Yes, i have the rear defroster installed on my car. In order to make it work i had to get the hardtop installation kit which comes with a defroster harness, on/off switch for the console, and a relay for the fuse box.

The one thing that needs to be done is you have to buy an extra hardtop defroster plug harness that is attached to the oem hardtop which plugs into the car harness. The reason is because the wire harness that comes on the MY02+ soft-top has a different plug connector than the one on the hardtop, so it will not plug into the car's defroster harness.

 

My car has an 02 glass top on a 00 frame (i.e., I didn't swap the frame).
It has performed flawlessy for 18 months--I love it! One thing to note:
You MUST remove the two middle snaps from the back of the bulkhead
where you would attach the tonneau cover (they don't come on the glass
windowed cars from the factory), otherwise they will press hard against
your top every time you open and close it--and cut through it. I saw that
this would be a problem and had them taken out in the first week, but if
I hadn't it would have been a disaster.

There is no real need to install the '02 frame, so my advice is save yourself
some money and use the old frame with the elastics. I put my top up and
down several times a week (sometimes in a day) and it's still working
properly. No wear holes of any kind as of yet, though the elastics are beginning
to show their age.

 

I had my window conversion for about a year (same place as noah2000). The only problem is the rear elastic straps lost their ability to pull the last roof rib (support?) back when the top is raised. As it turns out, that wasn't critical, just reach over and pull it forward manually when you raise the top. I used to have a webpage with information on the defroster hook-up, but that's gone. In anycase, it's a simple wiring exercise. Just get the shop manual and do some reading.

 

I sure wish that I could find a shop in Florida that would attempt the conversion.

 

are there any DIY instructions?

 

Shoot me an e-mail at kevostyle@yahoo.com and i'll send you the PDF file that member Clovis wrote on how to DIY.

 

Yes there are.......The instructions call for minor modifications to the '00/'01 frame to make the conversion possible....The other option would be to replace the entire '02 frame and all for a more 'seamless' conversion.

Clovis posted a how-to not too long back that outlined the procedures....At this point, those conversion instructions are about 15-20 pages deep on this forum...That is where I got them.....However, those instructions do not address the defroster. I ordered all of the necessary components for the defroster as well which were not more than a couple hundred dollars.

My conversion is being done in Kissimmee Florida at the same shop that changed out my plastic rear window a couple years ago....

I spoke to the person doing my conversion as he said he would be willing to do others as well.....

Jerry, I'll be in touch with you when I can give you a better idea of how mine's went...

 

Actually....here is where the How-To is.......

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=99683

 

Thanks Snoop I look forward to it.


Jerry