I am looking for a new roof for my mk1, I have been offered a mohair one with frame and glass window for £250. It is in mint condition, described ‘as new’. Is it worth that money? If not, who in Northern Ireland sells or fits them?
Hi hopefully Steven McKnight will respond to this he is one of the ACs and can supply and fit hoods.
Hi yes 250 is a good price. I recently got one in mint condition for a bit less. However the frame is not in as good a condition as the one currently on my car. So I will have to swop the hoods over. As for fitting I intend to do this myself - haven’t done it before! Having done my research I dont think it is too difficult to do, it will just take time.
However first the car is booked in for some minor tidy up of the paintwork towards the end of April. After that the hood is next on the list and when it is off the car I will take the opportunity to cavity wax the inside of the rear sills and wheel arches. Probably be sometime in May.
Will let you know how I get on.
Davrian6
Hi,
Yes £250 is a good price for a Mohair hood with glass window. It will be even better value if it has come off a MK2. The MK2 frame it is a much better job as there are helper springs to help the glass window fold down properly. Otherwise if a glass window has been fitted to a MK1 frame an additional kit should have been fitted which will help the rear bow to move back as the roof is lowered. This allows the glass window to fold down. The MK1 and Mk2 hood frames are interchangeable and are exactly the same apart from the springs and shorter tension cables.
If you do fit a different frame and hood to your car it is better to also change over the window rubbers from the old frame, as over time they will have worn and become shaped better to fit your existing car. If you don’t do this you will sometimes get water leaks.
The other thing to bear in mind is the “rain rail”. On a MK1 it will have become very brittle (The Mk2 rainrail is made of a more flexible material and doesn’t have the same problem) and will often crack and break when you try and remove it. It can be repaired quite successfully using Duck tape to make it watertight again.
For anyone else that may be interested - I can supply and fit good quality Vinyl Hoods from £250, £350 for Mohair with vinyl or £495 for a Mohair with Glass window.
Steven
I got a Black Mohair complete mk1 hood with plastic window for £50 last october in better condition than my vinyl hood.It was advertised on flea bay for £150 so i rang him up & offered him £50 he acceptedit so i was off for a sunny hood down drive to York & it was worth the 140 mile round trip. Iwas well pleased.
That was a good deal but just a little bit too far to travel from Northern Ireland 
Thanks for all the advise. I have bought the Hood for £170, It is as new, mohair with a glass window and came complete with frame and window rubbers. Steven I have a have a mk2 hood (hood torn) and frame along with the rainrail etc, would the mk2 rainrail work with a mk1 roof?
Matthew
Matthew,
Yes the MK2 rainrail will be a direct swap for the MK1. The main difference is the MK2 railrails are not as brittle and are made of a more flexible plastic/rubber material. If the railrail is still riveted to the old hood, carefully drill out the rivets and transfer it across. No need to re-rivet it to the replacement hood, as the bolts will hold it in place. Some folks seal up the rivet holes with tape or silicone sealant but I have never found it necessary. Its usually easier and less likely to damage the rainrail if you fit it to the car before fitting the hood. Don’t forget the hood fits between the railrail (i.e. into the u channel), I have seen a few where the hood has been fitted to the outside of the rail.
Any finally leave the three bolts loose on each side of the hood frame where it bolts to the B pillar,until the hood is in place and is closed clamped shut. Only then tighten the bolts in order to ensure it is properly lined up.
Don’t forget when you have the old hood off the car, that is the best time to clean out the drain holes and drain trays.
Have fun, take your time and feel free to give me a shout if you need any any further advice.
Steven