Convertible top hold down hook breaks, missing

[bluebird02]

I just bought a 2002 T-bird and found after I got home with it that the passengers side convertible top hold down hook is completely missing, the hook and the metal mounting shaft. Also, the drivers side appears to be very loose and starting to come out of the top bar. I went to my Ford dealer and they sold me just the hook for a outrages price of $40, but with no metal mounting shaft. They stated the shaft only comes with the complete convertible top bar, that would cost $340. I returned the hook. I went to the local hardware store and bought an aluminum turn buckle hook and some small metal pins and made my own for around $6.
Before I was able to install it, I found a convertible top bar with one of the hooks missing on ebay for $30, so I decided to buy that and use just the hook and mounting shaft. Is this a common problem with these cars, have the convertible top mounting hooks breaking?

[Randy Mattson]

I have not heard of this problem with the retro-birds. I have a 2005.
I have heard of the older originals snapping. (58-66)
I may be mistaken, but I think the older ones were made of a pot metal.
Randy