Choice of Top/Hood?

My 70 B came with a later style convertable top, one that bolts to the inside of the cockpit surround. I have the opportunity to trade and/or spend little bucks, to get the correct convertable frame for my year, a fold away packable. I'm somewhat intrigued about the orginal one I can remove from the car, I think the car looks cleaner w/o the top and frame and I also like the idea of keeping the car true to it's year. But is the later style top more user friendly or comfortable? I don't know.

Either way, I need to buy new canvas. If you had the choice which would you choose?

I think I'm gonna use the stowaway on my 79, but then I'm not mr original. I hear you can't get a zipout rear window for the packaway top though

I need to check but I think that by '70 all top frames were foldable (i.e., permanently attached to sides of car)...packaways had gone away by then....you're on the edge of the scissors top frame to Michelotti top frame changeover point

Accually the folding sissor frame was an option for 70 MGB's. 70 was the first year it was offered.

Thanks guys, but which one would you suggest? I do like the idea of a zip out window. I would rather have that than a stowable top.

Tony: I was reading my Brooklands reprint the other day (I must have read that thing dozens of times by now) and I believe there was a test of a 1970 model with the pack-away. The reviewer complained about it of course. Also, the scissor folding top was an option for many years before the advent of the Michelotti top. There was a test of a MkI that showed both types.
John: My 69B came with a Michelotti top. It is definately easier to use in some respects, and by now most have had a zip out window type top installed on them.
That said, I converted mine back to a packaway this year. It looks way better when removed and I like the extra room. After some practice one gets pretty adept at erecting the frame, and it takes only a few minutes longer than the folding top. I usually drive with the top down to and from work unless it is raining, and I use a cockpit cover when it is parked.
I bought my top from the Little British Car Company. It has a zip out window. The price was good, but I would rate the quality as nice, but not spectacular. The windows are made of a new style plastic which is suppose dto be better, but is much thinner than the old style I was used to on the many AMCO tops I have had, and the rear window is smaller in the vertical dimension than the AMCO top for some strange reason. It doesnt affect visibility out, but it does look different.

If that's what you want do it. I like the stowaway top myself, but that's me.

I also have changed to the stowaway on my '79. Retro back to my youth I guess. But I believe you can have it both ways with a little work. Some owners have altered the three screw fixings area (Michelotti style) so that it plugs into the tonneau supports instead. Folded the top will drop behind the seats or if unplugged still fit into the boot.

Yep, it's just a matter of personal preference. I've got a later-model (Michelotti) fold-down with zip-out window on my 66B. The zip-out window is a real benefit if you do a lot of long trips in the hot sun.

Every once in a while I toy with the idea of switching to the stowaway, for all the reasons mentioned. But having just driven on a couple of occasions when I had to put the top up in a hurry (i.e., sudden driving rain), there's no question you can get the Michelotti top up faster, at least to the point where the cockpit is covered (rear anchor points and top rail secured.)

You CAN get a stowaway hood with a zip-out window, by the way, although you may have to special-order it.

In short, it all depends on how you use your car. If it's never out in the rain much, the stoway top is great, and gives you much more room for stowage behind the seats.

Tom,
Are you sure that '70 was the first year the scissor frame was offered? My '69 had one when I got it....

John, I put a Michelotti on my car, and I think it's much better than the scissor type. The zipped rear window is wonderful on those days when it's too hot to put the top down! That combo gets my vote.

So that I'm clear here, the "Michelotti" is the frame that bolts to the cockpit surround, correct?

In regards to use, I plan on driving it as much as possible, but I have my LR for rainy days or days when I need AC. I will store the car during the New England winter!

John,
There are three types of frames that were used: the packaway, the "optional folding", and the Michelotti. The optional folding and the Michelotti are both screwed to the car body. The optional folding was only used for a few years, though, and was replaced by the Michelotti -- which was used from ~'71 through '80. The Michelotti was black, whereas the optional folding was gray.... If you look in the VB catalogue, there is a pretty good illustration of all three styles (and if you don't have a VB catalogue, let me know and I'll send you a scan...)

HTH!

No I'm not sure about when BL did anything. They were subject to use what they had when they ran out of something. I once had an MGB brought by the original owner that they painted his engine Austine Green. He told me it was that color when he bought it. I guess they ran out of red that day.

Thanks Rob and all, I will continue to give it more, thought. As much as I like the idea of a completely removable top. The Micholetti seema much more substancial. I also consider the zippered window a must. I'm a red head with fair skin, and can only take sooo much topless driving! However, my car also has a Parrish hard top, so it would be nice to remove the canvas when it's in use.

Oh, decisions...

The works hartops fit with the Michellotti top frames. I don't know about Parish.

Well, the zipout window only works with Michelotti frames...they're the only ones with a frame rail to which the top can be permanently affixed to keep it from billowing...