When I bought my car in February last year, it looked like it had a new (or newer) top on it. The material is dark black, clean, and soft but the rear window, though I can see through it and make out shapes, is hazy.

Not knowing about these cars, I am still not sure if I have a factory top or not. What I do know is that when I deploy the top, I have to pull it down and forward to even have a chance of engaging it. And when I latch the back, the top is stretched from front to back under tension.

Once I go over some bumps, the rear pin releases and the top pops up.

I would like to restore and adjust the mechanism so that it works like new but am not sure if I even have the correct top on it (I read that there are three sizes)

Any advice on how I should begin? I suspect that I am missing many rubber type parts. I will post up some pics later today

 

Just above the rear corner of the window, where it goes from horizontal to vertical.Measure from the edge/seam of the top to the same spot on the opposite side.For 89 it should be 50", there is 51 & 52" for later years.On the topsonline site there is a schematic explaining this.

I can only guess at the other two, like a worn pin or the top needs to be re-glued to the frame w/ some slack so its not so taunt.

 

Thanks I will check it out. Here's a lousy pic. I'll put up better ones tomorrow. The front pins are about 1/4" long.

 

1/4" sounds too short.I think mine are closer to 1/2 inch.Are you sure the rear latch was/is completely in the closed position when the pin pops?

 

Are you latching the front windshield 1st and then the rear? The top should be under tension when properly latched. I know with mine when I pull the top up out of it;s compartment I have to flip up the back part (where the window is) up and on top of the top. This will release the tension and allow you to easily lock the windshield pins in place. Then flip the back section down and slam lock the single rear pin down. I cannot do this in reverse and get those windshield pins to lock, to much tension and those front pins are not even close to where they need to be.

 

I just looked at my pins and they are like 841LE says and mine are like 3/4 long and tapered like a cone.

 

I looked at mine & definitely more like 3/4".

 

 

Every top closes different. Mine I find best to close the rear single pin then push down on the front and latch it. I have also "adjusted" the rear pin by bending it a little but I don't recommend doing it unless you know what you are doing,
You can close the back and crawl under there and see how it's latched.

 

I have to push mine forward pretty hard and down to get the pins lined up and in before I use the handles to lock it down. Then I close the back and it is under tension but when I hit a few bumps, the rear latch pin releases and the back of the top lifts up.

 

Check for wear on that pin and the latch itself. Maybe one of those parts are worn. Make sure the pin is seating all the way down. Not sure how others tops work but it does sounds like you have too much tension. On mine as soon as I flip that back section up and forward my front pins fall right in place. I am assuming this is how it it supposed to work.