diamondback Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 A while back I posted a thread on white(wear) marks showing on my convertible top and from the people who responded it sounds like its a 50/50 thing. Well I took my car into the ford service shop and they said they would replace the top for me. I said I was concerned about just replacing it because I dont want the same problem to show up a couple of weeks later again. The service guy said he would do some research for me and get back to me. When he got back to me he said he found someone with the same issue in another town and he got his replaced and the marks came back again along with it almost wearing holes right through the top. The other service guy found out that there are two different manufacturers of the top so he ordered the other manufacturers top and installed it so now I have to wait until maybe next year to find out if this will finally fix the problem. Does anyone here have any input on this topic or seeing the same thing??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txcobra Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I have seen the slight white marks on mine as well, doesnt look like it is wearing a hole through or anything close to that, but I would like to know more about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcoll Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I have seen the slight white marks on mine as well, doesnt look like it is wearing a hole through or anything close to that, but I would like to know more about this. Yeah.. I have those same marks on my top.... do you have any more info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I was looking at my top today, on the drivers side, and thought WTF are those white wear marks. The marks are almost worn thru the cloth. It's just another re-do for Ford. By-the-way.... GO POKES!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txcobra Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Hook 'em!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msy Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Where do the wear marks appear? I have an 07 and have a ton of white threads showing on the inside around the rear window. I was told by the dealer that the top is a wear item and too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 You mentioned that you have wear marks around your rear window and it made me think of the quarter window TSB on the Verts. If you guys are seeing any problems with the rear quarter window.....here's the TSB on that issue: Vert_Quarter_glass_tsb08_17_03.pdf Vert_Quarter_glass_tsb08_17_03.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigo Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 A while back I posted a thread on white(wear) marks showing on my convertible top and from the people who responded it sounds like its a 50/50 thing. Well I took my car into the ford service shop and they said they would replace the top for me. I said I was concerned about just replacing it because I dont want the same problem to show up a couple of weeks later again. The service guy said he would do some research for me and get back to me. When he got back to me he said he found someone with the same issue in another town and he got his replaced and the marks came back again along with it almost wearing holes right through the top. The other service guy found out that there are two different manufacturers of the top so he ordered the other manufacturers top and installed it so now I have to wait until maybe next year to find out if this will finally fix the problem. Does anyone here have any input on this topic or seeing the same thing??? I don't have any marks (yet), but I've only put my top down 5 or 6 times. How old is your car and how much do you use your top? Or are the marks just from driving with the top up? Also I wonder if the different tops have a tag or label somewhere by the manufactures, so we could see who made it? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DubbsFaris Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Yup...they are marks at the corner frame points on mine....great...another thing to fight about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT500FLYBOY Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Where are these wear marks exactly? Do we have any pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKSHELBY Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I have a 2008 SGT CONV and im getting wrinkles in the corners behind the quarter windows but no marks yet either. I was not a fan of the way the top folded from the beginning. I dont like the way the cloth gets pinched between the metal frame work when the top is down. I like the old way they used to fold - metal stacks on metal and cloth stacks on cloth. But what the hell , its "NEW AND IMPROVED" right ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 some pictures please. are these inside on the liners or outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted October 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 some pictures please. are these inside on the liners or outside? I will post some pics tomorrow. The wear marks are on the top of the top positioned right above the passenger and drivers windows. On the drivers side the damn thing says hi to me every time I get in the car. My car is a 2008 with 3.5k miles. Built dec 12th 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Here are the marks on my drivers side, almost worn through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabo Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 The marks are just starting to show on mine as well. It appears to be from the way the top folds when down. I can slip my finger up under the marks and there is not anything rubbing while the top is up. Looks like the top may need some reinforcement at these wear areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted October 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Here are the marks on my drivers side, almost worn through. Yup, those are the same marks as mine. There is definately something wrong with the design of these that ford needs to step up and fix. This is completely unacceptable and I suggest everyone go in to their service dealer and demand resolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigo Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 My car is a 2008 with 3.5k miles. Built dec 12th 2007. How many times do you thing you've dropped the top? I have no marks but have dropped my top only a few times. