Folding the roof.

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 12:45

Hi all,

I've had my 2 for almost a year now (blimey! that was quick) and I just wanted to know something about how you guys and gals fold down the roof.

Everytime I try to lower the roof I spend about 10 minutes just getting the damn thing down and clipped in. I can get it down but it just doesn't want to clip in and takes quite a bit of force to get it to catch. I also get the 'ears' people here have talked about but I have checked to see if anything is broken but it all looks OK.

Do you all bother using the clip? Is it just me? I thought that as its new then it will take some time for the hood to get used to going up and down but i think now its getting a bit rediculous.

Thanks in advance!!

MRMike · August 20, 2004, 12:50

If you have something on the parcel shelf it makes it much harder to close the lid (I mean a coat or something as anything else will be crushed)

I also find it depends on the weather as to how easy it is to put down. I've had mine about a year now and in hot weather I can literally thrown it back and it locks and catches itself. When it's cold I tend to have to force it down.

As for the ears they always appear, it's just a simple job of going round and tucking them in.

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 12:51

Something wrong with your roof I'm afraid.

In the warm I can unclip and flick it over my shoulder and it folds and latches in by itself (roof down in 5 seconds).

In the cold, I sometimes need to push the back half of the roof down a little as it's half folded, then fold completely. This extends the downtime to about 30seconds as I actually have to get out of the car.

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 12:53

i found when i bought mine that if u put one hand on the window when ur pullin the hood back and gently help the window down with ur hand as u open roof it goes down fine and clips in

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 12:59

so you cant even throw it back in the hot whether? is there perhaps some friction on the mechanism? in the cold when the roof is stiff i have to guide it down by pushing on the glass. you dont close the clips before you put it down do you?

a lot of people have problems with the 'ears'. one side of mine would always stick out. i had a look and the tensioner belt that tucks it in, had slightly ripped away fron the roof lining until i got my needle and thread out! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

aaronjb · August 20, 2004, 13:15

Quote from: "roadsterboy"Do you all bother using the clip? Is it just me?

It's not just you that has this problem - I always have to get out of the car (I could probably get it to catch without getting out if the wind deflector wasn't up - but with it up I can't quite get my hand between it and the style bar) s:(

s:(

Even if I throw it back, it just bounces back up without latching - like you, I pondered not using the latch.. but the thought of the roof parting company with the car at 70mph soon stopped me thinking about that s:)

s:)

I put my troubles down to the complete lack of a tensioner strap (the popstud one), which means I always get the ears - I think they stop the roof from going down as far as it should at the back, which is why you have to give the front a good shove to get it to latch - you're making the rear hinges go 'past' their natural 'closed' position, if you see what I mean..

It's a pain - and probably my biggest grip with the car.. and why I'd dearly love a leccy roof s:)

s:)

Still easier than taking the targas out of the 300ZX, mind!

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 13:20

off topic: aaron is that you on your avatar? you look scary! s:shock: :shock: s:shock:
well'ard!

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 13:23

yeah boys I have no problem like most of you! I would much rather a roof like mine I can throw back rather than one of these poncey electric ones that take a good good 30 secs to put down! I can up/down mine at a roundabout s8)

s8) etc its BRILLIANT and the best thing about my 2.

Like the others have said it should be a 5sec-30sec job max depending on weather

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 13:26

i put mine up on the move! kinda makes you feel sorry for mx5/TF owners who have to p!$$ about unzipping the rear windows ect...

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 13:35

yeah we gotta couple of silly MGF owners here at work and I love throwing mine into the car park flying the roof up much to the amazement of the silly people who bought a Rover!

Do you have to unzip in the MX5? I thought the MX5 roof mechanism was similar to ours?

MODS > SOrry this is slight topic drift

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 13:37

im sure there is some part of the roof that you have to modify before lowering. maybe wrong tho...

aaronjb · August 20, 2004, 13:46

Quote from: "Tomr2"off topic: aaron is that you on your avatar? you look scary! s:shock: :shock: s:shock:
well'ard!

Hehe - yep that's me.. and I'm the most un-'ard bloke you could ever meet, honest s:)

s:)

MX5 roofs - I think it depends on the age, older ones definitely had placcy rear windows..

Didn't someone on here know someone who thought the only reason their TF window unzipped was to carry long loads? s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

One of these days I'll get 'round to getting a new tensioner strap for the roof, then maybe I'll be done in 5 seconds like you guys... s:)

s:) (Er.. ooer missus!)

Darth Paul · August 20, 2004, 16:23

I was in 'convoy' with another 2 in a traffic jam on the M1. I was roofless/windowless, and his was up. After a while he put his down (feelings of guilt and stupidity?), or rather he tried to. It just wouldn't go down. The catch didn't engage and there were ears everywhere. If mine was such a p.i.t.a, I wouldn't bother either.

That was my major worry about getting a new 2 – that the roof wouldn't be as 'easy' as the old car. Actually, this one is better! s:D

s:D

And the MGF thing about carrying loads – that was my friend. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

aaronjb · August 20, 2004, 16:29

Quote from: "Darth Paul"It just wouldn't go down. The catch didn't engage and there were ears everywhere. If mine was such a p.i.t.a, I wouldn't bother either.

Sounds just like mine - it's impossible to put it down without getting out..

