So I have an '06 GT Vert with IUP and some performance mods and about 5500 miles on the clock. My question to convertible owners is about closing the convertible top. Opening the top on the driver's side seems to be much more difficult than the passangers side. The passanger side slides over the metal plate and slip in to place with when you open and close the latch, while the driver's side takes a bit of force for the latch to operate. And I'm not a little guy, so it isn't a leverage problem ( 6'1", 220lbs).

Is anyone else out there having this issure with the top latches?

 

It seems most vert owners, including me, experience this. In the owners manual it says to latch the drivers side first, I guess because it is the "tigher" side.

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I haven't noticed any problems on mine unless the arm wasn't fully extended, are you making sure you pivot the lever down to the first detent? I've noticed if the arms aren't pivoted down, the effort required to open/close the latch goes waaay up!

 

Ya, I'll say I just don't like the latching system as much as I did on the 1999-2004 models. It was easier on my old one and I liked that the button for the top was on the console as opposed to above my head. The latches also just seem to be stubborn and I find myself having to align the bolts. Could need a little breaking in since it's only at 300 miles but still...

 

It does get easier after the top stretches a bit. A lot of people complain about the fact that the top doesn't want to come all the way down to the header when the cars are new. It helps to grab the center handle and pull down as you engage the latches.

 

I've got an '05 with almost 20k on it, and the top gets used a lot! The passenger side is still very difficult to latch when closing the top. Sometimes my wife can not even latch it. So it may not get any easier as it is broken in.

 

Dirro, I have a 05 with about 6500 miles. Top goes down alot, my problem is the drivers side is tight to latch.It also seems to be developing a rattle over bad surfaces only. I thoufgt at first it was the visor hitting the latch but after some investigation that is not it, any ideas?

 

That's DITTO, not Dirro, got to check better.

 

The EXACT same thing has happened on mine, and it drives me crazy! Like you, I thought it was the visor vibrating against the little rubber bumper. But it turns out it's not, it's something in the top mechanism. Washboard surfaces are the worst, it rattles like crazy. I've had the car about 14 months and this just developed in the last 2 or 3 months. VERY annoying. My passenger seat also rattles if no one is sitting in it. I can't pinpoint that one either. I really hate rattles, shame on Ford for not doing better on this.

 

no problems here, but the top come to about 3" from the latches. I just use the center mounted handle to pull the top to the get the pins in the top of the windshield and then catch the latch just enough the crank on it. On mine both sides are about equal in effort