'84 Mondial Cab: How the %$#%$ does the top go down?

I can't speak for the Mondial, but it *may* be similar to the 348's top: http://webpages.charter.net/aircover/348%20Spider%20Top%20Process.htm

 

After you unlatch and get the front lip disconnected from the windshied frame, stand on the driver's side and with your left hand, begin to push the top back. With your right hand, find the little, slightly downward curved extension poking out of the crossbars toward you and lift it. You will see that upon lifting it the crossbars will scissor-X nicely. Keep pushing with your left hand and you should see the frame dip into the little nooks on the rear deck cut out for that purpose.

If you're getting stuck with 1/4 of the top in the air, it's almost certain that you didn't lift the crossbar extension. They diagram this in the Owner's Manual and you can download it from the Ferrari Owner's Site. I'd upload it right here but it's too big for a PDF file.

 

Buzz gave me a expert in-person tutorial on the street in soho when we met at a f-chat gathering...I admired his wonderfully tucked and coverd cabriolet top and he showed me the way.. I always used to joke that Enzo designed teh mondial as a four seater since that is how many guys it takes to put the top up/down...hard to believe when new at the price it sold for it did not have a power top or glass rear window...OK sure who needs the extra weight and with the electrics on the mondial the way they are who needs the another electric gizmo to fail at f-car part prices so therein lies teh genius of teh four seats!

 

Be sure you put the back windows down, then follow the instructions in the previous post regarding the swing bar in the middle. The back windows threw me off when I first got mine.

 

There used to be a comprehensive explanation with pictures in the old archive from MondialTCab .. .. just have a look there.

 

This was sent to me by another owner in a email and I thougth I might share it here...don't know if any of this is true.

"The earliest Mondial Cabrios were all recalled because the frame would lock up in a sort of Landau position... neither up nor down with only the front seat exposed! The top frame has about the thinest profile of any cabrio made. A typical failure in the frame is a the fatigue of the elastic webb attached to lift the second bow. When retracting the roof be sure to lift this bow up and begin the even folding of the top fabric on either side of the bow (take care to not allow the fabric to pinch in the hinge of the bow!). Early tops also have friction between the top and the metal struts that hold up the shape in the rearward wings.When the top is slightly open it might be helpful to apply a dry silicone type of lubricant to the top of these struts. Coincidentally many top failures happen when the top is up for too long and the fabric reactics with heat and time to "stick" to the strut's top surface. This adheasion will cause an older otherwise good top to rip at the wing."

 

Did you look at your manual, there's pictures..... there is also a rear cross bar that helps keep the rear window taught that you need to grab and move it towards the front.....

 

Sheesh! No need to even search. Scroll down and check out this comprehensive thread:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96024