Hi I'm new here and I just recently purchased a 1990 IROC Vert to that needs a little work and TLC to get drivable again. First I need to clean her up. The car has no engine at the moment (working on that) but I need to know how to get the convertible top manually (or off whichever is easier). Surely there's got to be a way to crank it down without putting power to it.

Thanks

 

You mean some of the thirdgens had power tops?!? Grrrr.....

 

Well, there is a switch on the center console for the top. Or am I missing something??
Nice car BTW.

 

The switch is to pop the electric tonnaue cover. If the switch does not work, you can pop it by pulling the two release cables. There is one on each side at the end of each side of the rear seat back. I'll have to go out and look at my '92, but I think they come out from behind the carpet. Its just a metal cable with a loop formed on the end and you pull straight down on it. If you can't find what I'm talking about, I'll go out and take some pictures.

 

Just go to sticky about convertible on the history board.

 

Yes, what you are missing is the convertible owners manual supplement which includes instructions for lowering the top. Vehicle parked on a level surface with trunk lid closed. Make sure the rear seat shoulder belts have been detached from the lap belts. Set the parking brake and transmission to park (on automatic transmission) or neutral (for manual transmission). Then lower the windows. If you don't have power to the car yet you can just open the driver and passenger side doors. Next pull the release lever, located on the drivers side of the tonneau cover. Pull the handle forward towards the front of the car. This will release the latch holding the pin securing the #5 bow against the tonneau. Now standing on the drivers side grab the window from the bottom seal and pull it up until it rests against the top. If your car had 12v power your next step is to push the tonneau release switch (located between the window switches). This energizes the solenoids on each side to release the tonneau latches. Since you lack power, you can use the emergency backup cable releases. Lower the rear seat backs. You'll find a black cable loop near where the rear seat back latches to the pin on the drivers and passenger side. Pulling these cables will release the tonneau latches. Make sure there is nothing in the area below the tonneau cover. This is where the top will be stowed. Lower the window to its original position. Release each latching handle on the header bow by rotating them outboard. Grab the front edge of the top header bow and lift upward and rearward. Slowly bring the top rearward until it is in the fully down and stowed position. Avoid jamming the convertible top bows against each other. Once the top is down and stowed. Close the tonneau cover. The "J-hooks" at each front end will latch once it is closed. Pull up on hte forward ends of each side of the tonneau to make sure the cover has properly latched. If you find that the top folds up too short or hits the back of the rear seats when you lower it, this is the classic symptom of a broken or missing "Flip Rod". These rods were used on 1989-92 convertibles. Their function is to raise the #2 bow as you lower the top. You can purchase new aftermarket ones through my web site. You can look at the tech article I wrote on this web site for more info on them.

Good luck,

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

Also, watch as your rear plastic window folds down. I know with my original top if I didn't help fold the rear window the right way it would crease and look nasty for a few days.

Why do you say roll down your windows? I've never had any problems dropping the top, or putting it back in place with the windows all the way up

 

Got it! Thanks!

 

I always put my windows down first because I didn't like how the weatherstrips contacted the corner of the windows. It doesn't do immediate damage, but it looks like it could cause pre-mature wear.

 

I would definately keep the windows down when raising or lowering the top. My weatherstripping is actually ripped from the windows being left up. Wasn't me though it was the previous owner.

 

Yea its even in the convertible supplement that says to lower the windows so that its not contacting the top when lowering or raising the top. It also helps to have a second person help you with it, one of my railiings actually snapped because of all the flex of raising and lowering the top over the years, burned a rather large hole in my wallet to have it fixed