Soft top padding deteriorating

[coolVariable]

Anyone else have a problem with the "foam" padding in the soft top deteriorating and turning into a fine yellow dust?
I initially thought it was just spring pollen but then discovered that the yellow foam padding had deteriorated into a fine dust that was just getting out everywhere.
I tried vacuuming as much out as possible but that obviously leaves me without the padding.
Any guides for taking the soft top apart to see whether it is possible to just have new padding (or even better padding) sown in?

 

[slcasner]

Unfortunately, the soft top was not made to be taken apart. In particular, it's not feasible to replace the outer canvas surface, so when the stitching was coming out on mine I wound up just buying a new soft top. However, one of my Roadster friends who experienced the same problem as you with the foam deteriorating had hers repaired by an auto upholstery shop here in the San Jose area. They replaced the inner liner as well as the foam.

 

[tonybelding]

Anyone else have a problem with the "foam" padding in the soft top deteriorating and turning into a fine yellow dust?

Yes. That is exactly what happened to mine recently. The local auto restoration shop here pointed me toward a man who does interior upholstery work for them, and I left it with him. (Luckily I have a hard top too!) He replaced all the interior foam. The interior doesn't look exactly the same as before, but it seems to work just fine.

The only thing that really went wrong was, after I got the top back from him, the tension wires at front and back were not adjusted properly. I didn't understand what was wrong and managed to break one of them before I figured it out. (I gather these are prone to breaking sometimes even if they aren't mis-handled.) I ordered a replacement set, of the improved design that you can find on eBay. There's a thread on this topic with all the details.

After all that, the soft top is working great again now.

 

[Gabner]

I am having the same problem. Stitching needs to be repaired and the interior foam is it deteriorating.
What did it cost you to have your soft top repaired? I got a quote today for $600 to repair the stitching and replace the foam..

 

[Gabner]

I'm using my Elise soft top for now.

 

[tonybelding]

What did it cost you to have your soft top repaired? I got a quote today for $600 to repair the stitching and replace the foam..

Checked my records, looks like mine was $400.