Targa Top Adjustment Advice

[TWIN911]

Yes, Another Targa Top Adjustment posting! After 9 years of wonderful service (no squeaks or rattles) my targa top is in dire need of some adjustment. The clips (front and back) no longer line up with the indentations on the bars. So, I need to move them left or right. I can feel the plate they bolt into, but the plate doesn't move. I searched earlier posts and confirmed that these plates should move. So, for you experts out there, how do I loosen these plates without tearing apart the top? They may have become stuck over time or even glued by the PO, don't know. Any advice would be appreciated.

[MichiganMat]

"massage" them until they move? You might also be able to remove the clips and see the plates through the headliner. Do this with the top laying flat on something, you don't want the plates to go shifting on ya. Put a tiny little screwdriver in the hole in the plate and tap it until you get some movement. They _should_ move eventually.

[Hugh R]

The plates do indeed move, and they are in elongated (front to back) slots that are cut into the top. You can peel back the lining and see the slots and the sliding plate which is threaded. I peeled mine back and used a Dremel grinder to open the slots up about 1/8" to get the clips to fit better. You might try the new and improved (bigger) clips that Pelican sells, about $18 each. I tried two of them up front with marginal improvement.

[TWIN911]

Thanks, I've massaged them as much as I can, as has my mechanic. Time to peel back the lining and see what I can do then. I already have the new clips, yes, marginal improvement as they don't address the misalignment issue.