What roof is most popular

[diffwhine]

Currently mulling over how best to sell two vehicles. One is a 1959 S2 88 Pickup in kit form and one is a 1973 88 Series 3 which we will rebuild properly. Both are petrol.

I have a collection of hard tops, pickup cabs and soft top kits and I'm not sure what works best from the point of view of being most popular for sale. I thought of running a poll here to discuss.

With the Series 2, it has always been a pickup. Its in white and for pretty much all of its life, its been a recovery truck, so logically its best to keep it original given its used and abused look. The question is though - for selling it, would a hard top or a soft top better?

For the Series 3, its a bog standard hard top with rear side windows. My original plan was to rebuild it and then pimp it up a bit with new seats, interior, door cards and so on and sell as a soft top runabout toy. Then I thought that perhaps  it might be better to sell it as a pickup or a hard top with full length rear door.

I can't decide. Both need to go, but what sort of roofs (on 2 potentially rebuilt vehicles) would work best for a selling perspective?

[autorover1]

You could offer them for sale with an option on the roof.  My local dealer back in the day would order Land Rovers with tilts, but fit a hard top instead if that was what the buyer wanted

[Mycroft]

From an eBay, auction and FB marketplace perspective (I monitor all 3 actively and have done for a few years now), my observation, is that decent soft tops and station wagons sell more often and for higher money. The relisted, disappointed and overly ambitious tend to be hard tops, especially windowed with non-SW sides. Ratty tilts hang around longer too it seems. This may change if this year's weather is now permanent!

[Myles (Mr Fox) Davison]

Personal preference, but when I was on the lengthy lookout for my S2 (lengthy because very little comes up for sale in Scotland), a tropical or SW roof was on my wish list for looks and practicality (physical security and weatherproofing/lack of maintenance given mine lives outside).

Having lived with the tropical roof for the last 8(?) years, if I had to replace the vehicle, I'd still want one even though I should hopefully be blue to garage the vehicle soon.

[Adam1958]

If you do swap the roof on the pick up, I'm in the market for a truck cab rear panel, (well, actually just the glass and latches, but will happily buy the whole assembly if need be.) not in any kind of rush at all, it's a job for the winter when I plan to repaint a few bits.

[Exile]

Everyone will have a different favourite.


Personally, I would follow Autorover's suggestion and offer them for sale with buyer's choice of top.

[diffwhine]

Thanks all,
Autorover's suggestion for the Series 3 makes good sense, so will run with that. I think with the Series 2, it should remain as a pickup and let any future owner change it if they feel the need. Personally I like it with so much local history.

Adam1958, I think I will sell the truck cab off the Series 3 as a complete assembly. The roof is almost prefect with only a few minor small dents/bows and the back section is also very good. Even the paintwork is acceptable (DBG). Given that truck cabs without dents and no holes are quite desirable, I think I'll sell as a complete unit.

[Gareth]

After I sold the restored 88", with a meticulously revived sign written hard top with period phone number and text, I believe the new owner swapped it for a full tilt.

[geoff]

Sign written panels are rather personal and subjective I find.

Think of it as nobody loves someone elses children or wants to put up with them but they love and put up with their own 

If it were me I'd have repainted it 

[nathanglasgow]

My favorite roof style would be one that does not leak. Haven't found one yet 😂
I do like truck cabs tho. Least leaky of the styles.