[lkchris]

The owners manual for my 2001 devotes 3 pages to fitting the hardtop--how about yours?

What you are likely missing are the rear sockets into which the hardtop mounts. They're commonly called spin locks, but they in fact don't move. Rather, the latching levers are spun to lock. The sockets aren't factory fitted unless the car came from factory with hardtop and it's amost certain you won't get them with a used hardtop.