Replacing softtop?
 

Anyone replace their own softtop? I'd rather source an NB top for a swap, but haven't been able to find one in good condition locally so thinking about replacing my top myself off the car while the HT is on the car for the winter. I've done all the other work to the car so not a big deal, but I was wondering if it is a royal pain in the ass or just time consuming. Thanks.

It's easy if the new roof is good quality and therefore a good fit.
I've replaced about 7 free of charge here in Ireland for our club members and they were all a different fit etc.
You'll be fine ;)

Yes, it's a big PITA. Switching entire tops, frame and all, is much easier. But before you do anything rash, ensure that an NB non zip rear window will clearance your roll bar.

http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/cla...evaction=today



this is fairly local... unless u dont want blue.

that's a friggin steal. i've been looking for a 10ae or shinsen top for a year. if you don't want it Tom, let me know.

my friend mike (i think he goes by BOOCH on this site) replaced his top. he says it wasnt that bad as he thought it was going to be and offered to help me replace mine. i was gonna do it then FlyMX5 hooked me up with an awesome looking m2 top and no longer needed a new one.

this is the kit i was probably going to get just cause of price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MIATA...spagenameZWDVW

if you need help mike might be available to help you. i can ask him. hes in warminster so its not that far at all.

It's all yours. I think the blue on red would look a little funny. I actually think I found a black NB top on frame so I should be good. I have a tan NB top on the brg and got addicted to the no zip, glass, and easier up/down.

oh, yeah I guess blue on either of your cars would look kind of :greddy:
I think a blue top and 10ae door panels on my car would be the hotness.

I replaced the softtop on my buddies '92. It was uber easy, just took a good bit of time. Around 5-6 hours from start to finish including piss breaks and whatnot.
http://www.hydroe.com/
We bought the top there for $169, no zip rear window. It's holding up great after two years. It also didn't have any fitment issues.

changing the top is a PITA, i put in a robbins no zip glass rear window and would never do it again, i'll just get a hardtop :td:

Thats funny, I put in a Robbins no zip plastic window top, the fitment sucked so bad I bought a hardtop.

You can't really mess up a soft top install, the holes are all drilled and you just R&R it. I wouldn't recommend Robbins, mine didn't fit.

how did it not fit? mine fit but took a month or so to stretch where you didn't need two people to close the soft top, the corners of the windows also used to catch on the top but that has since gone away too

I put my own in last summer. Took me two evenings to do(about six hours) and I needed a second set of hands a few times, so make it easy on yourself and talk someone into helping. My top was good fitment and was an aftermarket. The only regret I had was not purchasing the rain rail with the top. Mine was all cracked so I had to get all custom on it and do a repair. It turned out really well, but if I did it again I would order a top with the rain rail already attached. Just look over the tutorials on Miata.net and don't buy the cheapest top you can find and you'll be fine.

So in conclusion swaping the whole assembly is simple and easy swaping just the cover sucks. Chad linkey no work bud :td:

exactly

It was just like you said needing two people to close it, but that never went away. All along the header bar the top started ripping. It actually pulled so hard on the header bar the wind noise was unbearable. When it rained it would drip right over the rear view mirror. The latches on the soft top frame are all bent to hell from holding all that tension.

I had replaced one before, and I followed the instructions to the T. I tightened the bolts on the rear bar just how they showed on the instructions, and I went back and adjusted them afterwards. They sewd it too short.

accidents will happen, mine has been fine so far, i was mostly worried about the adhesive i used to attach it to the foremost beam, but hasn't ripped so far. Ordering it with the rain rail helped save a bunch of bitchin n' moanin

I agree with ben. A friend did help me swap a 99 top onto a 92 frame on my old car.

i downloaded a pictorial guide off of the m.net garage.

I have never changed a soft-top before in my LIFE, and it only took my dad and me about 3 hours total to do the job. Just take your time and arm yourself with good information beforehand, and it's not that bad a job.

I've done two on my car and helped with a couple of others. Once you know what you are doing it's EASY. Even easier if you are using a top that has already been on the frame. When I did my last one it probably took longer to remove the frame than it did to install the cover.