European Trimming Company

Buying a new CAR HOOD

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:55:26 PST

Buying a new CAR HOOD
Not as easy as it should be...

Owning a cabriolet is a lot of fun, but when it comes to renewing the car hood, the fun seems to ebb slightly. Knowing about the different types of car hoods out there is one thing, but knowing which type of vehicle hood to use on your car is another. To try and help you get a better idea about the types of soft top hoods out there, and their different qualities, read this article. It might just bring all that technical jargon into perspective!

Classic & American Car Hoods

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:16:20 PST

For some reason it is difficult to find high quality car hoods for American and European Classic soft tops.

The other day I approached a Classic Car Owners Club to see whether they knew of any members in need of a new Soft Top Hood. They knew of some members in need of Sunbeam Rapier hoods, but did not expect us to be able to supply them. Well, we do, alonf with Tonneau Covers a Hood Stick Bags!

NEW 2010 Price List

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:58:17 PST

As you may have gathered from the title of this article, we have a new pricelist out for our large range of Soft Tops and Car Hoods! Almost ALL our prices for car hoods have dropped significantly, making our soft top hoods that bit more affordable.

De-frosting your Soft Top Windows

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:55:18 PST

The UK has entered a very cold and harsh 2010. To the joy of school children in Scotland, schools have remained closed since the beginning of Christmas. People have been snowed in all around the UK, whilst in other parts the roads are pretty much clear. Everybody however has been caught out by the frost. Silhouettes of ice are left on the ground outlining where a Soft Top car stood earlier.

Car Hoods for Christmas

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:48:23 PST

Christmas is getting closer by the minute and here at ETC we have some great ideas for presents. With a tough economic climate many people are looking for ways of treating their loved ones without breaking the bank. In past years there may have been some people lucky enough to receive a new car hood, soft top, replacement convertible or trimming accessory for the festive period but this year that may be somewhat extravegant.

ETC Soft Top Warranty

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:04:07 PST

All Car Hoods bought from the European Trimming Company have a minimum soft top warranty period of 1 year, many of our car hoods however have a 3 year warranty. But what does this mean and what does it cover?

Replacing a Car Hood - Manual

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:56:57 PST

Being the owner of a Soft Top car is always great, as long as the Car Hood functions properly. You can get many years of motoring out of your Soft Top, but the day will come when you finally have to replace your Car Hood. Replacing a Car Hood can be an expensive process, but like an MOT it needs to be done.

Soundless driving, with a sound car hood

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:06:53 PST

Driving a cabriolet feels like a luxury on a hot summers day, the wind through your hair, the sun on your face... but the circle of life continues, and autumn and winter soon dawn on us. Time to get your jackets on and your car hoods up. Its not so bad, I hear you say, driving with the soft top up! Its like driving any other car.

Preparing your Car Hoods for Winter

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:11:24 PST

As we start to think about the Autumn and winter months we have been asked here at ETC by some of our vehicle hood customers if there are any specific measures they should take with their Soft Top in preparation for putting the convertible Hard Top on the car for the winter months. Well the short answer is give your vinyl or mohair hood a good clean then help the car hood as it folds away for the last time before summer.

British Classic Soft Top Hoods

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:03:25 PST

ETC is proud to supply the market with many Classic British Sports Car soft top hoods and accessories. Being a British Company we would not want to see our beloved British Soft Tops dwindle into the past in the same way that our motor industry has. Our range of car hoods includes aftermarket parts for Triumph, MG, Lotus and many more.

Car Interior Repairs and Soft Top Fitting

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:12:42 PST

Over the years we at ETC have had numerous cars through our workshop for a variety of reasons, with Replacement Soft Tops and Interior Seat Repairs being highest on the list. Here at ETC we always try to offer you, the customer, the best solution to your needs while at the same time giving you a reasonable price. Right from the most basic or Seat Repairs ie Cigarette Burns and Worn Leather all the way to Replacement Soft Tops for your Convertible car and complete Interior Re-trims ETC can meet whatever Automotive Trim Solution you need.

