Cost to remove convertible top for service?

[Benzito]

X-posted from another forum for maximum readership ...

Short version:

Does anyone have experience regarding the cost to remove the convertible top (this would include much of the mechanical bits / arms, not just the canvas? Reasons - see below...


Long version:

Steam was coming out my ears last night as I seriously f'd up my car. I think my wife might have been scared I would go Godzilla in the garage.

I bought a hardtop and thought I correctly installed the spinlocks and retaining bolts. While installing the bolts, I got them in pretty darn close to all the way, but that was not quite enough. What I measured as clearance between the bolt and the metal armiture on the B Pillar (the rounded pot metal part immediately behind the door / window) was off by a few millimeters. Rather than the top simply stopping because of a blockage, I think the B Pillar grabbed the retaining bolt and pulled down the spinlock bracket. The entire piece is twisted out of whack and won't accept the pins from the hardtop. Not close to being in the normal vertical position.

Anyway, it seems to be a relatively easy fix once the top and the mechanical arm of the B Pillar are removed - either the spinlock piece must be R&R'd or welded back in place or it could simply need to be pushed back into the original vertical position with some pressure / prying / pulling / etc. Can't do it with top in the way, of course.

I doubt this problem has happened before and my local shop is willing to take a look at it. We both agreed that the smart thing to do first, as part of the estimate, is to get the top removed to access the bent metal bits. Hence my "short version" question above.

Many thanks in advance. Feel free to goof on me. 24 hours later, I'm still incredibly pissed off, but it is lessening little by little (could be worse - the top could have crapped out in the down position or half-way).

Mike in Portland

[Wayne 962]

Hi there. I have lots of experience with this - I wouldn't remove your top just yet.

However, I am still confused by your issue here. You have a hard top, and then you installed the spin locks. Then what happened? You raised the cloth roof and it caught on something? Or you put the hardtop on and then cranked down the handles and bent the pins?

You said:
"Rather than the top simply stopping because of a blockage"

Which top are you referring to? The cloth top mechanism getting caught on the spin locks?

I'm confused, can you post some pictures?

-Wayne

[Benzito]

Wayne

Thanks for your reply. I'll see about some photos in the daylight.

The canvas top mechanism on the p/r side caught on the bolt from the spinlock as I was putting it in the down (open) position, I believe. That pulled the spinlock bracket down with it, away from true vertical. Now the "female" piece that accepts the hardtop pin is no longer up and down to accept it (it is down and to the left). I can't get the hardtop on because the pin doesn't match up to the hole as it should.

I figure if you could get a large bolt or metal bar into the spinlock hole itself and then yank the bracket back into place, that might work. Otherwise it would take some pressure to push (from the left, or the inside) back into its upright position.

EDIT: I think the bent piece is known as the "bracket" (how original). It is pictured in the workshop manual, page 61-48 or 97 or 275. [http://www.cannell.co.uk/Boxster_Manuals/986%20Group%206%20Body%20Exterior.pdf] - this is a BIG file, do not download unless you're interested!

You can't get to it for replacement without removing the levers and the B Pillar and the frame for the top. Ugh.

[Wayne 962]

So you're trying to remove the spin locks now?

-Wayne

[Benzito]

No, I just need to straighten out the bracket. The spinlocks are in and the bolts are tight. The bracket is the problem.

[Wayne 962]

I'm still confused as to how it looks. Can you post some pics? There may be an easy solution. You can remove the whole top fabric and frame pretty easily.

[Benzito]

That's what I am hoping for and what I was getting at in my first post. I don't want to remove the canvas, but I want to take off the WHOLE THING with the frame and arms and everything.