guardiase

For those of you that have worn straps in your softtops, I advise that you get them replaced immediately (i.e. with Modifry's stronger ones). Below is a picture of what might happen if you put your top up and down a lot with worn straps.



With enough time, that wear area will eventually start to tear and become a hole, which has now happened to mine. A temporary fix to this I showed in green. While you put the top down, push that metal bar with your other hand until the top gets to the bottom. Not only will this allow you to open the secret compartment all the way, but it'll also save some wear on your top.

Chazmo

I hope most folks think of the top as a wear item that will eventually need replacement. The S2000 top seems to be a little more prone to wear out than others I've owned over the years, but ultimately they all need replacement.

You can try to see if your dealer will cover you... I did at the tail end of my new car warrantee, and they did it for me. There's a lot of labor involved in replacing the top.

There are also some vinyl repair products that I think should work on these wear holes. I haven't tried that. I do know that those adhesive patches that you use for pool equipment don't stick for long to the inside of the top.

guardiase

I had someone from an upholstery restoration company patch that hole from the outside, but it lasted for only a matter of weeks before it came back, and he assured me the patch would be permanent. If I found out before why that was happening in the first place I probably would have been able to keep the patch longer or maybe even kept it from tearing. The ends of that metal bar, when not pulled back properly, rubs against the top when it's down. I can notice the same thing happening on the driver's side, but luckily it hasn't developed enough to form a hole yet.

Anyway, I doubt the dealer will replace it out of good will. The car already has 46k miles and no extended warranty. And besides, the rubber seals are worn in so much that I'm having problems with water getting inside everytime I wash it. It went so much as to stain the driver's seat and now I can't get it out even with leather cleaner and conditioner. I'm going to get it replaced eventually, though.