I haven't tested this fully yet, but that's a pretty interesting effect I'm feeling. I doubt it's a placebo effect as I didn't expect any changes in handling at all. The extra "stiffness" may actually be there because when I turned into the steep sloped driveway at my girlfriend's, the rear tire actually lifted off the ground mid way turning up! It certainly never did that before. My suspension "mods" simply consist of Espelir ASD springs w/OEM shocks, and a Cusco front strut bar.
Well, that's about it. If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to PM or post it here and I will try my best to answer.
Modified by shamoo at 8:01 AM 3/16/2008
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/ind...10158
The following link was also helpful, and it's also included in the hardtop kit as a manual.
http://www.jayhondaaccessories...p.pdf
EDIT: The pictures are being displayed slightly smaller than I expected. I will fix later.
When the top is scheduled to be delivered, make sure someone is home to check for damage and possibly assist the driver in unloading the box. The box is 115lbs and quite large, so it may be awkward when lifting. Most of the box is empty space, reinforcements, and padding. Of the deliveries I've seen of hardtops on the forums, they come in a pretty large box truck, so make sure you don't live in a small development like me where it takes 30 minutes for the driver to figure out how to leave.
Here's the box right after unloading it from the truck. I made sure to ask the driver what the process is if there is any damage. He gave me his freight company's contact number, insurance number, as well as the sender of the hardtop's number (Hardtopguy).
There were a bunch of footprints and scratch marks all over the top of the box lid. I hope they took this advice.
When I opened the box, I realized that it would take nothing short of a nuclear blast to damage anything inside. It was packed VERY well, so I must thank Honda/Hardtopguy for this. Please note that member Davizzle of http://www.s2ki.com claimed the box, so it's his if he wants it.
Well, let's get on with the install. The first and easiest thing to do was to install the two rubber bumper/stoppers on the little metal tabs of the softop. They just slide right on. Make sure they're put on snugly, so when the top is closed, it doesn't put pressure on the fabric. When the top is fully opened, these rubber stoppers are meant to give cushion to the two halves of the top that fold onto each other. They don't touch currently, even with the hardtop pushing down on it. I guess it doesn't hurt to keep it there.
Next, you want to remove the door sills. I started on the driver's side, but the passenger side is exactly the same. I took pictures of the driver's side process because there is an extra wiring harness for the hardtop defroster system. The door sill is held on by 3 white plastic clips. Just pull up firmly and it will pop out. Make sure you collect the plastic clips if they fall to the ground. They will slide back into the back of the door sill for use again later.
I need to clean under there!
Back to looking at the instructions I printed out from http://www.s2ki.com/forums/ind...10158.
The next step is to remove the rear panel behind the driver's seat. When I slid the seat forward, I noticed some nice treasures. 25 cents for tolls and the comment card from my first HPDE event.
As you can see, the rear panel is held on by 8mm bolts that also have a Phillips screw head. I started with a screwdriver, but it felt as though I may strip the screw. Changed to a 8mm socket and it came right out. After the two "hooks" are removed, the entire panel can pop out. It's held on by a few clips, just stick your fingers under there and pull outward. Please note that the passenger side doesn't have hooks. They have a "blank" that pops out, which then exposes the same 8mm screw/bolt.
Next you want to remove the side panel. This is the next panel you see behind the door sill. The door sill was removed so that you can remove this panel. You will see a single self tapping Phillips screw holding this in place. Unscrew this and this panel also pops out. It's held in by one white retaining clip (same as in the door sill), and a bunch of other clips built into the panel.
This is what the area looks like when the panel is removed.
For some older year S2000s, I believe the next step may be a bit gruesome. I hear that you have to pound some of the inner body panel in so that it follows the curve of the outer frame. I was a bit hesitant on this step, but then I realized that AP2>AP1 and I didn't have to do anything.
For reference, this is what my area looks like.This is what the S2KI member's car looked like. He had to pound the metal in in the circled area.
