The ears are an additional way to mount the Roof Transport System (RTS). My hardtop has them, and while you can use them, you can also mount the RTS with the mounts that bolt in front of the clamshell directly to the body. If anyone else has a RTS, I would recommend this way, and not using the ears as they are not very stable, and will cause a lot more noise than when mounted directly to the body. Kind of an interesting curiosity of the early hardtops. I have not noticed any extra noise from the ears though.
