TeamSwift

Convertible Warning...
The wife and I bought a 93 Metro convertible a couple of weeks ago. The car was well worn but nothing not cured by some TLC. The best thing about it was the brand new convertible top.



On the 10 hour drive home a near disaster. While going 65 mph on a very busy freeway, the convertible top blew open like a parachute In an instant it flew all the way up in a verticle position and then slammed down into the cavity behind the seats. Through the unexpected noise and wind we slid the car over to the saftey lane on the side of the expressway.

When I got out, I at first thought all was OK. When I raised the top we saw that the rear window was shredded. Probably a good thing because if it had not given out the top may have left the vehicle entirely.

As it was 14 degrees outside and we still had 7 hours of driving ahead, we drove to the next offramp and bought a roll of clear package tape at the truckstop. The tape held the window together for the rest of the drive and was see through to boot.



What caused this to happen? I was sure upon reflection that the header lock lever had been in the parallel and thus locked postion. The problem was in the lock tab button just to the right of the lever. I had noticed before we started that the button was pushed in. I have owned several convertibles over the years but I was not familiar with this type of locking lever and button system. I had pushed on the top front edge prior to leaving and the top seemed to be locked good and tight. Unfortunately we found out the hard way that it was not.

I currently have the car in storage until the weather warms up enough to refurbish it. First on the list is an engine rebuild and second will be a new top. I am also trying to figure out an additional safety tab/lever/bungee cord or whatever modification to help keep the lock lever in place no matter what.

Hope this helps others avoid a potentially dangerous situation. I have really enjoyed reading many of the posts here and will be reading them all again when the engine rebuild begins.

Regards[img][img][img][/img][/img][/img]

Thanks for warning us.
Is the header okay? It's a tough part to find, although Paul has one I think (Ville Brossard)
Are those catch latches worn or broken? Check that inner bar that links both latch catches also. It may be bent and it could be the cause of a non complete closure

I suggest that you get a cloth top for your next one. In a worst case setting, such as this one, the cloth won't open as violently.

_________________
Less IS more.

That is about the fourth or fifth time I have heard about someones top blowing back. Last summer I had not locked both side down properly and just about had mine come loose. When the temperature goes down at night the top shrinks and it is like wrestling with an aligator trying to button the top down and lock it in. It takes 2 people to close the top on my Vert at night.

Wow close call. Hope the top isn't damaged. Make sure the button clicks whenever you close the top!

10 hour drive, eh? That's true dedication, I'm not sure I could stand to drive that long, even to get a vert. You're a true Teamswift patriot!

I had the screws back out on the left latch last year and the top deployed at WARP EIGHT! I was cooking along a bit past 75 at the time. The thing blew back like a Guillotine. FYI. If you unsnap that pesky rear strap, and drag that rear support bar back as far it will go, the top will latch much easier. Getting it back snapped is a bit tricky.