No need to apologize! It’s your passion and enthusiasm that’s keepin the Sols alive. Without a doubt, the community appreciates everything you guys have done thus far 🙏

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words! 😊 ya'll keep this ship floating - I'm "attempting" to steer haha

Thank you for being so transparent with all this. Everything has hurdles and is completely understandable. All this will lead to a phenomenal product and the wait will be totally worth it‼️

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Cheers to that! It will be awesome - no doubt

It really is a big project. I’m glad you’re sticking with it. The originals were pretty exclusive and it probably will be the same with these, and that’s okay. Looking forward to the end result!🤙

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Appreciate it dude

I appreciate the update, and I’m sure it’s understood that this will be a novelty item. That being said I’m sure most people know it will be expensive. Non the less I’m stoked for them to be released!

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

We are going to do our best on the pricing - no doubt about that

Dude, thanks for the update. Your passion and transparency is legendary. Good luck my man.

Thanks for the update! We're patient, and I'll put it on a credit card whenever it's ready lol, we understand the value of the cost.

Very interesting to know deeper into the process. I'm only so eager to know when they'll be done, because I don't want to miss out when you do finally nail it! They're gonna be great. Good luck!

Getting stuff made is super hard man! Thanks for the hard work

You have the support my guy, we will get ya across the finish line with this project. hang in there.

That sucks they put you through the ringer like that man. Good on you for keep on keepin' on tho. Price dont matter, everything is expensive now. As long as you keep your high standards it'll turn out high quality and worth every penny.

Since you have the tools and molds. Have you looked into having them 3d scanned, and reverse engineered in computer. You then would be able to use the computer scan, and add to where the tools and molding are worn down to make new tools and molds. Any failure means one stop closer to success!!! Always here is any help can be given!!! Price is price! People do 10k motor swap and builds. Make then and people will buy!!

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

3D scanner .... check ... I'll add it to the list

@cstmwrk

8 ай бұрын

@@OldSols not for you to buy lol, check around your area or big city near you. There are plenty of small people trying to get customers that have the scanner, and 3d printer or cnc machines

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

@@cstmwrk good tip!

Thanks for putting this story thus far into a digestible video, and we appreciate you keeping this project going forward. The Sun top would have indefinitely died if you guys hadn't jumped on it.

Thank you for the update. I feel your pain. Keep up the great work.

Lets go dude!!

❤One they are in production, I'll be on that list!!

I’m commenting before I watch… but I can’t wait

You're doing great work man. dont give up

A long process im sure will be worth it ❤

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Very much so!

it will be so sick when you cross this finish line

Mike Patey is a incredible engineer. You have to talk to him! He designs and builds airplanes from scratch. Super hyper energy and commitment t I helping people. He works with all kinds of marerials

Wow I had no idea the trouble this would cause ever since I contacted you on Reddit about the original molds. I'm glad your still every bit as passionate about this project tho. . My big take away from this video manufacturing and design is no joke. I had a random idea. Ive been playing with resin 3d printing its easier to get accurate prints than my spool printer and they have some awesome clear tinted and durable resins on the market. All it uses is a light source to cure the resin as it prints. Perhaps with a 3d scan of the outer cover and a larger size resin printer you could print these? You could even reinforce the print with a acrylic coating found like on those acrylic table projects for added durability and scratch resistant properties? I know that would be alot if work but potentially it could lead you into one day manufacturing them yourselves instead of going to a outside manufacturing business that wastes your money

I mean Miata hard tops cost more then the cars now so if you can make them for $4k or under I’ll take 2. Keep the work up and they’ll come out when they come out. Even if you gotta make a hundred for the first batch and we’ll fight over them. Then once you got all the money from those sales make some more. The cars are rare enough as it is, we will paying anything and wait for however long is needed.

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the vote of confidence! It's much appreciated. I hope they are nowhere close to $4k! 😳

@grapeinmouth5634

8 ай бұрын

@@OldSols even if they end up that way, they will sell out 100000%.

You are a trooper! I would have given up by now. Thank you!

