[Eric G]

Last year I started a thread discussing the possibility of converting to a manual top. Well, a couple of things happened between then and now.

First off, I had a control rod that decided to pop a tip off and it was before I was ready to start my build. The V levers were still in great shape so I ended up with a manual drop of my top and an electronically controlled clam shell.

This seemed to work well as I could drop and raise the top from the drivers seat...an easy breezy process. I completed my build and things seemed to be going well. Then one day while leaving work for what ever reason, my top transmission went screwy and the top ran off the gears and locked itself down...solid!

Well, this is now becoming a frustrating issue. I come home, work out the release of the v-lever and begin the process of retiming the 50 teeth drive gear so the clam shell can function again. I reset the transmission not once or twice, but seven times dead nuts, but each time the clam shell would function it would over drive and lock the clam shell down.

OK, there comes a point when the value of what you are trying to do is lost to frustration. Now, this is not my first convertible and in my other cars, the tops were manual and guess what, I was still able to enjoy everything about the car, there was just a couple of physical aspects you the driver had to do that was not controlled by electronics.

How many times have you read a thread where someone has been locked in a situation with a top half up/down or in any position in between! Well, this was my car and I will not be limited to using my car because of a few micro switches or silly gears that do something I have more then enough brain cells and muscles to do on my own.

Well, I am basically at the point I am looking for. To complete the process of making a manual top, I disconnected the drive lines, pulled the fuse disabled the top light in my dash. I know have a fully manual top...but wait...how am I going to lock the clam shell down?

In looking back at the vintage Porsche cars, you will find that in many cases there were leather straps that would lock the frunk and trunk in place. Not wanting to attach leather to my car to lock the clam shell down, I came up with another mechanism...draw latches. I pulled my McMaster Carr catalog out and found that for $24.00 I could order a 6" rubber draw latch. I had used these on my boat for securing gear lockers and other enclosures and they can stand up to a hard beating and are very durable to weathering.

As such, this is how my car sits today, for $48.00 and about $8.00 in aluminum rivets. It takes me about 45 to 60 seconds to open and or close the top. Yes, my windows still drop when I open the major latch mechanism for the top and the windows small drop during opening and or closing of the door when the top is up still works.

Downside??? None in my mind. Upside? I never have to worry about an electrical switch or gremlin ruining a day of driving. Oh, if you are wondering how this does at an elevated pace on the road? Nothing moves one bit.