Hi, my first post in the forum. Perhaps someone can help. I'm getting my roof replaced here in Italy. The cost will be in the 700Euro region (ho-hum). The last roof disintegrated on the rear side walls due to fouling the roof-frame. I saw somewhere that the roof has elastic or rubber retaining straps to stop it from happening. Can anyone point me in the direction of a picture of this so I can wave it in front of the mechanics face and make sure that it is done properly this time around. We've had HUGE rain showers here and every morning I get into the car, pull the three towels out of the roof well, wring them out and put them back. 5 litres a day ends up in there so this job has to be done soon. But I want to make sure that it's done properly this time. Any tips, trick and hint?
Thanks
Alan

If the roof is placed by a specialist installation will be done properly.
Make shure they secure the corners as very last thing with a poprivet (sort of nail)

The desintegration of the roof is entirely into your hands. You have to make shure every time you open the roof to pull back the fabric at both ends to make shure the softtop frame isn't crushing the fabric.

Thanks for the information. I will certainly look into the pop rivet situation.
However I think that whilst taking care when folding down the roof is a god idea this is not enough. From what I have read elsewhere (and I can't find the site now) the roof has elastic straps that hold the roof fabric away from the mechanism and I just wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this. Sadly there are no real "specialists" in Rome and even taking the car to an authorised Fiat repair shop does not guarantee that they know what they are talking about. When I mentioned the incredibly well know variator issue to them for example they simply did not know about it. And before I get more helpful advice about finding another garage, you'd be surprised that this would not be an uncommon occurrence here and after 9 years living here trying various garages I can assure you that the one I have found is one of the better ones.
So back to the original question: does anyone know anything about the fitting of the rubber retaining straps that keep the roof from fouling the frame when folding it down?
Thanks
Alan.

OK I found the reference:
can't give the web address as I don't have five posts yet which I need before submitting the URL

Q: The roof starts to tears up!
A: The metal construction of the softtop cuts the fabric when the softtop is folded. Look very closely why this is. There is a little elastic band that should pull back the material. It's yet unknown if shortning the elastic band will do a better job at it.

Click to expand...

so here is post four

here is post five

And here is the URL
http://www.fiatbarchetta.com/misc/faq.html#3

This elastic band where should that be fixed?

It is loose on both sides in my car and I can't really figure out how it is supposed to be


Thanks in advance
agron