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted October 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 My car is a 2008 with 3.5k miles. Built dec 12th 2007. How many times do you thing you've dropped the top? I have no marks but have dropped my top only a few times. Craig I would say 98% of my 3.5k was driven with the top down but the marks appeared at 500 miles. This issue has nothing to do with putting the top up and down. It's driving with the top down. It's due to an improperly designed cloth top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 I put the top half way up and looked on the inside area of the white marks and there is def a serious burn/rubbing problem there, but only on the drivers side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tispco Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Yup, those are the same marks as mine. There is definately something wrong with the design of these that ford needs to step up and fix. This is completely unacceptable and I suggest everyone go in to their service dealer and demand resolution. +1 I have the same marks on my top. My top is down most of the time and these marks are definitely caused from driving around with your top down. I took mine to the Ford dealer and had a regional Ford warranty representative look at it. They refused to replace the top and said it was 'normal wear'. Very disappointing. Also, IMO if you drive with your top down, you WILL get these marks and a new top would probably have the same marks show up over time. The fix needs to be more than just replacing the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five Oh B Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 OK, call me naive and feel free to tell me I'm wrong, but the top is moving item that will experience wear over time, and tops do need to be replaced over time as they wear out. I suspect that most tops are only good for 5-10 years at the most, before needing to be replaced. So, how much wear should be considered normal wear and tear? I have no clue, and I certainly sympathize with anyone who spends a bundle on a car only to have something start to wear out. But, how is the folding/moving convertible top any different than clutch linings, brake linings, wiper blades, etc. that wear from normal use and need replacing periodically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 OK, call me naive and feel free to tell me I'm wrong, but the top is moving item that will experience wear over time, and tops do need to be replaced over time as they wear out. I suspect that most tops are only good for 5-10 years at the most, before needing to be replaced. So, how much wear should be considered normal wear and tear? I have no clue, and I certainly sympathize with anyone who spends a bundle on a car only to have something start to wear out. But, how is the folding/moving convertible top any different than clutch linings, brake linings, wiper blades, etc. that wear from normal use and need replacing periodically? Yes, you are right. Depending on how the car is parked/stored, how much time it sits in the hot sun or cold temperatures below 50 degrees, as well as the frequency that the owner uses the car with the top down, a person can expect to replace the fabric on a convertible top about every 10 years or so. As an example, even though it was garaged whenever it wasn't being driven and always driven in a temperate climate, I needed to replace the top on my 1987 LX in 1997, and would have had to replace the second top in 2007 if I had not sold the car. With respect to the polished fabric issue on our tops, it does not matter if you replace the fabric with another brand of top materal or not, it's the fundemental design related to how the top stows in the down position that will continue to cause the fabric to rub against itself and become polished (white). FoMoCo redesigned the top and top stowage in the 2005 model year after responding to some complaints from Fox bodied convertible owners who complained of poor rearward visability whenever the top was down, and that happened because the folded top and the top frame would stick up too high and not lie flat into the stowage well. I have read and posted comments in a previous forum about the rubbing problem a couple of months ago, and since then, decided to conduct a personal experiment based on a hunch. I first cleaned and re-waterproofed my top with a soft brush and a cleaner/sealer product called Ragg-Topp. Once I removed the white polish marks off of the fabric, I then made an effort to use the top boot cover everytime I would put the top down. It was/is a royal pain in the ass to use mind you, but I had to check and see if my theory about the rub marks had any merrit. And my theory was that the fabric was rubbing and getting polished for two reasons: 1. I could see that the stowed top was bouncing up and down on itself whenever I drove