I work at a automotive glass factory.... if it wouldn't cost so much to do and get started it would be worth a try doing a sag bend glass or press bend glass... but that would be one of those contract things where so many would have to be made every so often and it would cost way to much. We make glass for ford, Nissan, and several others. So it would be on a large scale like those.

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Yeah, that sounds like a cool job man! You are also correct in that scaling isn't really on our side being so niche of a community. Where we are looking to right now is drapeforming the plastic manually by hand 😮‍💨

@anthonydellacroce3447

8 ай бұрын

@OldSols that is the way i was thinking. Or place it on a mold and heat it letting it form.

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

@anthonydellacroce3447 yepp - the drapeforming was specifically mentioned but that not alot of manufacturers even consider it because of the manual labor aspect

Have you tried getting ahold of John from Ameripol and asking who he had make the top part? Also the samples the engineers sent you had wicked hard 90 degree curves. You might not get spider cracks on the ameripol top

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

Yes, you are correct in what you say. The company couldn't guarantee results and it was ALOT of cash for aluminum molds to "fuck around and find out"

@dereksmith1726

8 ай бұрын

@@OldSols yeah I see what ya mean. that would have been a massive risk. Thanks for everything you’ve done so far. I can imagine what a headache it’s been

One will be sold to me when done. Count that

I realize I'm late to the party, you may have made them and sold out by now, but have you considered making the clear part out of clear durable epoxy resin, in a simple squish mold that mimics the factory top?

@OldSols

Ай бұрын

all good - we got it figured out!

What’s the word, 2024 are we getting suntops?

It’s prolly a dumb question but have you tried contacting someone who worked at ameripol and might know what machining or tooling they used then?

@OldSols

8 ай бұрын

not a dumb question - we have and no dice - and we have the tooling and molds from ameripol but sadly they are too worn from years of tops being made and are no longer functional

@dereksmith1726

8 ай бұрын

@@OldSols I feel like this path might be worth trying again. If you can find where the old business address was and start probing around somebody has gotta know somebody who knows johns phone number.

Are you guys willing to sell the inner frame portion in carbon by itself at this point?

@OldSols

5 ай бұрын

Yeah - we can do that now - hit us up on IG or Facebook

Will it work with transtop models?

Hello, I have been on the look for a Ameripol targa too please Lmk if you find one for sale

Can someone please explain to me am I missing something here. I'm not trying to be mean or anything I'm just trying to understand. In the first video he said he had the molds from Ameripol and it took him 9 months to make one. I don't understand why he went through another company using different methods of molds when he already has the molds. And already owns the rights to all the techniques of making this. Why would he attempt to use the vacuum technique or the aluminum technique. Is this reason only because he wanted the rain gutters? And if so why not just put the rain gutters into the original molds and re-gelcoat them? Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about? I work with fiberglass and do body work as well. Just trying to understand.

@OldSols

2 ай бұрын

There was alot of confusion up front about the technique needed to produce said tops and the molds vary from technique to technique so we went around and around until we were able to hone into the proper mold for the specific technique. We did finally figure it out though 👍

@OldSols

2 ай бұрын

Also the molds from ameripol went to shit. Unusable now. Cost alot. Comapnies dont like 1 offs .. they want mass production of 1000s of units. It was difficult to find the correct sized manufacturer for our needs

@LoseYourselfForJesus1234

2 ай бұрын

​@@OldSolsWow awesome! Wasn't expecting you yourself to reply. I totally understand and get exactly what your saying. Do you have any ideas when they will be available? I noticed on your site it says you're in production for 2023. I'm interested but also thinking I might make my own for myself as I know how to do stuff like this and love learning new things. But I might decide not to make my own and buy one of yours. Not sure what I'm going to do now. 🤷 Thanks again for your reply!

@OldSols

2 ай бұрын

@LoseYourselfForJesus we actually found a new manufacturer early this year - in February. Currently in production. Every expensive small runs right now. Still shooting for this year. We should update our site though 😅

@LoseYourselfForJesus1234

2 ай бұрын

@@OldSols "Every expensive small runs right now" must be a typo I don't understand lol. An update on the website would be awesome. I appreciate your time and answers again thank you!

Bump