It's not him that you should ask that, he surely doesn't know how the USA Import Fees work and don't care about it, and being shipped from Japan won't probably change anything. You should ask US Customs for that.

Internet Purchases - CBP.gov

U.S. Customs, or, How to Get Screwed and Pay for the Privilege « Biz Miss

 

no, spec miata will not allow cf hardtops, you'd get way too many complaints about how it lowers center of gravity and such, they're not even allowed to run anything but the stock glass window.

you might want to get close ups of the latches, they look suspiciously simple

 

Though I cannot day for sure. that rear window looks close in shape to the stock hard top window. If it matches, and you are worried about scratching the acrylic, and are not ---- about the weight, then why not buy it without a window and fit a stock one?

For the record hard tops are great. I have a stock one and have it on most of the time. It stiffens up the chassis, makes the ride a lot quieter, and the car a bit more secure.

 

I only use my hardtop for the track so I don't chop my arms off it it rolls. Or, if its too cold I'll put it on.

 

Not to be a jerk or anything, but how does a fiberglass top in the same place as a flimsy metal frame & vinyl top stiffen the chassis?

 

It just does! You must not have a hardtop.

 

yup it does, if you would prefer a steel hardtop, by all means make one.

 

well, although I cannot say that I have measured structural stiffness on the miata (like I have on many other cars (haha ya right)), you've got to remember that many times, it's the shape of the material that can make it much stiffer than a flat sheet of material might be of the same type, if that makes sense to you. Try to deflect your trunk by pushing down on it, then try to do the same on the quarter panel at the top where it has the compound curve in it, you'll notice a big difference.

 

^ Correct on all three posts. The hard top does not have a flat surface on it. It is just about all curved in multiple planes. So though it is relatively light, and made of fiberglass, it is inherently pretty stiff. It ties the upper window frame to the rear of the car, thus improving torsion and bending stiffness. I notice the difference when it is on or off.

Now that I have the Hard Dog roll bar, and the door bars, the hard top difference is not as dramatic since the Hard Dog items stiffened the FREAK out of the chassis. But I still use it for the quieter ride, security, and appearance.

 

37? MSR? Just wondering, didn't know there were any other Miata enthusiasts in the CMRA.

 

This threads headed off on a tangent.

Anyone interested in a group buy shoot me a PM. I'm still not 100% sure on if I will be getting this or not, but either way I need a hardtop within the next couple weeks. I still need to discuss some more things with the seller and figure out if this is right for my needs. Thanks everyone.

Vash-