Buy Celica convertible with broken top motors?

[davester]

Hi folks, I'm new to this forum since I don't yet have a Celica. I'm considering buying a '99 convertible which seems like a pretty good deal ($6,500, 76,000 miles) but it has a couple of issues. It has banged up doors which I'm guesstimating at $1,500 repair cost, but the other thing is that the convertible top motors are not working. Is there any way to quickly figure out whether it is the motors, the mechanism or the wiring, and what would be the worst case cost for fixing this?

Also, is it practical to use the top as a manual top without fixing the motors? Thanks for any advice

[toyomoho]

Run down the motors and apply 12V DC directly to them. If they work, the problem is someplace else. Worst case are the motors are bad. Check to see if the setup also uses a hydraulic system.

[Pineapple]

You'll need to take the motor apart. There is a pin on the drive gear designed to snap when the top is stuck. When you push the button and you can hear the motor turn but nothing move, you'll need to change the pin.