[Trapsune]

Hello again, I actually signed up here 15+ years ago when I got my Spyder but never chatted much, just used the forum for repairs and tips.


I have a 2000 MR2 Spyder with a out 110k miles on it, I have owned it since about 05/06.


I was driving to work today and heard a pop above me. When I was looking around I found this above the passenger side window.

It's not longer flush and has clearly pulled away a bit.

How serious is this? Should I continue as is for a while? Should I have the entire thing replaced? Can I have it repaired as opposed to being replaced?

If I need to have it replaced immediately are there any favorites of this community for where to buy a new top?

Or if anyone is in the Tacoma/Seattle area, where to have it taken and done.

 

[pwnzor]

@cyclehead just did a comparison of Haartz material replacement tops.

As to where to get them installed in your area? Well, I'll have to defer that one but check out that thread, has good info.

 

[cyclehead]

There’s a steel cable just inside the “loose” area in your picture. I’m guessing the cable has pulled loose or broken. I can send you the cable (from one of my old tops) but it would be almost impossible to install. The cable is sewn into a slim pocket, and the cable ends are too big to thread through. You can disassemble that side of the top without too much effort, but I’m afraid there would be no reasonable way to fix it. Note that ALL replacement tops come with this cable already installed (sewn into the top). Yours appears to be an original top. Has it split above the rear glass yet? Replacing the top is not terribly difficult, just time consuming to go through all the steps - tiny screws, gluing pieces, smashing little rivets etc. To answer your other question - You can keep using the current top, but I don’t think it will fold/open very well. The “risk” is that it will tear loose at the fold joint in the middle of your picture, and just rip the material.

 

[cyclehead]

For a replacement top - you have some choices to make. Vinyl or canvas. Cheap, middle or top quality. Even the cheap ones will work fine for a long time. The top quality ones will fit just a little better, and maybe look nicer. Here‘s an exhaustive (exhausting?) summary of convertible top options. Buyer’s Guide for Convertible Tops

 

[cyclehead]

Actually.... looking at the old top I took off yesterday...
You might be able to repair yours. The cable is glued into a fold. The glue in my old one has softened such that I can open it up and remove the cable. Which means your top’s glue may have simply slid apart - or the cable has snapped. If it’s just unglued it can be glued back together. If the cable has snapped, and your glue has softened like mine, you could open it up and insert my used cable.

 

[Trapsune]

Yours appears to be an original top. Has it split above the rear glass yet?

It is the stock top and this separation is the only issue I've had with it so far.

For a replacement top - you have some choices to make. Vinyl or canvas. Cheap, middle or top quality. Even the cheap ones will work fine for a long time. The top quality ones will fit just a little better, and maybe look nicer. Here‘s an exhaustive (exhausting?) summary of convertible top options. Buyer’s Guide for Convertible Tops

Thanks for the information, I will look into it more soon and get back to you on what's what with the status

 

[mortisvan]

My top is going the same thing but I'm going wait until that SOB completely falls apart before I do anything. Saving money for a hard top.