So tonight was a great night for me. The quick touch convertible top switch is finally figured out and installed in my car. This allows you to press the top switch twice and have the top continue to either open or close by it's self. One of my biggest complaints about this car besides the cupholder has been having to hold the top button down for the 30 or so seconds it takes to put it up or down. Not anymore though. Just press the button twice and it does the rest. I will post a video tomorrow of it in action but I have to say that this may be one of the best add-ons made for the roadster. I am looking for 3 beta testers that live in or near Minnesota. These units will eventually sell for around $50-$60 when everything is said and done. The beta testers will receive their units for $35 and will receive a final production ready unit at no additional cost when they return the beta unit. Please email me at rudy@jr-industries.net for more information. Also, those that would like one but want to wait until the final production ready units ship, please post here too and let me know your thoughts so I have an idea of how many people are really interested.

Thank you

Video for your viewing pleasure! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW933c08-00

 

Dangerous? In what way?

One-touch tops have been the norm for 35+ years.

 

As dangerous as a one-touch widow-up button, in my opinion. That's why they are designed with some control. Imagine your wife getting her hair or necklace caught in the convertible top pinch-points, only inches away, as you push the one-touch button.

On second thought ...

 

Ignition key-off.

I think Nader would roll his eyes on this one.

Maybe...

 

All you have to do is press the opposite control and it will stop so say you are putting the top up, if you press the top down side of the switch while it's going up, it will stop and likewise in reverse when you're putting the top down if you press the top up side, it will stop too.

 

So..........................is the switch available? or is it still in the design stages. I know i would be interested in having it. Will it still incorporate all the "safety features" (trunk open,etc). PM me if you still need a tester!

 

This switch is just an extension of the factory switch. It takes the commands sent from the switch and continues to send them until the top is all the up or all the way down or you interrupt it by pressing the opposite button of the last command you gave it. Anything the switch did before, it will do now.

They are out of the design phase and in beta testing now. I currently have one installed in my car and will do extensive field testing on it to ensure I don't run into any unforeseeable problems but that is why there is beta testing. I'm looking for 3 beta testers in or near MN only because I want to be able to support the betas that are out in the field during testing.

 

ah-HA.

Carry on with all deliberate speed. Good luck.

 

Rudy, are these just like the ones SRT6 Dan is selling for $39.95?

Sorry Dude, I couldn't help myself.
But you may want to copywrite, or patent it within the next hour or so.

 

SRT6Dan has absolutely nothing to do with this and yes, this will be patented.

 

Way to be the resident Debbie Downer... . If you have half a brain to operate a car then no one will get hurt by using this. Maybe I'm making a broad assumption with you though

 

That was pretty harsh.

And MOST people operating cars have/use half a brain. The other half was lost or is in use on the cell pone.

Give me DWI anytime. It's easier to guess the swerves...

 

I just get tired of of his posts...I'll just add him to my ignore list and be done with it. I'm pretty sure the device is safe but the scenario he brought up was rather ridiculous since it can't physically happen unless she's pinned to the pinch point to get caught in it which at that point either she's not that smart herself or there's some foul play going on.

 

Who pissed in your Cherrios this morning, gator?

It's called being pragmatic. Reasonable people don't sue Ford for a trillion dollars; it's the morons you should be worried about. rcompart has explained the features of the device - so that it operates with 'intent' - and it's really quite clever.

I wish and hope he can sell thousands of them.

Regards.

 

While I agree the hypothetical scenario was a bit extreme, there's always that "what-if".

I would MUCH rather have someone toss out a crazy hypothetical, by virtue of brainstorming, than wait for someone to try to sue a great guy like rcompart through a crazy lawsuit because a 'freak accident' happened.

I'm sure no one ever thought a child would use a hairdryer as a bathtub submarine, but now we have warning labels affixed to every cord. Warning labels are simply printed tombstones advertising the 'freak accident' that some unfortunate soul had in the past. Which, at one time, was probably unthinkable.

Think about it... we have federal warnings on mattresses. How deadly can those things be?

Give dwight some wiggle-room. He knows his stuff. And he was simply trying to consider all worst-case scenarios for the OP.

I call that looking out for one-another, if you ask me.

 

Interesting.....

I was working a bit with the guys from.....oh, crap, I can't recall the name of the company now but they've doing this in Germany for Mercedes, Porsches, VWs, etc - turning the console button into a one touch and even making it work on the key fob. They thought they could do a direct swap over from the MB SLK but it turned out the body control modules were different and part of the control was in the back of the car so it was no longer just a plug n play thing.

Looks like these guys have sorted it out and I love the idea. I don't mind that it takes as long as it does for the top to fully open or close, but having to hold your finger on the button is a pain. It would be nice to just hit the button once and be able to buckle up, put on sunglasses, grab the right files off the iPod and then just drive off, rather than hold the damn button first and then do everything else. Lazy? Perhaps, but it just seems stupid that you have to hold the button down.

I'd love to have one of these, and will purchase as soon as they become available.

 

Sounds like a great idea and I would be interested in purchasing when they become available.

 

Am I close enough for Beta?

 

He is, after all, a 91 year old homeless man.

 

You certainly are my friend. When would you like me to come down there and get it hooked up?