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There comes a time in every cabrio owner's life when the inevitable happens. The rear window cracks or splits, or becomes nearly opaque. There are several options for fixing the situation, but unless you want to spend big bucks letting some stranger undress your smart, you'll need to get your hands quite dirty. Cracked rear screen on a dirty rear end My rear window smashed like glass last winter when it was -20°C outside and a Costco load shifted. I made it through most of the summer with no real issues, but when the September rains came my cheap patch job using MacTac shelf liner leaked like a sieve and my carpet got soaked. I looked into a dealership-recommended repair and the price put it out of the equation. I found several options in Europe and the UK, and I settled on getting a replacement (used) rear roof section from Chris at Cabriotec in Germany. Chris removes the plastic rear screen and expertly crafts in a new, glass one. It ingeniously uses a zipper and a pair of bellows to allow the glass to slide under the top when dropping it all the way, or when raising the back to load stuff in the boot. I decided to tackle the install myself and below are the steps to do the job, so you can do it too. There are a couple of videos on Youtube that show how to remove the existing roof section. Search for "Smart Fortwo 450 Cabrio Heckscheibe ausbauen reparieren Verdeck Heckteil" and watch it a few times. Unless you speak German, I've included a couple pointers that may make it easier. Once you've done it the first time, you'll know the tricks and will wonder why it took so long! Now, on with the job... Tools needed: Torx screwdrivers -- T9, T20 and T27 Flat-bladed screwdriver Extra set of hands if available Small amount of "dum-dum" or mastic, optional Removing the rear roof section: 1. Open the trunk and unlatch bottom roof catches. 2. Unhook the the clip in the centre of the lower window frame, on the inside. Note that your car may not have this clip; mine did not. The gap in the centre of the lower frame where you might find a clip that needs to be "plucked" out 3. Open the rear window section. Starting at one corner, adjacent to the "fold", unhook the bottom edge of the roof from the frame, left to right. Make note of the metal clips at each end of the rubber seal at the bottom of the roof section, and use your palm to hold the seal in place while you manoeuvre the roof away from the frame. Lift the rear section over the roof roof to give easier access to the interior. Naked frame visible once the roof is slid off and flipped over 4. Remove the three T20 Torx screws from interior dome light/roof motor trim, two on the passenger's side of the dome light, one on the driver's side. Remove the four T27 screws lower down the same trim panel. Close the window section. Remove the spoiler from the roof, detaching the brake light and removing the foam seal around the connector. Flip up the rear ("tail") of the upper roof section. 5. Remove the one T20 screw next to each roof cable. These are also the points where you might tighten a sagging roof 6. Open the roof all the way, dropping the rear. Using the flat screwdriver if necessary, pull out the cables from tracks on each side; they are held in with a small amount of mastic. Using the flat-bladed screwdriver, lift up the rubber cassette seal from rear to front and slide it out towards the front. Repeat on the other side. Set the parts aside, making note of their orientation. 7. Make note of the orientation of the tracks under the seals, as well as the angles of the four little T9 screws. With the roof open, remove the small screw at each corner. Carefully raise the roof and close it about three-quarters. Remove the small screw at the front of each track, then open roof all the way down without locking it in place again and slide the bottom rails out towards the front. Blurry picture that shows the tiny T9 screw under the seal; mine was rusted but easy to remove 8. Unhook the forward corners of rear roof section from the frame. 9. Raise the rear section and lock it in place again. Close the roof all the way then back it off a few inches. Flip up window section and unseat the strip inside, above the interior dome light trim from one side to the other; if you have a roof liner, this will come out at the rear instead of a strip. Flip down the window section and do the same on the outside. Remove the rear section. All in all, it should take about 10 or 15 minutes the first (and hopefully only) time. Now comes the fun part! Re-installing a rear roof section with a plastic window is fairly straightforward, but with a glass screen there instead you'll have to do things with a bit more care and forethought. Re-installing the rear roof section: 1. If installing a roof section with a Cabriotec glass window, make sure the top zipper is closed. 2. Carefully position the roof section against the frame and centre it. A helper would be useful to hold the section in place while you wedge the upper strip into the channel. 3. Raise the rear hatch, then hook the forward upper corners to the frame. 4. Unzip the glass window (if using) and carefully drop the rear section all the way. Make sure the flaps of the fabric over the cassette tracks are in the slots then line up and slide the metal roof rails in from the front and replace the two T9 screws at the rear. Raise the roof again and close it three-quarters forward to insert the two screws at the front. Remember to zip or velcro the glass window if necessary. 5. Re-install rubber cassette seals from the front. The old mastic may make them stick before reaching the end of travel; just use your fingers to lift the edge closest to you as you keep tugging the seal rearward. Press the front of the seal against the roof corner; it will be fairly obvious how it is supposed to look. Press down along the length of the seal. With any luck the old mastic will hold very well, but no worries if it is only so-so. Re-attach the cable ends to the rails and replace the T20 screws. 6. Flip down the rear of the upper roof section and re-install the three short T20 screws from the inside. They are very fiddly -- a magnetic bit would help here. Be careful not to lose them inside the motor housing or behind the trim panel! 7. Replace the foam seal around the brake light connector, then offer up the spoiler and attach the brake light, and position the spoiler. Look through the vent holes to help locate the screws then replace the T27 interior spoiler screws. 8. Unzip the window if necessary, then open the window section. Carefully hook the lower portion of the canvas to the frame starting from one end to the other, being mindful of the metal clips at each corner of the rubber seal. Close the window section. If you have trouble locking the window section down, back off the T27 spoiler screws a few turns and work the canvas down a bit. 9. Re-install the centre clip in lower frame if your roof is so equipped. Stand back and admire your work! I can see!