Installed 2 hardtops
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Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Nashville
My neighbor and I (he has a yellow twin to mine) installed our two hardtops Saturday. The 2 of us worked together and we took 4 hours. No problems and they fit fine. Not that difficult, just follow the instructions. The instuctions BTY are NOT included with the hardtop. Your dealer can download a set for you. A few hints:
1. All the panels that you remove are held on by some molding clips. They need a firm pull. Also get a few extra clips, you are bound to break some.
2. Routing the wire harness for the derfoster switch is a little tricky but just study the instructions. Behind the seat be sure to run it BEHIND the carpet at the edge near the door, otherwise the lower roll bar trim will not fit back in place.
3. The dome lite lens pries off from the FRONT edge. There are 2 little slots in the lens.
4. When mounting the receptable for the defroster switch in the rear side panel, make sure the insert the grommet in the hole BEFORE you push the plug into the grommet.
5. THe hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to remove the the little compartment behind the cup holder from the center console. After you push in the 3 clips that hold it in place, the trick is to use a screwdriver on the top of the console. Insert blade behind the little compartment and pry it forward.
6. You really only have to remove w/s pllar trim on one side to remove the header trim.
1. All the panels that you remove are held on by some molding clips. They need a firm pull. Also get a few extra clips, you are bound to break some.
2. Routing the wire harness for the derfoster switch is a little tricky but just study the instructions. Behind the seat be sure to run it BEHIND the carpet at the edge near the door, otherwise the lower roll bar trim will not fit back in place.
3. The dome lite lens pries off from the FRONT edge. There are 2 little slots in the lens.
4. When mounting the receptable for the defroster switch in the rear side panel, make sure the insert the grommet in the hole BEFORE you push the plug into the grommet.
5. THe hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to remove the the little compartment behind the cup holder from the center console. After you push in the 3 clips that hold it in place, the trick is to use a screwdriver on the top of the console. Insert blade behind the little compartment and pry it forward.
6. You really only have to remove w/s pllar trim on one side to remove the header trim.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: San Diego
Originally posted by andrewewing
5. THe hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to remove the the little compartment behind the cup holder from the center console. After you push in the 3 clips that hold it in place, the trick is to use a screwdriver on the top of the console. Insert blade behind the little compartment and pry it forward.
5. THe hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to remove the the little compartment behind the cup holder from the center console. After you push in the 3 clips that hold it in place, the trick is to use a screwdriver on the top of the console. Insert blade behind the little compartment and pry it forward.
I have 1 question. Do you have ANY wind noise going at about >=60mph?
David
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 362
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From: Atlanta
almilli,
You are right on the hardest part....that thing would not come out and I was worried the "clip" were as long as the ones on the switch unit.
Here is a link to my photo's of the whole job and of the top installed.
http://www.s2000online.com/forums/showthre...?threadid=11211
Let me know what you think and I hope the photo's help someone doing theirs!
You are right on the hardest part....that thing would not come out and I was worried the "clip" were as long as the ones on the switch unit.
Here is a link to my photo's of the whole job and of the top installed.
http://www.s2000online.com/forums/showthre...?threadid=11211
Let me know what you think and I hope the photo's help someone doing theirs!
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 254
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From: SF Bay Area
Just installed my hardtop yesterday as well. whew.
just glad it's over. Took the opportunity to install rick's leather console cover too. hehe. Took me a few minutes to
figure out the coin change holder. From the install instructions, it seemed like the screw was the only thing
holding it in, but there were 3 tabs, and even then it
took me a bit that there wasa "big" tab under the
leather part of the console cover.
The worst part for me was when my dad helped me put on the
hardtop for the first time. he managed to lock the front
latch on the hardtop before I was aligned on both sides.
Ack. Anyways, everything is okay, except I couldn't find
the VIN badge inside the shipping box (huge) or outside.
Could it be in the stacks of boxes used to hold to hardtop
itself (as opposed to the 2 boxes with parts)?
Almilli - is the wind noise you're talking about
like a whistle (aka wind going through a small opening),
or just wind noise like with top down? I haven't really noticed any particular noises (I think the rain and wet streets were main things I heard last night when I went for a test drive with hardtop on up to about 80mph), but I noticed a discrepancy between the left side and right side with the hardtop on. I noticed the gap between the window and the hartop is smaller on the right side (maybe 3mm max), but the left side has like 5-6mm between the window and hardtop. both left and right sides don't cover up the weatherstripping completely though.
For other people who are doing self-installs, there's no
real reason to remove the door sills, or the seat panel
behind the right seat - unless you're worried about
scratching it up. Just be careful and save yourself some
time hehe.
whew. just glad it's over. Took the opportunity to install rick's leather console cover too. hehe. Took me a few minutes to
figure out the coin change holder. From the install instructions, it seemed like the screw was the only thing
holding it in, but there were 3 tabs, and even then it
took me a bit that there wasa "big" tab under the
leather part of the console cover.
The worst part for me was when my dad helped me put on the
hardtop for the first time. he managed to lock the front
latch on the hardtop before I was aligned on both sides.
Ack. Anyways, everything is okay, except I couldn't find
the VIN badge inside the shipping box (huge) or outside.
Could it be in the stacks of boxes used to hold to hardtop
itself (as opposed to the 2 boxes with parts)?
Almilli - is the wind noise you're talking about
like a whistle (aka wind going through a small opening),
or just wind noise like with top down? I haven't really noticed any particular noises (I think the rain and wet streets were main things I heard last night when I went for a test drive with hardtop on up to about 80mph), but I noticed a discrepancy between the left side and right side with the hardtop on. I noticed the gap between the window and the hartop is smaller on the right side (maybe 3mm max), but the left side has like 5-6mm between the window and hardtop. both left and right sides don't cover up the weatherstripping completely though.
For other people who are doing self-installs, there's no
real reason to remove the door sills, or the seat panel
behind the right seat - unless you're worried about
scratching it up. Just be careful and save yourself some
time hehe.
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Joined: Mar 2001
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This is a bit offtopic but being a computer geek that I am I just have to ask why ppl don't buy a scanner if they really want to post pics but don't or cannot spring for a digital camera. I personally won't have too much use for a digital camera but I have a scanner. You can get scanners at very low prices that works well enough.