Shrinking Soft Top????

[zawrilla]

Hey,
Well, today I finally took off the hardtop and went for a nice drive to Brooklyn. When I stopped off in a shopping centre on the way back I wanted to put the soft top up when the car was parked. However, I found that it was EXTREEEEEMELY tight. By this I mean.. it just couldn't reach so I could close the latches well. Now I have a plastic window soft top, and have had the window unzipped the whole time when the top was folded. When the window is unzipped, it has no problem reaching the latches so it closes, but when the window is zipped up it becomes very tight. I have even lengthened the connectors as much as possible.
Any ideas??

[Fatty]

just give it some time in the sun and it will stretch back into the correct shape.

[sliq]

yup, the cold contracts the vinyl..

think of the soft top as power lines from telegraph pole to telegraph pole. it tightens up on a cold day and tends to sag a bit on a hot day.

[bensale]

I think this is normal, well at least it happens to me when I have the hardtop on for more than a few weeks. Its stretch back out again, dont worry!

[zawrilla]

Ahh...now those are the types of responses I like. The ones that don't mention any additional costs
Thanks guys.

[Steampunk]

Ahh...now those are the types of responses I like. The ones that don't mention any additional costs

Well .... if you want to fix it properly.....

Just kidding.

The previous owner virtually never took the hardtop off so after a few years, I took it off and from memory it was pretty stiff, but I still managed to latch it.

[Garry]

What they said. It will be fine after a little bit of time in the sun with the roof up.

[Benny]

Ahh...now those are the types of responses I like. The ones that don't mention any additional costs
Thanks guys.

Yup, time heals all wounds.

I had the same problem when I bought my new '99 model with a factory fitted hardtop.
Picked the car up from the dealer and took it home to take the hard top off, then went for a great drive with Mrs Benny, then we stopped somewhere to get a bight to eat and bloody hell, did we have a time and a half trying to latch up the roof!
We were pushing and pulling and swearing and after 2 broken nails and a finger that got caught somewhere, we managed to close it.
People walking past must have thought we were idiots!

It was fine after leaving it in the sun for a few days to stretch.