cannot remove hardtop..

[jjtbird]

When I attempted to remove the hardtop for spring, nothing happened.
The latch behind the drivers seat is almost free flow. There is some resistance but no reaction.
No noise, just dead and the top does not react in any way. Locked tight no matter what you do.
The passenger side latch is perfect, when pushed back you feel the resistance and the top raises up correctly.

Surely someone has had or heard of this problem and maybe a solution.

Thanks

 

[tbird]

This is the only thing remotely close on old posts I can find http://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/threads/hard-top-wont-attach.3627/

Maybe someone will chime in this week.

 

[jjtbird]

This is the only thing remotely close on old posts I can find http://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/threads/hard-top-wont-attach.3627/

Maybe someone will chime in this week.

After many days of concern, a hoist was attached to the top and everything was prepared for a normal removal. I had suspected that the driver side latch was somehow broken and not latched to anything. The hoist was lifted and the top came off just as before. The latch pin behind the driver did pull up the plastic cover that is over the pin receiver so something was wrong. I am left with more questions than ever but the top is down and ready for summer. This top has been off so few times in its life I am sure nothing is worn, but who knows.
I won't have to worry about it now until October.

 

[jjtbird]

So I thought I would bring this topic to a conclusion.... as it turned out the top was on cockeyed somehow,,don't know how,, but drivers side latch was not connected and the drivers side front screw was not secure. You could even tell from standing at the rear of the car looking forward and you could tell that something was wrong. The top was not centered at the back.

I took the car to a auto upholstery shop. They removed the top plate between the "A" pillars, made few adjustments for a total of about 3 minutes, snapped the top plate "whatever it is called" back on and ALL problems solved. Top was later removed and replaced in record time and little or no effort needed... at last... it worked perfectly....