Tried to put boot on yesterday for just 2nd time. Like RedVinesRanch there was no way. Impossible to get my hand down between a top bar to put on the snaps. Raised top and inserted the padded tube for the rear window (my neighbor had borrowed it to make one and had just returned it) Lowered top and suddenly the top bar wasn't there anymore (coincidence?) and top was much lower. Boot went on w/o much trouble. Didn't have time to experiment further but RVR is def. on to something re the front bar. Now how do we make it work everytime?

 

This morning at my dealer, I noticed that the top on the 2001 Spa Yellow on the showroom floor was sticking up significantly higher than mine does, and there was no way the boot cover would fit on there. With the salesman's permission, I raised the top partway, found that the forwardmost bow of the covertible frame had not properly dropped into the well underneath the headboard (you know, that clamps onto the windscreen -- whatever it's called). Rather, that bow was resting more vertical than horizontal, actually in front of the headboard.

When we lowered the top again, the bow dropped properly into place. Neither of us could figure out how the top had originally been lowered in an incorrect configuration.

Each of the bows, starting with the last one aft, should lie flat in the well. If you suspect you may be having trouble with the boot cover due to this problem, you can interrupt the lowering procedure as often as necessary to assure that this is the case.

With the top properly folded, the boot cover on this display vehicle would easily install as intended.

 

I find that it helps to make sure the roof material is folded properly and not gathered on each side in an odd way.

I usually retract the top about half way get out and make sure the fabric is neatly creased and at the same time insert "the noodle" that protects the rear window from kinking. Then I lower the roof in small increments to make sure everything is nice and neat as it goes into the well.

It's important if you use "the noodle" to retract the top and check the noodles position cause it tends to roll toward the back of the car and not seat properly. I ususally finish up by holding the roof button down until the topwon't retract any further and tem firmly press down to completely seat it in the well.

This all takes about 45 seconds to complete!