DIY Instructions: 360 Spider cracked convertible top frame

My '04 Spider suffered the dreaded cracked convertible top frame, so it was time to figure out a way to fix it. I've been the beneficiary of everyone else's wisdom on this site so I took the plunge and documented the procedure to remove and replace the cracked component.

This repair is actually pretty easy, and is probably a 5 on a scale of 1 - 10. The difficult part is finding (and paying for) the replacement part.

Attached is a PDF file that fully documents the procedure, including photographs. Hope this helps the community.
View attachment DIY frame repair.pdf

 

Nice work! Just got my replacement part ordered! This will come in handy!!

 

Great write up.

I will have to fix mine. I'm just wondering what the root cause is that actually causes it to break in the first place.

I would hate to replace the part only to find it snapped in the first few uses.

Defective part to begin with? Top alignment issue? Middle bar weak elastic issue?

Anyone have any guesses?

Are most of the broken parts on the driver's side?

 

The root cause is the deterioration of the elastic straps. They are supposed to position the center bar correctly when retracting the top. One symptom is the top will retract but the cover won't close. Another symptom is a cracked frame. Here's a good thread on it.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/288663-ferrari-360-spider-top-problem.html

 

I would like to think it is the elastic, but I have owned my car 9 years, and it came with that piece cracked. I never had any closing issues with the elastic until about a year ago.

Maybe other people who have a cracked piece can chime in how theirs broke.

Do people initially have the elastic issue and THEN noticed the piece was cracked?

Does anybody have a cracked piece that never had an elastic issue?

 

It's aluminum, right?

My TIG welder will be standing by....

 

Excellent! Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you.

 

Good one.

 

Wow, what an excellent write up, thank you for doing this. The last 20% of the 2004 Spider Workshop Manual is dedicated to the roof mechanism, which says a lot about how complex it is.

 

I decided to fix my top and followed the directions step by step.

I had the original piece welded back together at a local shop. They welded both sides and add a backing plate for added strength. They grinded the front smooth and even painted it (I wasn't expecting that). They charged me $100. The sheen was off just a little, so I put another light coat of paint to match better.

All in all, everything works fine and the directions were excellent!

Thank you OP !!
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Installed pic
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Bumping this thread...

Its been a few years, but looks like I have the same cracked issue. Anyone have luck with this? I think I'll go down the path of removing the part and having it welded/reinforced.

 

If you carefully clean everything and grind all surfaces that touch glue, this repair can be done with a strong, long setting epoxy with a doubler in back. I fixed mine that way successfully. A very common failure.

 

How difficult was the removal and installation? Thinwingflyer's DIY looks pretty thorough, but any gotchas?

Sent from my SM-G950U using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Mine cracked twice, then had the elastic bits replaced and no more trouble. Fixed using a welder guy who charged me $40. Sprayed with satin black and you can’t tell from original.

Mine was also drivers side.

Can’t recall any removal problems, but I did take lots of photos. To remove/replace probably took ~ 1 1/2 hrs working at a non hurried pace.

 

Thanks...I plan to have mine welded as well. Looks like a got a project for this weekend!

Cheers

Sent from my SM-G950U using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

I have a 430 Spider (same top) and while I haven’t had any issues I appreciate this thread. But which bit, exactly, cracks? I don’t get that from these posts. Then I will take a look at mine. Thank you.

 

Sit inside the car with the top up. Look at the upper frame. It's usually the forward pieces on the side that crack longitudinally. It'd be very obvious. There's a good picture of the piece in question in the DIY posted by the OP.

 

Here is the picture of the crack.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

It's worth bearing in mind that normally this is a symptom of an alignment issue: usually weak elastic straps.

Personally, I would prefer the expoxy approach so that this part can be sacrificial again in protecting the rest of the roof assembly from being overloaded, assuming that the original issue persists or was fixed but returns later.

 

Talking about alignment. I did have the elastic replaced, but also the slave cylinders that ultimately raise and lower the top. If those cylinders or worn unevenly, then I think this would also contribute to misalignment. Check the cylinders for any small leakage.

 

Hi all, I had the same issue on my 2003 360 Spider. Researched all over creation and found out that while the 360 Parts Catalog doesn't list individual parts for the Capote Frame, the one for the 430 does. That said, also found out that the tops for both 360 and 430 are identical (at least as far as the frame goes). Found the part at Scuderia Car Parts. Prices are in USD. Order was made 12 Dec 2019; part was delivered 10 Jan 2020 (I believe that they probably sourced it from their UK operations or something similar). The part arrived in original Ferrari packaging and had all of the same markings as the broken piece when I did a visual inspection of the parts, so I am confident that the part is genuine. I took the following directly from the invoice that Scuderia provided me so that the community can benchmark quotes they might get for this part going forward. Also, for the RH, the pricing was identical.
(the table info below may not be terribly legible on a mobile device, but should read OK on a laptop type screen)
Part No Desc Qty Unit Price Total Sales Tax
81096000 LH DARA1 KIT 1 $791.88 $791.88 -
Delivery $25.09 -
Freight Insurance $10.88 -
Duties and Taxes $55.93 -

Subtotal $883.78
Sales Tax Total -
Total $883.78

While I wanted to follow the DIY instructions provided on one of the related posts to FC, I am still a newbie and dont yet have the confidence (or frankly the garage space [I had to purchase a spot at a nearby condo as I live in Downtown DC and don't have a garage - different story there]) to effect the replacement, so Fernando and Richard up at Competizione did a professional replacement of the part for me)

That said, I still have the cracked (replaced) part(s) that was(were) pulled off the car and am considering having it(them) welded back together or selling them off to one who would like to do so to fix a similar issue. I got a quote of around slightly north of $350 to do a weld and refinishing job on the part, but I thought that price might have been a bit high. Anybody have thoughts or suggestions about the courses of action I have laid out here?

One last tidbit, the crack is almost certainly caused by the elastic straps in the interior section of the Capote materials that pull the "bow" frame back getting worn and not doing their job (i.e. pulling the "bow frame" back just as the Capote lifts off the Windshield frame), thus allowing the "bow frame" to push on the "frame hinge" as the entire contraption is going through the opening process and thus cracking the "wing" portion of the "frame hinge"

 

FYSA, Greg at LoCo Exotics had his guy do the welding for $100. I did a little touch paint, but otherwise ready to reinstall. I did all the labor myself (I do have a garage). Just curious, but how much are you asking to sell as is?

 

MKTViper. Name a price and I am sure we can work something out. My hope is that it can find its way into someone's hands that can make use of it and not jack up the price to sell on the open market. The new part I got ran $883 (incl s&h), so if you back out the $100 (let's call it $150 to be conservative) and then add some paint and elbow grease (say $50) to get the part into shape for installation, that would back $200 off of the price I paid for the new piece - $683. Take off half or so of the remaining $683 for the part being "repaired" rather than new and that comes to around $340. So, something reasonable under that number would probably be something that would work. If you think I am out of my mind, throw out a number and we can go from there. Any other comments/analyses from the peanut gallery would also be welcome. I am certainly not trying to make a profit here, but rather trying to make at least a little lemonade out of a lemon that I stepped in.