So I want to get a new top but I was wondering if I will be needing any additional parts. It's for a 2005 and I will be using a Robbins top. I called a garage and they wanted to charge me an extra 200 in additional parts. Is this right?

 

You need rivets, a rivet gun, and various other tools. Nothing special, though.

The job takes ~8 hours and can be done with hand tools

My DIY is posted in the UTH section

OEM top replacement

 

very detailed write up thanks! Still looks intimidating to me lol. I've tore apart the whole engine and rebuilt it but for some reason this seems scarier.

 

I replaced OEM top with a Robbins top a few years ago. Took me about half a day to remove the OE top and drill out the old rivets, and another day to put on the new top with a help from a friend. Definitely doable yourself.

 

I got a 2005 also, and recently had s shop install my Robbins Vinyl top that I got from Topsonline website.

It is a good top, but this is my first convertible, so I don't know what a good top really is.

However I do have to mention one thing, is that now when I take hard corners it sounds like one of my soft top "rails" have some metal washers on them in which there would be a sound like they are sliding on the soft top rail while i'm cornering.

I can't figure out what it is, I tried banging on the rails with my hand to see if there are any sound changes or rattling noises inside the soft top rails.

Anybody have this issue as well? It doesn't happen all the time, and it doesn't make or kill my love for the car.

 

I have some similar noise in the top rails after I replaced the top. My guess is when we drilled out the old rivets, some metal shavings/parts fell inside of the rails and are now rolling/shaking around when we drive the car. The noise in my car is more like a rattle than anything else and I've looked all over for loose nuts and bolts on the floor and have found nothing so far. It's been a few years now and I don't have an interior after the seats, so the noise doesn't bother me anymore.

 

I have the exact same issue! It's 100% a small bit of metal (probably an old rivet) in the bar right above my head that bounces from side to side during hard corners. Annoying the hell out of me. I'm hoping it's steel and not aluminum and that a small powerful magnet on the outside of the bar will keep it in place.

 

When I did mine I pulled the rubber plugs out of the bar so I could get the old rivers out. Pull them both out and hit it with some compressed air.

 

Why didn't I think of that? Thanks! Gonna do that when the weather turns better.

 

Thanks for the reminder that there are rubber plugs at the ends of the bars. It took me under a minute to pull the plug and find the old rivet (it was on the same side after a sharp turn and fell right into my hand).