355 - 355 Spider Roof - Strange request | FerrariChat
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355 355 Spider Roof - Strange request

Discussion in '348/355' started by gatekeeper, Nov 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM.

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  1. gatekeeper

    gatekeeper Rookie

    Jun 8, 2021
    37
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #1 gatekeeper, Nov 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
    Hi,

    In my constant pursuit of getting the roof working properly after a previous owner decided to butcher it into a manual operating roof.....I'm happy to report that the hydraulics are now working in both up and down directions.

    But as you can see from the photos the previous owner decided to hack off a part of the hook, probably so it cleared the rear seats when going down. I intend to put this back by fabricating and welding the missing part, but I don't know the shape. I've drawn the existing outline and the missing section is dotted.

    Therefore I'm hoping someone would kindly draw the outline of their unmolested roof mechanism and also provide the measurement of the opening at the widest point.

    Thanks
    Paul

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  2. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 20, 2015
    14,673
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Ian Riddell
    #2 Qavion, Nov 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
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  3. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 9, 2010
    24,093
    WI
    #3 WATSON, Nov 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
    That is incredibly maddening and sad all at the same time.

    If you must disable the roof ECU, making it manual is a lame approach.

    Use the emergency switch and a remote momentary toggle switch. Mine is next to the ashtray

    Move the windows and seats manually. Easy peasy.

    Been doing it this way for 15 years.

    I need to clean up my car!
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  4. gatekeeper

    gatekeeper Rookie

    Jun 8, 2021
    37
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #4 gatekeeper, Nov 7, 2025 at 3:29 AM
    Thanks Ian. Appreciate your help as always! I actually thought it would be more of a Y shape, but the lower part is more of a hook shape which I hadn't expected. Would you be able to draw around the hook on a piece of paper and then take a photo square on? I'll then scale and print it to use as a template, since I imagine its going to require a fair amount of trial and error.

    100% agree and I can only assume this was done a long time ago when someone didn't car about the history. I was also using the emergency switch to get the hydraulics working and maybe these stopped working so they quickly gave up. Could have been something as simple as low fluid!

    I've since made a test harness with a couple of relays connected directly to the pump and an external 12v battery, which has worked very well to tweak and adjust the roof movement without having to have the ignition on. Once I'm 100% happy with the roof movement and hydraulics, I'm then moving on to the ECU. I suspect its something to do with the full-travel sensor circuits on the rams. I've tested the rams locally and they seem to all be closing the circuit at the right position, therefore probably something within the ECU which isn't registering this correctly.
     
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  5. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 9, 2010
    24,093
    WI
    #5 WATSON, Nov 7, 2025 at 7:05 AM
    I really like the idea of running the electrics of the top from a secondary energy source and not having to energize the car each time. Brilliant. Wish I had thought of that.

    Check that the roof is level and even across the frame as it moves up and down.

    Mine was bent when I got it.

    I 'think' what happened is the elastic straps failed and the first cross bar did not pull back. It then jams in the frame and locks up. Continuing to add hydraulic pressure bends the framework. Then the forks you show don't line up with the pins when the top goes up.
     
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