I just purchased an 02 s2k with a factory hard top. I need to find a way to store the top in my garage. I like to hoist it up into the rafters and I have done that before with canoes and kayaks using a harken hoist. I'm interested in any solutions you all have worked out. One concern is that I want to be sure not to do any damage to the headliner.

Your solutions? Pictures?

Here is a shot of my car:

 

I built one of the PVC hardtop stands using this thread:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/534...d-it-yourself/

 

Thanks for that link. Something to consider for sure. Does anyone use a hoist? Does anyone have a hoist that will not compress rubber seals?

 

Fairly hard to not compress the gaskets when suspending the top. Applying foam pieces to the straps or hooks would help. Personally I use a factory hardtop stand in combination with a lift. Once the top is up I then lower it onto a rubber mat and then transfer it to a stand so any compression of the rubber is minimized.
This site has a stand and a lift that will work to duplicate my procedure, or modify the straps by adding thick foam and leave the top suspended in the air.

http://www.roadstersolutions.com/page86.html

 

Here is the setup I used for a couple of years when I had a very small garage. It worked well to remove and install the HT by myself. It only took a few minutes to do either.


https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/678..._hardtop+hoist

 

+1 Except I had my engineering savvy friend do it for me. I just shopped for the parts, and gave him $100 to piece and glue it together. In the end I could have probably done it by myself though.

Nearly four years now since it was built and it is still holding up well. If I could do it over again, I may have purchased the OEM stand if I could have gotten it for ~$300 or less. But new I think it is between $400-$500 if they still sell it. The PVC one will do though and it is nearly an exact replica of the OEM one, except that it is from PVC piping. Most all of the other aftermarket stands I don't trust, because they have the glass facing the ground which isn't a good idea. Notice the OEM stand and replica from PVC piping allow the glass piece to stay facing the top which is safer.
For example this lesser expensive stand that Vanishing Point listed. Seems good at first glance, until you notice the glass is facing down at the ground. I've heard of the glass braking this way, and also note that he listed he has the factory stand, not the one in the link.

The hoists from that link may be good though!

http://www.roadsters...com/page86.html

Originally I wanted a hoist system as the owner before me had in his garage, but I was just too nervous with my ~$3,000 valued hardtop. Many others have done it successfully, so it can certainly be done as evident from the previous owner of my ap1 for example as well as Vanishing Point, without incident.

Again instead of an aftermarket stand, if you do not want to spend the money on the OEM stand do the PVC piping diy (building it correctly of course and with good pvc piping), and it should be nearly as safe as the factory OEM stand and certainly safer than the aftermarkets.
Note: That's why I had my engineering savvy friend build it, though it really isn't all that difficult.

https://www.s2ki.com/...ld-it-yourself/

 

I ended up cobbling together a harken hoist and the cross bar from that Roadsters Solutions link above to make a really good functional hoist for my top. There is no gasket compression issue. The connections do not touch the gaskets. Maybe just a tad on the rear window connection - but not an issue. The harken hoist is an excellent hoist. It isn't cheap. But a dropped hard top is not cheap either. The harken hoist has a built in brake that works very well to prevent the top from lowering unless you make a conscious decision to lower it and then it goes down with ease and under control - it will stop instantly if you drop the line or something.

If I had it to do over again I would skip the Roadsters Solution cross bar and make a cross bar out of PVC pipe for the front of the top. Just cut it a bit wider than the top and bolt an eye of some kind near the ends. Then attach the harken hoist lines to snap hooks to attached to the eyes. That would work well and it would save money. But I would definitely recommend using a harken hoist.

 

Any pics? I'm interested in doing this ....

 

I'll try to put some pics up in the next few days.