Mercedes Vehicle Hoods & Soft Tops

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:51:19 PST

Mercedes and particularly Mercedes Convertibles have always been synonymous glamour and prestige. This image is not always easy to keep up, especially if your Merc Hood is looking a little old. Well i thought i would ley you know about the Mercedes Soft Tops we have in our range here at ETC. Right from the Early 1954 300SL to the latest 2009 CLK we have the right replacement convertible roof ready for you to have fitted to your Mercedes.

Saving money? Buy 'aftermarket' instead of 'OE' Car Hood Specification

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:09:37 PST

In these dark days of economic recession we still have to put food in our families mouths, pay the mortgage...and buy a new car hood when necessary. But you don't need to necessarily go for an original specification replacement, as some 'aftermarket' car hood alternatives are actually designed and made better, whilst saving a sometimes considerable ammount of the replacement cost.

Summer Car Hood Care

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:12:21 PST

We never thought we would get away with saying this...but summer does seem to be here, albeit possibly temporarily in the South East. And if you do live in the South East, then, perhaps like me, you woke up find a layer of fine sand on your car this morning? It's important to keep your car hood or soft top conditioned in the winter months, but it's equally, if not more so important to protect it from the heat, direct sun UV's and acidic rain in the summer months as well.

Custom Made Vehicle Hoods & Soft Tops

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:11:49 PST

Here at European Trimming we are constantly looking for new and better ways to fulfill the needs of you, the customer. Recently we have noticed an increase in the amount of Custom Soft Top Hoods we have been asked to make. A good example of this was a Vintage Frazer Nash a couple of weeks ago. Having already had a Tonneau Cover made the next step was to have the Soft Top Hood custom made.

Making Your BMW Shine for Summer

Thu, 07 May 2009 08:15:36 PST

Now that summer is looming on us, and about time to i might say, you may be thinking about puting the soft top down on your BMW convertible for the journey home. Whether you have a BMW Z3, BMW Z4, BMW E30, BMW E36, BMW E46 or even a BMW E63 then we are the first and only stop you should make when having new soft tops fitted.

If you are the proud owner of either a BMW Z3 or a BMW 3 series (E30 & E36) then you will know that on older cars, or more specifically older soft tops, the plastic windows will tend to crack if operated on cold but sunny mornings.

Classic Car Soft Tops

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:10:29 PST

Without wishing to put a hex on the whole thing, Spring is here at last! New life is breaking out all around us so why not breath some new life into your classic soft top ready for the summer? If you are the proud owner of an MGB, Mercedes 107 or 113 or even an old Jaguar convertible or any other classic soft top then NOW is the time of year to have your replacement convertible roof fitted!

Car Hood Bags for Spring

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:03:44 PST

It been a long time coming but Spring does feel like it's in the air, and that means one thing to us car nuts...It'll soon be time to bring our Sports and Classic Cars out of hibernation and romove Hard tops in readiness for our summer! Question is - how have your fabrics fared over winter, especially your hood bags which may have shrunk or cracked?

Toyota Celica Rear Windows

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:30:02 PST

It's funny how things come in batches...Buses, policemen...and Toyota Celica's requiring rear window repairs! For once, we can't blame the weather either. But there does seem to be a rather spooky number of similar aged Celica's coming into our workshop currently for rear windows which have either fallen out of their bonded position or plastic windows which have cracked.

Snow Damage to Car Hoods and Soft Tops

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:49:14 PST

The worst winter in upto 20 years! That's what the weathermen here in the UK are telling us. Wherever you're living on the UK mainland this winter, you'd not have escaped the heavy snowfalls and then subsequent ice. But what consequence does a foot of snow and frozen ice have on our car hoods? Depending on the type of soft top you have, the results could be dramatically different.