[megerian]

Here is a theory - happy to be proven wrong :-)

The CPU is fine - no problem there. When you close the top, a slightly incorrect adjustment of the right hand side transmission assembly is triggering the white switch, rendering the top completely stuck. When you open the top, this switch is no longer triggered, and everything is fine.

The fix ? Remove the rear speaker cover on the passenger side, and adjust that assembly so that when fully closed, the white switch is NOT triggered. I had incorrectly thought this white switch was the limit to stop the top from moving forward during normal operation, but its not - during normal operation, that white switch should never be triggered - its essentially a fail safe to shut everything down for a misaligned top.