I have tried a couple of times - once in a layby at the side of the main road out of Maidenhead.. I ended up elbowing the horn, which just made everyone turn around and laugh (especially the two chavs on their pushbikes).. Grrr.. heh s:)

s:)

Bongo · August 20, 2004, 16:31

MX-5 (mate's 04): depends how you mean.

If you don't use the Tonneau (spelling?) cover then it's a lot easier than ours as there's no fold and it just goes straight back.

If you do use it then you have to get out and put it on - takes a few minutes.

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 16:34

Quote from: "aaronjb"..

.. I ended up elbowing the horn, which just made everyone turn around and laugh .. Grrr.. heh s:) s:)

The number of times I've done that.
It's very difficult to put the roof down sat in the car with Bama Taller Deflector up and style bar. Even putting it up sat in the car takes practice and again several horn blows with your elbow s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

aaronjb · August 20, 2004, 16:57

Quote from: "roadsterman99"Even putting it up sat in the car takes practice and again several horn blows with your elbow s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

I can get it up quite easily (ooer! s:oops: :oops: s:oops: ) without getting out of the car - just stay facing forward and reach behind your right shoulder, grab the corner of the roof and lift it up far enough that you can reach straight up with your left hand and pull it all the way out (ooer! s:oops: :oops: s:oops: s:oops: :oops: s:oops: ), job done s:)

s:)

Now if only I could figure out how to put it down like that, I'd be a happy bunny s:)

s:)

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 17:08

My trick is to unfasten my seatbelt and sort of half stand up and swivel to get the hood down.

But after reading about the broken rear window on here I've been doing it from the outside lately...ooer.

Liz · August 20, 2004, 17:28

I have to get out of the car when the weather isn't well hot, I love a really hot day when you get it and the roof flys back into place by itself...only put it up once on the move...that was rather fun s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted: . At least we put our roofs down, know its been discussed before but took the twisty roads back from work today and no less that 3 MGf's with their roofs up s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 17:53

when it's hot mine goes down really easy (flick, flick, wallop)

-- but I do get the ears which means that I have to get out if I want to look tidy!
I'm now a dab hand at getting it up and down on the move - a strong left hand is required to give it a thump if it doesn't go straight down, or to heave it up.

I'd also say that being a 2 owner makes you very good at anticipating the weather and exactly when it's going to start lashing it down... the number of times I've thought "ooh, I reckon I can just about wait til the next layby / farm turning etc before putting the roof up" - and been just pulling out of said layby as it starts to rain!

getting back on topic though s:oops: :oops: s:oops: - is there a possibilty that it could be the latch that's causing the problem and not the roof?? just a thought?

filcee · August 20, 2004, 18:11

Quote from: "swp"I'd also say that being a 2 owner makes you very good at anticipating the weather and exactly when it's going to start lashing it down... the number of times I've thought "ooh, I reckon I can just about wait til the next layby / farm turning etc before putting the roof up" - and been just pulling out of said layby as it starts to rain!

Oh yes. In fact, now I've had a bit of practice, I can drive round the bad weather!

Anonymous · August 20, 2004, 19:03

Quote from: "Darth Paul"I was in 'convoy' with another 2 in a traffic jam on the M1. I was roofless/windowless, and his was up. After a while he put his down (feelings of guilt and stupidity?), or rather he tried to. It just wouldn't go down. The catch didn't engage and there were ears everywhere. If mine was such a p.i.t.a, I wouldn't bother either.

Was that recently s:?: :?: s:?: s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

fstsven · August 20, 2004, 21:20

IMHO, your problem is caused by the latch that should prevent the "ears" from happening.

I have the same problem, but only now and then; say, once in 20 times, when the latch decides to disconnect itself again.
Then i have to get out, push the roof fully down, tuck away the ears and generally tidy things up s:? :? s:?

With that particular strap in place, I can just throw it back and it perfectly locks itself in place s8)

s8)

I suggest you check the strap, it is directly above your head whan you're sat in the car. I bet that in your case, it will only be connected to one side of the roof. Connect the other side too, and many of your roof-related woes will disappear! s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
As for getting it right, there is a guide (with pictures s:!: :!: s:!: ) on here somewhere, but of course I forgot... s:roll: :roll: s:roll: Try a search with "roof AND ears AND straps". It looks difficult the first time, but soon you get the hang of it

Success mate!

Darth Paul · August 20, 2004, 23:38

Quote from: "SilverMSD2"
Quote from: "Darth Paul"I was in 'convoy' with another 2 in a traffic jam on the M1. I was roofless/windowless, and his was up. After a while he put his down (feelings of guilt and stupidity?), or rather he tried to. It just wouldn't go down. The catch didn't engage and there were ears everywhere. If mine was such a p.i.t.a, I wouldn't bother either.

Was that recently s:?: :?: s:?: s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

No, I was stuck in traffic coming home from work – not from JAE. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Anonymous · August 21, 2004, 11:45

WOW, thanks for all your responses guys!

fstsven, I will have a look. If this is the case then i'll be a bit miffed as this must have come like this from new. However, i have looked at the roof before and it looked ok but will look again.

I'll have another look and will post again.

A huge THANK YOU for all your commments. s:D

s:D

BTW: Does anyone here drive a yellow MRS with a body kit (dont know which) and has 2 black stripes going along the the top of the car? It was a female driver and I saw you this morn when i was driving the car for its 10,000 mile service. It looked Cool!