i swear to god i inspect the top every 3 months and use the 303 protectant. today while drying the inside i see a faint light coming through, F%^k!

anyone know what i can do? i did a search but the two threads i opened didn't talk much about a self fix. i've got 47k so warranty is out of the question. what about bringing it to a shop, how much do you think they would charge?

 

I thought you were going to write somebody broke in.

Still sucks though. GL.


Exactly where is this hole?

How often do you go top down?

Where do you live?

Are you the first owner??

 

There's a DIY fix on the board.

 

Time for a hardtop

 

wow... just saw 2 threads of softtop victim. wtf is with our softtop. Glad mine hasn't torn......... yet...

 

I fixed a 1" tear in my top this weekend after someone posted this link:

http://www.zjstech.net/SpyderTop/repair.htm

I used Tear-Aid Type B instead of the iron-on patch and I didn't bother sewing up the tear first since the Tear-Aid held it together nicely. The repair is nearly invisible and it's holding up well after putting the top up/down several times. It only took about 10 minutes of work but it's important to let the vinyl repair glue dry completely as per instructions (about 4 hours).

 

I would just get the top replaced. I waited 2+ years to replace my top...big mistake.

 

saw your thread earlier today.

got a quote from car upholstery place, to patch if it sticks $30, to remove and sew $350, to replace with a new top $850.

he is saying that its not "normal wear and tear" if the top is 3yrs old. typical wear and tear is 7-9yrs, a "design flaw" is 2-4yrs. he also said the 350Z convertibles are notorious for the same problem and nissan like honda won't address it.

i also noticed yesterday that the driver side is starting to get the same rip but light is not coming through. does anyone know where i can get those velcro covers for the hinges, home depot or a michaels?

 

It seems like everyone who takes care of their top, ends up with a hole or a tear.

 

I'm not sure how long a convertible top should last. Mine lasted 6 years and it was always either garaged or covered with a car cover so it never sat under direct sunlight for long periods. My friend's convertible Mustang top lasted for over 10 years and was still in good shape when it got slashed by vandals.

I'm going to try these guys when it's time to replace my top:

http://www.convertibleparts.com/installandrepair.htm

I haven't seen any of their work but supposedly they will analyze and fix any design flaws that will cause premature wear.