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Re: Looking for convertible info and experiences Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:52:01
In Reply to: Looking for convertible info and experiences, Noel, Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:42:42 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The later hydraulic tops were pretty reliable on the whole. They get old like anything else, but IMLE they are more reliable than the tops on the c900 15 years later, so there's that. I wouldn't necessarily expect problems. My first and third car (an '00 and a '99) needed nothing. My 2nd (an '02) worked initially but blew one of the passenger side hydraulics pretty quickly on.
Replacement is annoying but not overtly difficult. You can buy replacement hydraulic lines and rams from a couple places - a common source is tophydraulics.com. It's not cheap - a full set of rams & lines could set you back what you paid for the car. But, again, I wouldn't inherently anticipate that happening. The pumps themselves tend to be reliable. There are some potential failure points in the mechanical operation, but again, nothing "common" nor expensive nor difficult for a reasonable DIY.
I can't weigh in much on the actual top - I've read casually some DIY guides, but much like with the c900 if I opted to rep[ace the top I'd have a professional do it. Both the '00 and '99 had good, complete tops. The '02, again, is the weak link with some wear around the rear window. I've gotten a few estimates ranging between $1000 and $2000, which is about the same range as a c900. Some material, maybe a window or headliner, and some labor. Again, you could double the cost of the car.
You probably don't want a top that never got used - seals can dry out and corrosion can form and the top could take a set. But, you also don't want a car that's been heavily used or left outside, as that can be hard on the material. The '00 and '99 were both low-ish mileage cars that had been garaged. The '02 was probably an outside car with average to high miles. It definitely shows.
I think the OG9-3 makes for a good convertible. Decent car, reasonably inexpensive to operate, generally reliable. As a not particularly dynamic car to start with, you don't lose much when you saw the roof off so why not do it? :)
posted by 12.195.130...
, Tue, 31 Jul 2018 22:15:26
1, Tue, 31 Jul 2018 22:38:451
, Sat, 28 Jul 2018 11:42:57, Tue, 31 Jul 2018 22:55:09, Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:52:01 <-- Viewing This Message
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