Why are my posts suddenly " Awaiting approval before being displayed publicly. " ? I've made 16 posts, I try to be nice to everyone and thank them.. now I feel like someone thinks I did something wrong! I find is strange and disconcerting.
Thank you. Pictures won't show anything because as of now everything looks normal since the fella closed it. You see my mom had borrowed the car from my nephew for a week while her car was in a shop. At the time, it was closed with a bunch of duct tape connecting the top to the car. We found out the motor worked because my mom had accidentally hit the button by the shifter and we closed it before it could fully open. We had to re-duct tape the top to the car. When my mom found out her car had to go back into the shop, she decided to buy this Smart Fortwo from my nephew who then had the soft top re-closed more securely so duct tape would not have to be used.Maybe some with a working convertible top can post pics or a video of it in action. Or advice on where it may be binding. And John Phoenix, try showing the group pics of where the leak is, maybe inside and out?
I agree with mb DNA.The primitive $400 top “repair” is a “hack job” and appears to have PERMANENTLY disabled the top - A BAD DESIGN and likely irreversible...
Sorry about that. It appears that the forum's automatic spam filters were thinking that some of your posts are spam. The silly robots don't always get it right! You should be clear to make more posts.Why are my posts suddenly " Awaiting approval before being displayed publicly. " ? I've made 16 posts, I try to be nice to everyone and thank them.. now I feel like someone thinks I did something wrong! I find is strange and disconcerting.
I see, Thanks. I'll take your word for it. It wasn't my opinion but I've read that on posts from folks complaining about the problems they were having. I think this was on Fg101 forum. I wish I'd have been able to speak to the fella before he did whatever he did. I'd have told him to find another way.NOT a “horrible design” but in fact a rather ingenious cabrio soft top design! - The primitive $400 top “repair” is a “hack job” and appears to have PERMANENTLY disabled the top
Those shiny metal bars are unfortunately not part of the roof. To get to those bars to remove them, you'll need to take down the headliner. You basically just have to remove the sunvisors on each side and the bolts under them, like so:Miss Mercedes said, "it appears that whoever your nephew hired simply bolted the roof shut. " So what you see in the video, those shiny metal bars are NOT a standard part of the car? ( Just making sure because I never saw how it's actually supposed to look.) Thank you for the info about the forum robots btw.
I've read some posts on it from Evilution but they don't have a lot I can read without paying for the forum. I guess I'll have to look at salvage yards and Hope they know enough to sell me all the parts even if I have to pay someone to install it. I'm retired, on a fixed budget and for me to afford 2400 dollars would take a few years at least. Thanks folks.
Oh.. one last thing.. How do I access that area so I can get a better look at what he did?
Thank you Ma'am! Much appreciated.Those shiny metal bars are unfortunately not part of the roof. To get to those bars to remove them, you'll need to take down the headliner. You basically just have to remove the sunvisors on each side and the bolts under them, like so:
451 Roof Trim | Evilution
www.evilution.co.uk
A membership at Evilution is $12 and it's the best $12 you'll ever spend on a smart. The site is run by a guy who takes these cars apart to give everyone the kind of service manual that publications like Haynes never bothered to make.
But I would probably refrain from removing those bars right now. Those bars are probably the only things keeping your roof closed.
From the looks of your roof, it looks like the previous owner(s) didn't take good care of it and over 13 years it shrunk to the point where the motor could no longer close the roof on its own. Looks like to solve that problem, the person your nephew paid to fix it just physically shoved the roof closed and bolted it shut. $20 of work at best, sadly.
I won't run from this car. The engine seems to run very well and I've read where lots of people has 160 plus thousand miles on their Smart cars. I've done a good bit of work cleaning it up, changing fluids, tightening down hoses etc. We are able to pay off the car over time which is a luxury I cannot get anywhere else or with any other car. I'm just going to have to resign myself to keeping the car running and not worry about the roof for now. I'm a tiny man. If I had my way, I'd make the car even smaller. No way I can find anything as small. My nephew does not run a used car dealership. He has a tire place where he sells new and used tires, a car wash and a couple of other businesses. He told my mom he got the ability to sell used cars through the state. I assume he applied for some kind of used car dealership license. Thank you for the information.Dear John,
Run from this "car". It will end up being a money pit. Let's be realistic your smart Wil NEVER be worth more than what your mom paid for it.
First off, I think that $2300 for 13 year old smart convertable with a non-operating top was way too much to pay. Then we have the whole $400 hacked frame job.
Depending upon whether the frame around the windshield was drilled into, the car may never be able to be repaired. If the windshield frame was drilled into, the strength of the frame may have also have been compromised. That frame and the roll bar are the only things keeping you from getting crushed in a rollover.
Just advice from another old smart convertable owner.
I know you don't want to hear it and you'll fight it tooth and nail.
Don't go chasing dimes with dollars. (That would be the actual value of Your smart versus it's repair cost.) Sell the car for what you can it will not be much. Buy a used miata much better car and you can get a real 5 speed trans. Which in my opinion is more fun with a convertible.
Here's a thought. Ask the car dealer grandson what he will give you as trade in. But don't be shocked at his offer. See if he will do Right by his family. You did say he was a dealer, not just a use car salesman. If he is a dealer he would better able to write off the cost of the car better than your mother (God bless her 93 and Still Driving WoW ) or you retired, living on a fixed income.
If he is a dealer, he will access to a lot of auctions an other dealers that sell tradeins wholesale to other dealers.
GOOD smart convertable's
Good luck
Miss Mercedes
Hack job to say the least. But there was some sawing and drilling involved I'd said $50-60 in time and materials.
I've seen that post. I guess I can afford 12 bucks for Evilution's forum. I've put together a folder with 24 PDF's about the car, (various manuals) and a bunch of videos found on youtube plus copies of forum posts with tutorials.. it's about 1.6 gigabytes of information. I'm handy with tools being an AC heating and refrigeration technician and have always worked on my own cars. I'll muddle through somehow. Thank you for the information.John
From a few years ago.
Here is a post from a smart owner also in Phoenix. He also had a non operational convertable top.
He even ask twice about and I quote
'Do they make a chiltons or Haynes or guise on how to fix these cars? I can't find anyand the second time
'Not even a chiltons or Haynes manual is out there'
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fortwo Convertible Issue 2K Bill yes.
So yesterday I went to open my top. I hit the keyfob and I noticed the top did not go all the way back. The driver side was about four inches from being fully open while the passenger side was fully back. I looked at it for a second and thought I will close it and take it to the dealer. I went...www.smartcarofamerica.com
Big E,John Phoenix.
I know what....
What I plan on doing with the top on mine is finding a wrecked one with a working top and transferring the top to mine as it can come out cheaper plus you have spare parts if you need them.