To set the scene: I'm supposed to pick up the car Friday afternoon from the shop. My daughter, wife and I have Father's day plans - a day at (more importantly, a drive to) Badin Lake on Sunday. A call comes from the repair shop at about 2pm. "Everything is all ready to go, but...." "When we were putting the top up, the latch just shattered" "We were just going to replace it, but it's $300+" "I can try to weld it, but it's in little pieces" "The car probably won't be ready today" Luckily, I had already obtained a replacement pair of toggles from Ron Frohock. OK, I admit it, I had actually ordered them before the car was even delivered, and stored them away for a 'just-in-case'. You can imagine the shop-owner's relief when I told him I had the replacement home in a drawer. Fifteen minues after getting home, I had the latch reassembled with the replacement toggle and working fine. The toggle is a neat piece of work and fit perfectly. While everything was apart, I cleaned the slide in the latch, too, allowing the knob to turn much easier. I had read in FChat that the toggles were prone to break. How true. I am really glad that I saw the thread and found Ron's solution. Thanks, Ron. PS - we had a great drive - perfect weather and some nice Carolina country roads.
I have a set as back-up. My entire latch assembly was replaced by the PO just prior to my purchase. You all may want to consider leaving these in the car, just in case! Glad to hear that they worked well for you.
Honestly, I have really enjoyed offering a solution to a common problem. It has been a blast to meet a bunch of fellow Mondial owners and share our passion for our cars. Seriously, thanks for the kind words. - Ron Frohock
