Topic

I'm thinking about storing my hardtop in its storage bag by hanging it from the garage rafters by the storage bag handles due to a lack of any other suitable option. It's a flat roof garage and I would fit hanging hooks screwed into the bottom of the rafters as the roof has a plaster board ceiling. So has anybody any experience of this or anything similar?

Before replaced the headlining I made & fitted screwed inserts into the hard top, a little like brass “T” nuts. These take screw eyes so when I’m stowing the h/t I clip carabiners on which then link to a pulley & block system. To remote h/t I reverse the car into the garage, aligning it with predetermined markers, remove the insert blankers, screw in the eyes, clip on the carabiners, unclip the latches & pull it up via the rope work into the roof space.
To replace it is, as Mr Haynes would say, is the reverse of removing it. No more than five minutes, single handed & no scratches.

Thank you for your reply I had thought of a similar idea with a rope and pulley system. Is there any chance of sending some photos of your system?

I’m not sure these photographs will convey the effectiveness of the system nor am I sure how they will appear on a web page; I have used my ‘phone throughout If they can decipher my text someone better versed than I in fineries of mechanical advantage & velocity ratio will in all probability uncover the networks deficiencies.
My findings however might help & if there were to be a second iteration fresh thinking in certain areas would be considered & implemented.
I had some blocks in stock & so having guessed at what I needed, bought the remainder.
Lesson one, use larger pulleys.
Lesson two use one more pulley in each sheive.
Lesson three, although I’ve created a becket* on my double block by using a cable tie, a triple block with an integral becket would be better.
Lesson four, get sufficient cord. The bits of chain used on the screw eyes are there because I ran out of cordage. In their defence they have been useful for fine tuning heights.
* a becket is the loop on the bottom of a sheive opposite to the main loop tie off. These are very useful tie points at the start of a rig.
The lift is in two stages, having unlatched & unplugged. The first stage takes the top clear of the car, then the front & back rigs are made of on the top wall mounted rail, a second double pulley, which is already on the rope work, is then drawn down & clipped to the lower rail, by doing this the roof is finally lifted to its full hight.
As I have said I can accomplish the operation solo although my wife is usually on hand should it be required.
Any attempt at recreating my system would not be recommended as each installation is room dependant however it might inspire you to look further into the idea.

That’s useful the bloody picture have cleared off. Let’s try again.















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Shit & derision! I’m sorry folks that’s a first class example of second class abilities.
Can I ask one of the moderators to hack off those pictures that are redundant or deleted the whole lot & I’ll try again.
Mike.

Good morning Mike
They are great photos and I can see completely how it all works don't underate yourself😉. I really appreciate all your help👍.
P.s it's nice to know someone else has a garage as full as mine.

It is only when someone comments on how busy the garage is that I notice. There is other storage behind me, a second garage, a storage shed & then the workshop. This is not a brag, it’s a reflection of how poor I am at disposing of stuff. The boxes marked “Land Rover used but just about OK” should be marked “Chuck!”
Does anyone else share this disorder?

Oh, yes, I know the feeling of boxes of so important stuff which has been with me for longer than my two sons who are in their 30s now. It is almost a part of the family now, and can't bring myself to getting rid of any of it. You probably know the satisfaction you feel when you say I got something that will do in a box, however, it takes ages to find it, and by then you forgot why you wanted it. Still, shows we were keen recyclers even before it was fashionable.