[boomer]

Looks like you have done quite a bit and are well on the way to a nice convertible. Glad you were able to find the hydraulic parts and they were in good shape. Hope it continues to work well for you.

For the weird starting and electrical issues you might try:-

• Getting the battery tested - often a simple and overlooked problem.
• If you have jump leads, try using one to add a temporary ground to the body or engine block to test starting and idle (don't drive with it like that). Bad / rotted grounds can cause weird electrical issues and poor start. I added extra grounds to mine as well as additional power and alternator wiring (with a fuse)
• Add dielectric grease to the ECU and BCM connectors. Push it into the pin holes on the female connectors. There are some factory recalls where this is all they do to fix some issues.

For the HIDS it is often recommended to remove the DRL fuse so that the HIDS do not try and fire up with reduced daylight running light voltage.

Hope some of this helps and you get to enjoy the convertible lifestyle

 

[boomer]

@ this point I'd try to have it rebuild but no local hydraulic shop can do it. I don't want to through good money away on bad used parts. I'm not sure what to do now.

I sent mine to Top Hydraulics. They look to have done good quality work and when I did have an issue (one of the end caps looked to be working loose) they took care of it.