My convertible top is inoperable and I'm wanting to sell without paying to fix. The local Infiniti dealership quoted more than car is worth to fix it. I believe the hydraulic pump needs replaced but could be more. I want to sell but with top broken it may be hard to find a buyer. The car has low mileage (68k) and drives well. Any advice on (1) what is fair value? and (2) where to sell? Carmax and Carvana won't buy with roof not working. /sigh

Also, anyone know any good hard top convertible repair shop near Atlanta that they would recommend? I may need to get a more reasonable estimate and diagnostic before selling - and hope that they may have advice on selling as-is, too.

 

Is it stuck in mid operation? Check out TopHydraulic on YouTube. They have some good videos and they sell convertible parts

Edit: people are selling their cars with inoperable tops, you may need to knock a few thousand of the price though

 

To expound on what pinecone asked, what are the symptoms of the roof? Codes? What leads you to suspect the hydraulics?

The hydraulics on these RHT's rarely fail. Possible, yes, but not nearly as common as say the flapper gear issue or the parcel shelf not locking correctly.

The more we know the more folks can proffer advice. Also, skip the dealer entirely. I am sure there are a ton of specialty shops in ATL metro that can look into the RHT. Also, consider looking into BMW specialty shops as well as they share the same/ similar roof components.

 

Thanks for responses. I'm not mechanically inclined so DIY repair is best left to a flipper or next owner. She's been good to me for most part and fun to drive but the top repair feels overwhelming and the whole relearn thing has me unmotivated to go there for fear it will be ongoing. I considered leaving the top down and keeping her covered in the garage for only sunny days but I need reliable transportation for the rainy days too. 😏

The dealership had given me a diagnostic and estimate a while back (2022-23). It said hydraulic pump and flaps and more; was around $16k I think. Pandemic issues may have played a part in high quote but I got the sense they didnt want to mess with it. So I just drove without using top for a while. It kept beeping like it wasn't closed and was draining battery I think so I took the 30 fuse out to keep from beeping and having to jump/replace battery. Seemed to work for that if anyone else needs an easy workaround. Also, can't open the trunk with that fuse out.

 

I get it. I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to cars. Like ILM-NC G37S suggested, have you looked around to see if maybe there's a shop that can look at the top?

The key thing though is being honest as to the state of the top when you go to sell it. Unfortunately, you are going to take a hit on that as those of us who like the vert are getting it for the working top. If we didn't, we'd get the coupe.

 

Here is what I would suggest...

I would contact Z1Motorsports- they are in Carrollton which- if memory serves- is about a hour from Atlanta on I-20 (I haven't lived in ATL in a long time so forgive if my memory fails). Give them a call and see who they would recommend to look at the RHT. IF you are on that fakebook/ social media group nonsense, ask for referrals- for both Infiniti and BMW (again, same/ similar RHT systems). Use giggle and search for "convertible top repair" shops- whilst these shops typically replace "rag tops" they may be able to refer you to someone who can work on RHT's.

Point is, you need a second, MORE RECENT, independent diagnostic/ estimate/ opinion on the your potential RHT issue(s).

The flapper gears are a VERY common issue with these cars which is not nearly as costly- or involved- to repair as opposed to replacing the entire arm assemblies. And no where near as extensive as possibly replacing the entire hydraulics- which I seriously doubt is a issue. Avoid the dealerships entirely- most of those techs were never trained on the G's RHT system so they can only follow the "needs to be replaced" spiel rather than perform a thorough diagnostic. This (newer) repair estimate will give you a detailed cost of repair for any issue(s).

Armed with this, if you still decide to sell the car, you can leverage the cost of repair against the value of the car and settle on selling price accordingly. You already know you are going to take a loss, mitigate as best you can.

As long as you remain fully transparent I am sure you will find a buyer who will grab this up to either flip it , part it out, or make a project car out of it. I have seen cars in a lot worse condition sell. Given the rarity of the 'Vert... Hell, only that I already have a RHT car (Zed/4) I'd be interested so I am sure there are others...

Care to post a few pics of the car? Estimate when/ if you get one?

Please keep us updated...