My driver's side hardtop catcher fit without any modifications. A trick to mount it is to note that it won't sit flush right away. Don't tighten all the bolts until they are all in evenly. As you tighten each bolt millimeter by millimeter, you'll notice that the catcher will fit perfectly. You will notice a somewhat long wire harness coming from the driver's side catcher. This will be the defroster wiring. On older model S2000's, I believe you plug this directly into the only available 2 pin connector near the bottom of the door area. On mine, I couldn't find any available connectors. Through HT and S2KI, I discovered that I didn't read the instructions carefully enough. With the newer AP2s, the hardtop kit includes a Y connector. You can use this to connect all the wires together. Afterwards, you can use the included cushion tape to arrange the wires behind the panel. I didn't use the tape.
Next step is to replace the stock brushes that are attached to the side panel you just removed. You can see that the brushes are very similar, but the one to the right (supplied in hardtop kit) has a slightly larger opening in the brush area to allow for the hardtop "pin" to go through. The brushes are held on by 2 black self tapping Phillips screws. Very easy. Remove the old one, and put the new one on. At this point, if you have an older S2000, you will want to install the new hardtop strikers. They are included in the kit, if you need them. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures since I didn't use them. If you use the search feature, you will find several how-to's on installing hardtop strikers.
Now remember to do the exact same process on the passenger side. After spending quite a long time carefully figuring out the driver's side, the passenger side only took me ~10 minutes. Finally, let's go ahead and remove the hardtop from the box. Remember to get a helping hand when doing so. Imagine how pissed you would be if you just dropped your $3K hardtop on the concrete! Check again for damages/scratches. I didn't find any. I used the cardboard and bubble wrap that was provided in the box and layed it right down on the driveway.
Straight from Japan? JDM, y0! I see the color code, and some other characters that most likely translate to AP2>AP1.
Test fit it onto the car. This was a bit sketchy, as I was worried that I'd scratch the paint. I put some of the wrapping paper on the rear of the car in case my dad decided to get lazy and drop the top onto the rear deck. I found that this step isn't really necessary, as the top doesn't really get near the area. Additionally, there is a soft rubber pad that will touch the car before the glass does. I tried a few times to get everything aligned, but failed to carefully read the instructions. You must make sure you align and lock the FRONT of the top against the front window first. That will make things much easier. The front catcher/locks are VERY tight (at least mine was). I felt like it would almost snap in my hands before the top would actually lock into place. I'm confident that there will be no leaks.
Who's your daddy? That guy!
I also realized (as per the instructions
) that I did not loosen the 4 bolts pictured below. Doing so will allow the entire rear portion of the top to be very loose. That way you can align and adjust the rear of the top against the catcher "hole". The silver bolts are 10mm and the black ones are 14mm. That black lever is the thing that locks the top into place once it's fully laighned in the catcher "hole." You want to start with the lever toward the
front of the car (unlocked position). As you wiggle the top and get things aligned, you will feel the top "click" into place as you move the lever.
When the top is UNLOCKED and layed on the catcher "hole", it should be ~14mm from the car. When it's locked, it should be about 8mm or so. Many people have said that hardtops usually don't need to be adjusted/aligned at all, and it's perfect right from the box. Unforatunately mine was not. Fortunately, however, now I know how to do it, and it's very easy. Once set, it only takes a couple of minutes (with 2 people) to unlock and remove the top. After the alignment is set, you can go ahead and pop on the two plastic panels that were provided in the hardtop kit. That will cover up the exposed section with the 4 bolts. The panels popped in very easily, but for some reason I could not get the rear to set perfectly. It's hardly noticable so I left it alone. Maybe I'll take care of it another time.
The final two pictures below show the hardtop on and locked. The alignment is still off, as the passenger side was almost 3cm from the car in the locked position. I fixed it shortly afterwards.
One of my co-workers said it now looks like a Miata!
