So I FINALLY figured out why my top doesn't close evenly -- disassembled the mechanism and found this:
However, after replacing it the OTHER push rod decides it won't stay attached, and keeps popping off -- the plastic cup is just worn, I guess... It's a bit bent, too, so I suppose I should have just bought a pair from the get-go.
BTW, Pelican's non OEM (Hamburg Technic) push rod is virtually indistinguishable from the Porsche part (other than being straight, and non-broken, in my case) & It's less than half price. I will soon have a matching pair...
Also, I learned that working on the top is MUCH easier if you remove the clamshell -- it only takes 5 minutes, and is well worth it.