S2000 Hardtop meets field mice
11-19-2005, 01:06 PM
#1
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S2000 Hardtop meets field mice
The Short Story:
I have the OEM Hardtop for my '02 Sebring S2000. The inside roof which is a black surfaced panel connected to the metal frame via pop rivets has been damaged and I need a new one, any tips on where to find one?
My dealer is doubtful of obtaining this part.
The Long Story:
I suppose these kind of stories happen to everyone but I definitely feel the forces of nature/God conspiring against me.
I bought my S2000 in May of '03 (yes it is an '02 but that's another story) and I loved this car from day one. The raw power, the responsiveness, the looks, the parking lot conversations with admirers everything.
But strange stuff started happening right away. I know some of it is my fault, but it has been driving me nuts.
The first incident: Nature #1
After two weeks with my new baby her "Check Emissions" light comes on. Checking the forums I learn this is not to uncommon and is usually caused by a loose fuel-cap. I tried tightening the cap, I swapped with my wife's Odessey's cap and no luck. The dealer hooks it up to the computer and it spits on an invalid code. So they reset the sensor and send me on my way. A week later the light comes on again. This time they replace the sensor. A week later the light comes on again... I leave the car with them for another week while I am travelling. They do a smoke test of the system and find a drain valve has been clogged by a moth's next...
The Second incident: College Girl
It's Feburary, bitter cold but, insipired by XViper, I am driving my baby. She's got her winter shoes on and handling is great with the extra 150lbs in the trunk. After a 2.5 hour drive to one of the offices I decide she needs a quick bath and go looking for a car wash. I'm downtown in evening traffic sitting behind an idling car at a red light. The light turns green but before my foot can even move from the break... - WHAM... I am rear-ended. My baby is no longer a virgin... Agh... I pull over to the side followed by my attacker, a tiny weeny little college girl driving a beat-up '96 Ford Taurus. She doesn't see what the big deal is about the nice imprint her plate screws have left in my bumper. Heck it's only a $30,000 car...
The Third incident: **shole show off
I'm driving my 17" kid to school, it's another cold day but when I pull up all the smoker's and "cool kids" (hehe) are hanging out. He hops out and waves goodbye. Everyone is looking. I gotta showoff. I rev my baby up and then try to pull a 180 in the wide road... It ain't wide enough and at 20mp/h I bounce off the high curb. My right rear tire and wheel are destroyed with a horrendous noise (thank God the airbag didn't go off) and I come to a shuddering halt.
$2,200 to remind me I am not a professional driver.
The Fourth incident: Hello neighbor.
I don't post much to this forum but I try to read through and use other's experiences whenever I can. I missed the "loose emergency brake" threads somewhere along the way.
It's a beautiful spring day. A friend is over helping with some home repairs. When finished we hop in my baby to bring him to his house. Top's down, feeling good. Drop my friend off and head home. My wife is parked in her normal spot at the top of the driveway and I usually pull in next to her but since I will be going out in a few hours I pull in behind her on a slight grade. I put the e-brake on, roof up and head inside.
You e-brake guys know where this story is going... 20 minutes later the doorbell rings. I run down stairs to be greeted by my neighbor. "Missing a car" she asks and I look over her shoulder to find my car... gone. My car rolled down the driveway, across one neighbor's yard, across the road, jumped two curbs, missed her house and smashed, my baby's rear end into her driver's side head light. Just enough damage to make it a major accident....
Everyone tells me how lucky I am no one was hurt or it didn't hit something worse and I agree with them but it still sucked.
And finally the fifth incident:
I don't have a garage. I dream about building one but the quote for leveling the ground and pouring a slab is over $10,000 so it ain't happening anytime soon.
I have a shed though and that's where I stored my Hard top on the $45.00 pvc frame I learned about right here at s2ki.
In early September I decide to clean the shed out and as I am taking my hardtop out along with the stand a family (mommy and six babies) of mice fall out from the cover. At first I am concerned. Having a mouse baby death on my conscious is a tough thing for my bleeding liberal heart...
Then I take a closer look at the top. The mice had made it their home... They had gotten into the frame steel pocket spaces and built a nest. Six hours of cleaning and spraying managed to get the top usuable but the inside soft cover was saturated with mouse.... droppings. No amount of pee-be-gone spray would get the smell out.
So, what da ya think? Should I just accept these all this and move on or should I recogonize that someone up there doesn't want me to own an nice car and go back to driving PoSes???
And please tell me there are other people out there with some more bizzarre stories. I know the rear-end thing isn't that bizzarre, but mice in the hardtop? Moth's in the drain valve??
Anyways the short story is more important if anyone can help and if you read all the way to here then thanks for letting me whine a bit. It feels good to get it off my chest... and, btw, I still love my baby, everytime I get into her, press start and take her for a spin...
I have the OEM Hardtop for my '02 Sebring S2000. The inside roof which is a black surfaced panel connected to the metal frame via pop rivets has been damaged and I need a new one, any tips on where to find one?
My dealer is doubtful of obtaining this part.
The Long Story:
I suppose these kind of stories happen to everyone but I definitely feel the forces of nature/God conspiring against me.
I bought my S2000 in May of '03 (yes it is an '02 but that's another story) and I loved this car from day one. The raw power, the responsiveness, the looks, the parking lot conversations with admirers everything.
But strange stuff started happening right away. I know some of it is my fault, but it has been driving me nuts.
The first incident: Nature #1
After two weeks with my new baby her "Check Emissions" light comes on. Checking the forums I learn this is not to uncommon and is usually caused by a loose fuel-cap. I tried tightening the cap, I swapped with my wife's Odessey's cap and no luck. The dealer hooks it up to the computer and it spits on an invalid code. So they reset the sensor and send me on my way. A week later the light comes on again. This time they replace the sensor. A week later the light comes on again... I leave the car with them for another week while I am travelling. They do a smoke test of the system and find a drain valve has been clogged by a moth's next...