over a rough or dippy roadway, and.. 2. The wind at freeway speeds was buffeting the folded top material which in turn caused it to rub against itself and that also contributed the rub marks too. And what I found out was that since I have been using the top boot cover religiously, the polish marks no longer appear because the boot cover compresses the folded top down and arrests it from bouncing up and down, and the cover also seals the top from getting wind buffeted too. Although it's a real pain in the ass to use, the boot cover does work and also makes the car look more streamlined too. For what it's worth, wrinkles and rub marks appear on every convertible topped car no matter how expensive it is. I have seen wrinkled and polished tops on Jaguars, Mercedes, Rolls Royce's (ones without automatic boot covers), Bentley's, and Aston Martin's too. It's just the nature of the beast if you don't make an effort to use the provided top boot cover that came with our verts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 The tops on our cars should not show premature "wear&tear", and should be covered under warranty. Especially when it is obviously a functional defect causing a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted October 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 The tops on our cars should not show premature "wear&tear", and should be covered under warranty. Especially when it is obviously a functional defect causing a problem. You are 100% correct! I have never seen a top(cloth or otherwise) on any other convertible get these wear marks or get destroyed(wear holes) because of a bad design. I have seen other convertibles tops get weathered over the years and needed replacing but that is 100% acceptable. A bad designed cloth top is the problem here which is 100% not acceptable and everyone should take action to get ford to provide us with a properly designed cloth top! This is not a Yugo we bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdscooby Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 Issues such as this is why I decided against the vert. Have had a couple of verts in the past and they are just another maintenance issue (cloth, mechanics, etc.). Also, AZ can be tough on tops, but also a great place for verts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted October 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 OK, call me naive and feel free to tell me I'm wrong, but the top is moving item that will experience wear over time, and tops do need to be replaced over time as they wear out. I suspect that most tops are only good for 5-10 years at the most, before needing to be replaced. So, how much wear should be considered normal wear and tear? I have no clue, and I certainly sympathize with anyone who spends a bundle on a car only to have something start to wear out. But, how is the folding/moving convertible top any different than clutch linings, brake linings, wiper blades, etc. that wear from normal use and need replacing periodically? Because this isnt due to normal weathering or wear n tear. This is to do with a bad design that is causing un-natural/premature defects in the cloth top. Normal wear on a top is weathering or the folds wearing not the frame boring a hole in the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabo Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 I was looking through the list of TSBs at allfordmustangs.com and a found this 06-22-16 Convertible Top Wear - Bulit before 10/11/06 It sure sounds like the same problem. Seems to me that they did not really fix it since we are still having the problem. Found this as well with adds the cloth top to the parts list 07-19-1 Premature Convertible Top Wear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stargazer423 Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 You know, I'm startingto see that the initial purchase price of the car is only the beginning. You have to put another $5,000 into it to fix all the problems, if you want it done right. Very disappointing. I have only 50 miles on mine and I'm really looking forward (not) to all the problems I will be having in the future - top problems, clutch problems, shifter problems, battery problems (already had one of those and just put in a new one on my own), transmission problems, ... Kinda takes the fun out of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharabi Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 You know, I'm startingto see that the initial purchase price of the car is only the beginning. You have to put another $5,000 into it to fix all the problems, if you want it done right. Very disappointing. I have only 50 miles on mine and I'm really looking forward (not) to all the problems I will be having in the future - top problems, clutch problems, shifter problems, battery problems (already had one of those and just put in a new one on my own), transmission problems, ... Kinda takes the fun out of the car. Mine has 3400 miles almost two years driven hard.......no burn outs cause i do not know how to do them.. :D ,and no one single problem ..I guess it is fair to say that we had a very good deal for what most of us has paid...and if i will go along your line and put 5k to fix extras we are still short of the 70K Z06, 100K Porsche, 90 K M3, 90K viper.........etc. i still think it is a good deal....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 My tech said he has not seen one replced yet, but if it is a defect then they will cover it. Also he is going to order the parts for my clutch TSB if I decide to get it done in the next few weeks. Now that is service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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