318ti.org forum - Cali Top owners: How has your Cali Top broken?

Cali top Brethren,
I am in the midst of renewing a pair of late model Cali tops and motors for my 98 Cali Sport.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps9f07edf2.jpg

I am awaiting a new frame seal to arrive from Germany before I install my first verified working top, so I have a few weeks to address any other problem areas before I pop it in.

I have come across 4 different motor configurations and 2 top types. As I get to 2 solid tops, I wondered what various issues folks have had with their tops.

So far, I have seen:

Motors with the top plastic gear broken on the motor
Tops with broken bows
Frames with broken corners or drains
Tops that have retract drive issues on the drivers side
Loose tension straps that cause the top to not lie down completely flat
Dried out or clogged drain outlets
Shrunken, cracked or leaking frame seals
Wind noise at excessively high speeds :rolleyes:

So, three questions for you then:

How has yours broken or been an issue?
What did you do to fix or retrofit it?
How much and how long to repair it?

I have read as much on the Cali Tops or Faltdachs as I could find. Hopefully, this can be a consolidated reference thread on diagnosis, repair, renewal and maintenance of these cool tops. I have read a number of good separate threads out there, so when I or if you have a moment, we can link them here.

I'll add to this thread as I discover any useful items.

Regards, Rich :cool: