Allante top issue.

[Coupe]

I was following the steps to open the top. When I pressed the red lever the process came to a halt and the red lever is below the back side window.  Now the top is vertical and won't finish the process or close the the top.  Fortunately the car is still in the garage. 

[James Landi]

You may need to spray, carefully, the various springs and junctions points on the mechanism... over three decades, some of these parts become very hard to move.  Additionally, there a Cadillac produced video that is now a youtube that provides a careful and detailed explanation of the top procedures.  I'd watch that video as it is highly informative.   I have an '88, and over time and some carefully applied wd 40, it's becoming much easily...   James

[James Landi]

Here's the link to the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj-tOH866z0&t=625s   

[59-in-pieces]

James,

Thanks for the link, and its rocket scientist tutorial.

Now don't you miss the "single button" of the/your XLR, ORIGAMI top folding up/down convenience.

Best regards & have fun,
Steve B.

[Roger Zimmermann]

When new, the Allante's operating roof was a nightmare. I can imagine that thing are not better with age!

[59-in-pieces]

Roger,

For sure.

Just Cadillac trying to mimic the Mercedes roadsters of a much earlier era, 70's ish.
Had one with the same idea of a removable hardtop (450 SL ?), and it was a pain - chamois or butterscotch colored.
You could take the hard top off as shown in the Alante video, but Mercedes had a crank device that you mounted on the garage ceiling with cables to hoist the top up - one person job.
Oh, but the hoist was extra - as you might suspect - and I didn't have one.

Oh, by the way - don't get the idea that I was Richie Rich at the time.
I bought it from an insurance company for $7,777.77 after the first guy bought it new and promptly spun the car out and went under the center divider of bushes and a steel cable at the time - not concrete as we see today - tweaking the hood, grille, headlamp, clipping the windshield passenger post and ripping off the hard top (surprisingly with little damage to it.

And the origami XLR reference reminded me that back in the same time, Ford had a Fairlane 500 Skyliner with a fully retractable hardtop, that leaked like a sieve on rainy days at its fold point.
Cadillac again taking some design cues from another maker.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Oh! The XLR: not all were leaking, but when one did, the water went into the left hand well after the rear wheel. Some module(s) was/were located here and when wet, their function was compromised...

[Coupe]

After I oiled all the "hinge points" the top is going up and down. 
Thank you James.

[James Landi]

You are very welcome--- we Allante owners receive some highly derisive commentary from many folks on the web,(like Rodney Dangerfield, we don't get no respect.")--- it's interesting that Car and Drivewr did a comparision with the Benz when the Allante first came out, and they crowned that Cadillac sukperior--- but that's forgotten history,and we absolutely love foreign cars and abhor American yet the fact is that after 34 years of existance, these cars can provide a great deal of joy without a lot of heart ache and expense.   FOr those searching for the "perfect" one, I'm not convinced that one exists... but I just picked up my second Allante, an '88, that is NOT engineered with adaptive ride shocks or the dreaded special ignition key--it's not perfect, but was well care for, and all for 6K with under 55k miles--- I'm factoring in a new a/c compressor, as the r=12 will likely fail sometime soon, and I'm also ready for the Bose radio to crap out--- I performed a diagnostic run on the on-board computer, and found that only a couple of "historical codes" still exist--- this in a 33 year old car.  "Take care of your car, and it will take care of you."  My grandfather used to say this way back 70 years ago... still applies today.   And do become a member of one of the Allante CLubs--- they're all good, all provide parts and free advice, and all three are very encouraging.    Happy day, James