Hi all,

Does anyone here have a trusted rec for someone who repairs convertible 6GCs in the DC/Maryland area? I just got my '96 a couple months ago and I love the car, but one of the top motors failed and the opposite side's frame rail broke right in half from the extra/unbalanced weight.

Thanks in advance for any recs ...

buy the parts and fix it yourself. we can help

there is a guy here selling some parts...

I have motors, but not the rail part he needs.

Here's the scoop on shops: Most good upholstery/trim shops do convertible tops. There are only a handful of top-only shops in the country. The shops get the mechanical parts from the dealer. You can by a whole rail from the dealer for about $800. They don't sell parts of it. You can try junkyards but it's a long shot.

Thanks dgbldr (again). The advice is much appreciated.

I've been to one local upholstery guy; he's careful but doesn't seem to know a lot about Celicas, and he doesn't appear to shop around (e.g., quoted me $950 on an OEM rail; I've found a few places that sell it for $700-$750).

I'll poke around and see if anyone else is nearby.

www.car-parts.com, look for any part of the convertible, call the yard and ask for thje piece...

>

He is a business, not a hobby or charity. He will "shop around" if you offer to pay for his time. He will also mark up everything that passes through his business, to cover his time, expenses, warranty, overhead and profit. I'm not a mechanic, but I do the same in my business. Just like a restaurant charges you $50 for a bottle of wine you can buy at the wine store for $25.

hey if you get the parts i can help you fix it. im in fairfax.