Painters enter please

[Jimvr4]

Manually opened the top to connect the rear glass defroster and trim some excess sealant from the glass installation. I discovered the top would not open by power as it just continued to fast beep. I connected Toplink and read the codes. It's throwing a code 41 which is an open circuit in the passenger side header latch wiring. Interestingly the code remains highlighted in grey if it is actively being thrown. I know this because I purposely disconnected the driver side header latch and it threw a code 37 which was grey. Reconnecting it removed the grey highlight. With the top not working under power I was concerned about the trip home. I needed to have the tonneau latched down for the trip but when I tried my manual release lever I confirmed it did not work. The body shop came up with a long piece of wire which I tied directly to the splitter behind the passenger side and tested that I could pull this wire and release the latches. After confirming this I switched the tonneau to manual and dropped it down and pressed each side to latch it down. Then I used the special tool to latch the header.


Tonneau showing beautiful reflectivity


Loaded up and ready for the return home. A couple of shop towels stuffed next to the windows prevent the glass from rattling.


Finally home after 4 weeks at the body shop. Now comes probably 30-40 hours of re-assembly and cleaning.

[Hans@GZP]

Looks great Jim. It's definitely a lot of work reassembling a spyder after paint. Good luck and be careful. Don't be afraid to use low tack tape on the edges of the body when reassembling bumpers and skirts.

[Jimvr4]

Thanks Hans!

I got all the body parts back on over the weekend. Car back at the body shop for wet sanding and polishing the bumpers.


First crappy pic of the completed car body. Fixed the header microswitch too! Need better lighting!

[BigTyla]

Looking good. I want a Spyder so bad but seeing the added complexity they bring (like this thread) always makes me think twice!

[CoreyB]

Man that is looking amazing.

[dbest671]

How did the side skirt reinstall go?

[Jimvr4]

How did the side skirt reinstall go?

Not too bad considering. It took about an hour for each one. I used a bike flashlight to see inside the quarter panel. I used a box end 8mm wrench on the nearest nut and an 8mm ratcheting wrench on the far one. I tied one end of a string to the car and the other end to my wrench in case I dropped it inside the quarter panel. And I did and it got STUCK!! I had to push on my string to unstick it and pull it out. I also dropped one 8mm nut in there (weight addition mod). So yeah, the sideskirts aren't that hard Rear bumper is MUCH easier.

Things left to do:
1) Fix mysterious hydraulic leak near top pump
2) Fix very slow hydraulic leak at passenger tonneau cylinder
3) Install head weatherstrip using 3M super weatherstrip adhesive
4) Install roof weatherstrips
5) Install full interior
6) Install emblems including Frank's replicas
7) Install undertrays (should consider a splitter instead)

BTW - I tried to buy new A pillar caps and Cherry Hill can't get any. Still thinking about carpet replacement and dynamat

[dbest671]

Yeah called cherry hill today to see about that clip the body shop broke, Mike said he they didn't have them . Got the weatherstrip in today, and it is the wrong one. It is the one that goes around the tonneau cover (on the body of the car). I decided I would keep it since Mike said there was only left in inventory (Atlanta), and it was $913. It is a brand new weatherstrip though, even has the little velvet piece on the bottom on the quarter window seal. Sent the guy an email to see if he has the correct weatherstrip, we shall see.

New carpet will run about $450 shipped, at least that was the cost when I bought mine.

My passenger tonneau cylinder started leaking, and we bought a new one. Installed the new one and had the old one rebuilt. The rebuild cost about $50.

Get a splitter, it really does make the car stand out. Sucks when you hit your shin on it, but still looks great.

[OhioSpyderman]

Looking B-eautiful!!!!

I know you'll fix those things....

April, you slay me with some of the off the wall stuff you say....

Bob.

[Jimvr4]

Yeah called cherry hill today to see about that clip the body shop broke, Mike said he they didn't have them . Got the weatherstrip in today, and it is the wrong one. It is the one that goes around the tonneau cover (on the body of the car). I decided I would keep it since Mike said there was only left in inventory (Atlanta), and it was $913. It is a brand new weatherstrip though, even has the little velvet piece on the bottom on the quarter window seal. Sent the guy an email to see if he has the correct weatherstrip, we shall see.

New carpet will run about $450 shipped, at least that was the cost when I bought mine.

My passenger tonneau cylinder started leaking, and we bought a new one. Installed the new one and had the old one rebuilt. The rebuild cost about $50.

Get a splitter, it really does make the car stand out. Sucks when you hit your shin on it, but still looks great.

You got a bargain on the weatherstrip even if it is the wrong one, but that one is pretty easy to R&I so you may not really need the new one. Does your splitter have cutouts for tow hooks and the jacking point?

Looking B-eautiful!!!!

I know you'll fix those things....

April, you slay me with some of the off the wall stuff you say....

Bob.

I think I found the source of the leak and may have fixed it. Those black manifolds have a snap ring on the back that locks the control knob in place. The snap ring had partially worked itself loose when I operate the control for the first time in the 12 years I've owned the car. I just pressed it with a small screwdriver and it clicked into place

For the tonneau I plan to pump out the fluid and disconnect the cylinder to replace the O-ring seals. Pretty sure the seal was identified on the Yahoo list already.