Well... I am 90% of the way there with what I set out to do with getting the car up to scratch... Today was the first day I dropped the new soft-top on a gorgeous day in California, so I felt obliged to update the post with some photos.
In love with this thing, nothing beats the experience of driving top-down in the sunshine!
Thanks to everyone for their input on the various threads I have bombarded over the past few months - truly grateful to have this community of helpful owners, would have been lost without all the guidance!!