Security options for a soft top - fiberglass lid?

[paulv]

Looking at buying a soft top sierra. early 90's

Not to many hard tops available in SA.
There are some soft tops advertised right now though.

What do people with soft tops do security wise?
not worried about someone nicking the car, I have to leave my laptop, and other work tools in it while it is parked in city at night time.

Actually, I would probably have stuff that is pretty portable and hence "nickable" either on the passenger seat, or in the back all the time.

hmmm.

Is a an aftermarket fiberglass top the best option?

Rang Carryboy. Salesperson/customer service dude said they only make and stock for cars built after 2003
Flexiglass thought they might have once, but nothing stocked now..

Are there other ways of resolving this?
Thoughts? Comments?

[nick.gooding]

you could do what im going to do
which is take my back seat out and get a tool box from bunnings ($60 for a 60 litre tool box)
and drill holes in the tool box and use the bolts from the back seat to bolt it down so they carnt take the hole box. and then just paddlock it. but you can get fiberglass tops for them but there expensive

[paulv]

Right.

Wonder if there is a room behind the seats to bolt in a box?
removing the seats would be a bit of a shame.

Have followed up ARB for a cannopy.
They never made one.

It appears Flexiglass were the only people that made them..
The person I spoke to at Flexiglass doesn't think they stock them anymore..

[topdown]

You could get a pretty skinny lockable box behind the back seats.
Or maybe a custom one that goes under the front passenger
like a slide out tray big enough for a laptop.
It's probably the best option.

For security I just leave my soft top unlocked with the glove box open.
I got sick of junkies slashing it to get in.

[mike_nofx]

I doubt you will ever get any real security from a sierra. Even if you fit a bulletproof kryptonite canopy, even the most amatuer theif with a coat hanger/packing tape/paddlepop stick will have a door open in 4.5 seconds. Especially if a laptop is on the passenger seat.

but i agree with nick, a decent quality solid toolbox bolted down and padlocked would be the best bet.

Mike

[nick.gooding]

yeah i was thinking of doing the same behind my seats
you can also take the back door trim off and make a fold down piece of metal that could fold down on top of a box which could lock. and then use it as a table when your back door opens
hard to explain
but works just not as secure.

[paulv]

make a fold down piece of metal that could fold down on top of a box which could lock. and then use it as a table when your back door opens

That sounds interesting. I like inventive stuff like that.
Would be interesting to see a pic if anyone has ever done it.

[Santos]

my suggestion is the solution i've always keep thinking about but never do

'get some boot space under this hood'

basically you have heaps a room from the the exhaust to the passanger side front clip. Fold up some sheetmetal and you
would have plenty of storage space

then just be a bit sensible a bout loading unloading, like park pop the bonnet calmly bring you laptop round while you have a big water jerry (like the ones at coles/woolies), put the laptop down in the engine bay, fill you the windscreen washer fluid, fcheck you oil, fuss over your cables close the hood, put the water back in the car. Dont bother looking around or checking for people you will just drawattention.

If you do this casually enough no one will give i a second thought. It also help if you valuables are crummy old oil stained bags (having one as an outer lining) If it looks valuable your morelikely
(and locking up is overated, anyone who frequents surry hills is familiar with the smashed windows that regualarly line its streets)

More space could be made by relocating the stock airfilter box so you can use the driver side too (or replacing it with a vitara carb airbox which sits flat on top of the carb)

just some ideas, soft tops are great with the top off (shme no one ever produced a collapsable fiberglass top)

[foonji]

Im in the same predicament, i carry around $20k+ of photographic equipment and laptop and need a place to secure it...

i decided i'll go with the 'toolbox' option as I don't have rear seats, have been looking at this style box from diamond T http://www.diamondtproducts.com/product ... &priorID=6 but needs to be custom made smaller to fit into a zuk... havent been able to find a metal fabricator that will do it cheaper than what diamond T offer them for...

The other option I thought of is getting one of those ute hard tops made up for the rear and sealing it up... making it like a ute tray that is lockable... but a bit more expensive and some welding and such needed to seal up the between the front and rear.

[paulv]

Are you meaning seal up the back bit independently?

You would need to mount some sort of glass or plexy behind the front seats.
And you would of course be sacrificing the rear seats.


hmmm.

Sounding like the best option is to keep hunting for a hard top.
There just doesn't seem to be as many of them around, whilst the soft tops are quite a bit more plentiful.

Understand it is still pretty easy to open a locked front door on a hard top with a steel ruler with a notch cut out of it, (I worked for an RAA contractor for a while) never the less, they just "feel" more secure.

[nick.gooding]

hard tops look for secure as well but i have unlocked my doors on my soft top before just to see how easy it would be and it wasnt to hard

but you could most probably fit a custome made one up behind the back seats
but i like santos's idea
you would need to get a water Hmm one and need it to be heat proof i would say because of having a lap top in there.
ill see if i can draw up a picture of wat i mean with the fold down rear door

[spamwell]

with your kind of stuff i would be looking into tinted windows even if you find a hardtop so nobody knows whats in there.

[Eff]

I would try to make the storage as hidden as possible. Thieves are scum that will slash seats, smash speakers and just make a mess of things if they are not successful. So maybe the idea of keeping the lock up storage out of sight like in the back of the rear seats or engine bay would be best.

Anyone been successful in making a false floor for a zook?? Possibly with the rear seats still in the back.

Eff

[Jacked]

hide stuff inside your rear door??

[topdown]

What if you made a fake lockable Jerry can that can hold a few things and bolt it to the back of the tray. Then you could also use it to transport contraband across the border. Nice.

[Jacked]

What if you made a fake lockable Jerry can that can hold a few things and bolt it to the back of the tray. Then you could also use it to transport contraband across the border. Nice.

Would be better if you could still half fill it with fuel so it looked and smelled full

[Santos]

What if you made a fake lockable Jerry can that can hold a few things and bolt it to the back of the tray. Then you could also use it to transport contraband across the border. Nice.

lol, i didnt want any one stealing my jerry but now the cats out ogf the bag the battery works too..