For some questionable reason, I decided to work on the Porsche today in 34-degree heat and tackle the roof locking mechanism. After quickly removing the trim and a small cover plate, I pulled out the faulty mechanism for inspection. Already well and truly sweating, I figured I’d check how much a replacement would cost — and whether they were even still available.

A quick search showed that several suppliers still had them, but the prices were eye-watering. The cheapest option I found was a refurbished unit for close to €300, and that required sending my old one in as an exchange. If I didn’t, it was another €200 on top — and that was all before postage. New units weren’t much better, with the cheapest coming in at around €630 plus shipping.

Needless to say, I decided it was worth having a crack at fixing the original. After a bit of grinding and some persuasive hammer work, I managed to split it apart and discovered the fix wasn’t actually that difficult. I had to dust off some old mechanic and welding skills, but before long the job was done.

I’m pretty stoked to have saved myself close to $1,000 AUD, which will now go towards replacing the front shock absorbers — I’m fairly sure the left one has given up the ghost. But that’s a job for another day… preferably one that isn’t quite so hot.