I can't seem to find any DYI for replacing the folding roof. One of my roof rivets has rusted apart and the front frame is also rusted and crumbling within the roof fabric. Roof fabric itself seems fine.

Debating whether to purchase a whole new assembled folding roof or just rivet and folding frame but how the roof attaches to the car at the rear is not immediately obviously.

If you look inside the car at the rear of the roof you will see some holes and up inside those are some 8mm nuts. You need a socket on a screwdriver type racket to get them undone. The nuts screw onto a mounting bar that has screw threads welded to it, if you pull the roof right back you will see the other side of the bar. At either end of the bar it's attached to the roof, I think originally by self tapping screws but when I replaced the roof I used rivets as in the picture below. It is a particularly bad area for attracting rust as water tends to get trapped there.

Once the bar is removed there are self adhesive pads between the holes that protect the paintwork.

If it is starting to corrode it maybe worthwhile just replacing the whole roof, so you don't need to worry about it for a few years.

Axel Gerstl in Germany have a good selection and I know others in the US and Canada have used them before for spares. So it might be worthwhile emailing to find out shipping costs? It will probably workout cheaper than buying from the US. If you do decide to replace the whole roof also replace the top mounting metal strap as well, it comes in galvanised steel so I gave it a quick coat of paint from a rattle can just to keep the rust away. Also make sure the holes have some grease or Waxoyl around them before you put the mounting bar on, again to keep the dreaded rust at bay.

https://webshop.fiat500126.com/kata...onvertible-top-mounting-strap-rear-galvanized

https://webshop.fiat500126.com/katalog/showarticles/280201/1/complete-tops

Tony

Thank you for the very detailed reply!

I've been dealing with MrFiat from the US sourcing my parts and he's been fair with good communication so I will likely continue.

Another question as I'm ordering parts again...

Does anyone have pics of how these are fitting? I have nothing of the sort but the center bow definitely contacts the body.
http://m.mrfiat.com/italian/fiat/fi...-pad.html?<!-- fpc session_id_placeholder -->

Ahh, I see this question answered here:
https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/445317-sunroof-installation.html

Curious, the replacement roofs I've seen don't appear to have these fitted and are already assembled...