Replacing convertible hood recommendations

[Caroliont]

Please can I ask for advice and guidance about my A4. It's a 2003 convertible, silver with dark blue hood. 

Last year the glass in the hood came away from the fabric which meant water was able to get in. Took it to my local garage who made a pigs ear of it, decided to take it off the road for the winter and under a wrap to keep the rain out. 

We tried again earlier this year to reglue the glass to the fabric of the hood, and it failed again, so made the decision to get a new hood  

Done some research and found a second hand hood in good condition, in blue. My problem is finding a mechanic who can fit it as it is a specialist skill.

I'd like to find an alternative to taking it to the usual hood specialists as they are charging between £750 to £900 to replace the hood. 

I love my car and it drives beautifully, but the reality is its done 101k miles and that is a lot of money to spend when the car itself is not worth much more. 

It would be a great help to find a place where they can fit the hood I've sourced. 

Feeling very sad as I can't drive it with all the rain we've had. 

Can anyone help please?

Edited August 11, 2017 by Caroliont
Grammar mistakes

[WPAWS]

Have you asked any local garages near you if it something they could do for you, would imagine they could fit a new roof you have sourced

[Caroliont]

Yes, quite a few. They say it's something they can't do as they don't have the specialist tools for the job. Was wondering if there is a specialist in this forum, or if someone knows of a mechanic or garage who can fit a second hand hood. 

[Magnet]

Hello Caroline,

I don't think I am  going to be of much help, but it might be worth fostering relations with a regional classic car club coveting your area, since members often know of specialists in this sort of thing. You might just get a contact from there. 

Personally, I'm not sure if I would go down the route of replacing the whole hood ( unless it is in poor condition) simply to get the glass to bond with the existing hood. Seems a complicated route to me, when there must be suitable adhesive systems to deal with this.

Not that it helps at all, but if you lived closer (or were prepared to travel) to S. Wales then there is a specialist hood maker/fitter in this area.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[niedzial1983]

You best bet would be getting second hand roof and pay someone to change it . 

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172795953921

[Caroliont]

It's finding a mechanic who can actually do the job. I.e. fit the hood. Local garages no can do. To quote them: 'it requires specialist tools and skill which they don't have'. I've got a blue second hand hood on standby, but was hoping someone else had had a similar experience of their hood failing and found a mechanic who knew how to install it. 

[niedzial1983]

Seems like a dyi job 

http://sobelsoftware.com/replacing_our_audi_a4_convertibl.htm

[niedzial1983]

Also 

 

[yorkshiregit]

There's a trimmers in Luton who might do it for you, it's well tucked away in the side street near the town centre. Fantastic if you find him. Always has great cars in his shop. When my roof got changed he had a new BMW in, the dealers sent any trim issue straightt to him