How to remove the soft top / frame??

[Mightyquin]

Hi all,

I have a strange problem! I also have a problem with the MR2 - boom tish!

When raising my hood last week part of it by the window frame and wing top managed to somehow get stuck over the top of the wing, and I can't seem to get it back in place without removing the whole top. It seems like part is dislodged or bent. I've no idea how it could have happened.

I have found a You Tube video showing someone removing their hood but it's a bit vague in parts. Is there another tutorial or 'how to' (I have searched here) or has anyone done this ? I hopefully don't need to remove the fabric but lift off the whole assembly, put the frame part back in place and (hopefully) all will be well again.

Many thanks in advance.

[Enjay]

I found this helpful when I did mine a few years back:

http://midshiprunabout.org/mk3/replacing-the-soft-top/

[MR TWO]

Please post a pic?  I cant work out what you've done - or how!

[Mightyquin]

Please post a pic?  I cant work out what you've done - or how!

I'll try ........

[Mightyquin]

Here is the problem, this is the forward edge where the hood meets the window/door at the wing. It's like a thin piece of metal or plastic which sticks out and can't be pushed back in, I think the frame is blocking it so it seems it needs to be lifted off the body and put back under into position. I've no idea how this happened by the way, just noticed it after raising the hood after a run out!

I can't now lower the hood as the part that's sticking out blocks the mechanism and digs into the trim around the wing. The hood is a mohair one, fitted before I bought the car. I've had it 5 years and never had any issue with it until now!

[delhusband]

Please post a pic?  I cant work out what you've done - or how!

I'll try ........

MightyQuinn, use the "Attachments and other options" below - if your picture file size is too big to post, take a screenshot of your picture instead and post that instead of the original pic

[MR TWO]

OK so its a part of the frame that sits  almost under the roof,  but above the rear wing.

I will look at mine tomorrow and see if I can think of a solution.

The roof frame does come out and go back on without it being an ordeal.  When I bought my car it was without a soft top, and so I installed the one from my previous roadster.  I don't recall all the specifics, but if I could do it, and I have no recollections of temper nor scars on my hands to remind me, it must be straight forward!

[Mightyquin]

Thanks MrTwo appreciate that

[Enjay]

I did it with mine and lost both my temper and scarred my hands.   Seriously, it wasn't that bad a job, there were just one or two bits that were frustrating.  I guess that my work was also doubled because I was actually swapping roofs between two cars so I had to remove and install two of them in one go.

Anyway, from the close-up pics, it looks like the roof might not be the original vinyl item so I wonder if there is something wrong/badly fitted with an after-market one.

[Mightyquin]

Anyway, from the close-up pics, it looks like the roof might not be the original vinyl item so I wonder if there is something wrong/badly fitted with an after-market one.

Yeah, from what I've seen it looks easy enough just going to take a lot of time and remembering to put everything back in the same order/place! As my garage isn't big enough to work inside I'll have to choose a day when it's not going to rain!

It has a mohair hood which was on the car when I bought it 5 years ago and it's been fine all that time. I've no idea what happened to cause it to jam like this.

[MR TWO]

I had a quick look at mine and I can't see anything obvious - sorry.  You're just going to have yo bite the bullet and take it to bits slowly... Take lots of pics if you're unsure, and you can look at them to see where all the pits go.  I'll bet you do it easy!

[Enjay]

Take lots of pics if you're unsure, and you can look at them to see where all the pits go.

Seconded!  I took quite a few when I did mine but I should have taken more because I got quite confused when it came to reattaching all the rain guide flaps and I didn't have enough "before" pics.  Fortunately folk on here sorted me out.

[spit]

I found this helpful when I did mine a few years back:

http://midshiprunabout.org/mk3/replacing-the-soft-top/

For future reference, this very guide is a lot closer to home!: https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=24229
A few additional nuggets in the thread too.

[Enjay]

Indeed it is, thanks - and I think that's actually the version I used (I certainly posted in that thread).  I'd forgotten that it was hosted here so I just googled and when I got the pictures I recognised, I posted the link.  Thanks again.

[Mightyquin]

Thanks guys, yes looks like there's nothing for it but to get stuck in and pull the whole top off! Just need to find the time and a day when it's hopefully not going to rain just as I'm at the point of taking it off! I'll post my results.

[m1tch]

I have removed my softtop and am only running a hard top now, basically there is a strip of metal that kind of clamps the softtop to the body - my recommendation is to simply start from the centre middle and work your way round to the side, there are fairly evenly spaced bolts (think they are 10mm). I think there are also a few bolts behind the seatbelt mounting brackets so you might have to take those off (only a few bolts). I can't remember anything that was too hard to remove, just slightly fiddly the nearer the doors you got owing to various bits of mechanism.

Seem to remember it took me something like half an hour to get mine off, although saying that I wasn't running rear bins or had any plastics over the seatbelt brackets etc.