The Second incident: College Girl
It's Feburary, bitter cold but, insipired by XViper, I am driving my baby. She's got her winter shoes on and handling is great with the extra 150lbs in the trunk. After a 2.5 hour drive to one of the offices I decide she needs a quick bath and go looking for a car wash. I'm downtown in evening traffic sitting behind an idling car at a red light. The light turns green but before my foot can even move from the break... - WHAM... I am rear-ended. My baby is no longer a virgin... Agh... I pull over to the side followed by my attacker, a tiny weeny little college girl driving a beat-up '96 Ford Taurus. She doesn't see what the big deal is about the nice imprint her plate screws have left in my bumper. Heck it's only a $30,000 car...
The Third incident: **shole show off
I'm driving my 17" kid to school, it's another cold day but when I pull up all the smoker's and "cool kids" (hehe) are hanging out. He hops out and waves goodbye. Everyone is looking. I gotta showoff. I rev my baby up and then try to pull a 180 in the wide road... It ain't wide enough and at 20mp/h I bounce off the high curb. My right rear tire and wheel are destroyed with a horrendous noise (thank God the airbag didn't go off) and I come to a shuddering halt.
$2,200 to remind me I am not a professional driver.
The Fourth incident: Hello neighbor.
I don't post much to this forum but I try to read through and use other's experiences whenever I can. I missed the "loose emergency brake" threads somewhere along the way.
It's a beautiful spring day. A friend is over helping with some home repairs. When finished we hop in my baby to bring him to his house. Top's down, feeling good. Drop my friend off and head home. My wife is parked in her normal spot at the top of the driveway and I usually pull in next to her but since I will be going out in a few hours I pull in behind her on a slight grade. I put the e-brake on, roof up and head inside.
You e-brake guys know where this story is going... 20 minutes later the doorbell rings. I run down stairs to be greeted by my neighbor. "Missing a car" she asks and I look over her shoulder to find my car... gone. My car rolled down the driveway, across one neighbor's yard, across the road, jumped two curbs, missed her house and smashed, my baby's rear end into her driver's side head light. Just enough damage to make it a major accident....
Everyone tells me how lucky I am no one was hurt or it didn't hit something worse and I agree with them but it still sucked.
And finally the fifth incident:
I don't have a garage. I dream about building one but the quote for leveling the ground and pouring a slab is over $10,000 so it ain't happening anytime soon.
I have a shed though and that's where I stored my Hard top on the $45.00 pvc frame I learned about right here at s2ki.
In early September I decide to clean the shed out and as I am taking my hardtop out along with the stand a family (mommy and six babies) of mice fall out from the cover. At first I am concerned. Having a mouse baby death on my conscious is a tough thing for my bleeding liberal heart...
Then I take a closer look at the top. The mice had made it their home... They had gotten into the frame steel pocket spaces and built a nest. Six hours of cleaning and spraying managed to get the top usuable but the inside soft cover was saturated with mouse.... droppings. No amount of pee-be-gone spray would get the smell out.
So, what da ya think? Should I just accept these all this and move on or should I recogonize that someone up there doesn't want me to own an nice car and go back to driving PoSes???
And please tell me there are other people out there with some more bizzarre stories. I know the rear-end thing isn't that bizzarre, but mice in the hardtop? Moth's in the drain valve??
Anyways the short story is more important if anyone can help and if you read all the way to here then thanks for letting me whine a bit. It feels good to get it off my chest... and, btw, I still love my baby, everytime I get into her, press start and take her for a spin...
11-19-2005, 03:48 PM
#4
Registered User
Originally Posted by JSmooth,Nov 19 2005, 02:06 PM
The Third incident: **shole show off
I'm driving my 17" kid to school, it's another cold day but when I pull up all the smoker's and "cool kids" (hehe) are hanging out.
I'm driving my 17" kid to school, it's another cold day but when I pull up all the smoker's and "cool kids" (hehe) are hanging out.
11-19-2005, 04:17 PM
#5
Originally Posted by beanolo,Nov 19 2005, 07:48 PM
A 17" kid? Sweet!
I think mice have caused more damage than hurricane Katrina.
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11-19-2005, 06:57 PM
#8
Ouch tough luck, buddy. At least you have a good sense of humor about it. I agree with ej0513 - perhaps you could tear out the liner and have a professional shop install a new one. Maybe they could replace it with a nicer material like alcantra or suede. Good luck!
11-20-2005, 10:38 AM
#9
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Thanks for the sympathy and the advice. I will look into having something fabricated but I bet it is going to be pricey.
BTW: I have sealed my 17" son in mylar. Apparently kids that small are pretty rare and the comic-book guy said he might be worth something.
The kid seemed to have trouble breathing at first but he settled down after a few minutes so I guess he's ok now and I'll keep him in near-mint condition until I can find a suitable buyer...
BTW: I have sealed my 17" son in mylar. Apparently kids that small are pretty rare and the comic-book guy said he might be worth something.
The kid seemed to have trouble breathing at first but he settled down after a few minutes so I guess he's ok now and I'll keep him in near-mint condition until I can find a suitable buyer...
11-20-2005, 10:46 AM
#10
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I vote you keep the car. The problems you've been having is not because of the car, it's just poor luck. But you're luck will change (sooner than later I hope), and things will be merry again.
In the mean time, you should put that 17" in the FS section, you'll find more buyers there.
In the mean time, you should put that 17" in the FS section, you'll find more buyers there.