Anyway, I love the way it looks and I can't wait to drive it around when the weather is nicer, and after a fresh wash this weekend. My next step is to remove the windshield tape on the front to expose the Grand Prix White underneath. Hopefully there are no paint issues underneath. I will be waiting until the summertime to complete this, as it's going to be hot, and it should peel easier.So far my experiences in driving with the new hardtop...
The wind noise is virtually eliminated, however there is more of a "hollow" sound now. I am able to hear the engine and exhaust significantly more. The car stock sounds like my Integra with a 2.36" Apexi World Sport cat-back exhaust. The radio sounds much better probably because the sound can now reflect on something solid. It may not be as noticable with the OEM stereo, but I definitely noticed it with my Alpine system.
At first, I was slightly worried as to how that black plastic piece above the window would look against my all white car. Turns out, that it matches just fine. The inside of the car is dark, and the rear window has some dark accents. This is only my 1st day actually having the top, and the car is spending most of the day in my work's parking lot. There is going to be some light rain today, so hopefully everything works out okay.
In terms of driving, the top does not squeak at all which is great. I don't know if it's a placebo affect, but the car actually feels stiffer! When I'm turning, it almost feels as though I have a stiffer rear sway bar, and the rear may come around easier. I haven't tested this fully yet, but that's a pretty interesting effect I'm feeling. I doubt it's a placebo effect as I didn't expect any changes in handling at all. The extra "stiffness" may actually be there because when I turned into the steep sloped driveway at my girlfriend's, the rear tire actually lifted off the ground mid way turning up! It certainly never did that before. My suspension "mods" simply consist of Espelir ASD springs w/OEM shocks, and a Cusco front strut bar.
Well, that's about it. If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to PM or post it here and I will try my best to answer.
Modified by shamoo at 8:01 AM 3/16/2008
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07-15-2010, 11:45 AM
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07-07-2012, 04:00 PM
#17
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Re: Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
Haha yeah, I'm at work and came across this thread via google and bumpped it so I could check it out when I get home to install my new Mugen CF hardtop that came in this morning
NOOOOO!!! You can't see them either? I thought I couldn't see them cause my work does block pics.. Anyone have a better writeup? I would check s2ki but that site is blocked at work..
NOOOOO!!! You can't see them either? I thought I couldn't see them cause my work does block pics.. Anyone have a better writeup? I would check s2ki but that site is blocked at work..
07-10-2012, 03:30 PM
#18
Will you make something up for me please?
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Re: Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
Wow, well this one is an old one. Unfortunately, I no longer have pictures for this. I can however, answer pretty much any question you have. I think I remember everything even though it was ~5 years ago.
07-13-2012, 05:07 PM
#19
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Re: Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
^Perfect, thank you! Where does the weather stripping go? I know which ones are obviously the side window weather striping but what about the front and back? I got a coiled up string of thick strip and a coiled up string of skinny strip. Which goes on front and which goes on back?
And where can I get replacement strips? I already have been taking mine on and off cause I can't figure it out..
And where can I get replacement strips? I already have been taking mine on and off cause I can't figure it out..
07-20-2012, 06:07 PM
#20
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Re: Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
Wish someone would have told me how the weather stripping went. Had to find out the hard way..
But the top is f*kin sexy!
But the top is f*kin sexy!
07-24-2012, 12:11 PM
#21
Will you make something up for me please?
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Re: Hardtop Install (w/Pictures)
^Perfect, thank you! Where does the weather stripping go? I know which ones are obviously the side window weather striping but what about the front and back? I got a coiled up string of thick strip and a coiled up string of skinny strip. Which goes on front and which goes on back?
And where can I get replacement strips? I already have been taking mine on and off cause I can't figure it out..
And where can I get replacement strips? I already have been taking mine on and off cause I can't figure it out..
I only installed the side brushes, the rear plastic panels on the left/right side of the hardtop, and that's it. Everything else was done on the actual car and making sure everything was aligned.
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