Too late, I already did. The old softtop had 8" holes by the seams and the rear window was starting to fall out. I bought a hardtop rather than replace the softtop. I was afraid if I bought a new softtop, some moron would come along and cut it. I've had the hardtop for about 5 months and I've only used the softtop maybe twice. It's pretty much useless with big holes in it anyway, so out it came.

It took about an hour to get it out with little sympathy for the softtops well being, and another hour to reinstall all the little plastic and carpets. I swear I can tell a difference in first gear. I'm sure it's all in my head but the car feals a bit quicker. I'd say I removed 40-50 pounds from the decklid. It looks cleaner too. And finally I don't have to listen to the soft top rattle, squeak, and annoy the hell out of me. I wish I had removed it sooner.

After removing softtop. The red wire goes to nitrous fuel pump, the other is a RCA cable to the trunk.


Oh yea, I gotta put my passenger seat back in there one day too


One more

 

Looks good. I've thought of doing the same thing. My soft top is still good though. So I keep it in just in case I need a top for whatever reason while I'm out driving.

 

I've considered yanking mine too, but sometimes I think its nice to have the soft-top in case it starts raining on a road trip, or if I have to stop for dinner or whatever. That's a toughy.

 

Nice. I'll do that too one of these days. I hate driving with the softtop up because I can't see **** when changing lanes on the highway, especially to the left.

 

welcome to the world of adding lightness. it's a slippery slope.

be careful or you might end up like this before you know it

 

HAHA, you drive around like that for real? I wouls at least cut out a rough dash from some thin plastic sheets and rivet it on or something.

I wish I had a hardtop, I would take off my soft top in a second.

 

nah, i flipped that car. the current gutted car has the dash in place less the glove box and airbag and HVAC and radio

 

I don't car how much my car becomes a race car along the way, I'll always have a stereo.

 

Damn I hope not. That's crazy.

 

+1

 

I have been dying to do this myself. The soft top noises are so annoying.

 

I have lived with my miata for this entire summer like that. No garage parking. Longest stretch hardtop was off was around 2 weeks. You can't go anywhere with the top off if it is threatening to rain, you can't do any long roadtrips without the hardtop on. Blah Blah Blah. You get the idea.

However. The rear parcel shelf looks awesome with no top. The added storage space is a bonus. And you save something like 50lbs.

Your choice. I have been living with it for 6+ months now, The softtop (with fixed back window) is going back in next season for sure.

 

I drove my car for quite a while (easily a month) with no top, and I did it during winter. I got caught in the rain twice, but neither time was too horrible. I love the extra storage space, especially when shuttling two people and luggage back and forth from school.

My hardtop hasn't been off in 10 months.

 

You guys are in the wrong forum:

 

trust me

 

I cant wait to get a hardtop.. I'll be taking my soft top out, bolting on the hardtop with the SM brackets, and never looking back.

 

OOPS, I didn't realize that my sig had the old Yahoo group in it. The lightweight forum is listed below:

 

Removing softtop: $0

Removing fuel cap: $0

Removing dash: $0

Posting a picture on the internet that shows your instrument cluster held on with duct tape: priceless

 

LMK when, I need one.

 

Magna-NITROUS NITROUS NITROUS NOT NOS!!!
I may be putting my bottle there I don't know. I'm gonna test fit it with the bottle brackets I have to see if it will go there without blocking my vision too much. Rearward visability is half the reasone I wanted a hardtop over a softtop, so I'm not gonna loose that for nothing. My bottle takes up a rediculous amount of space in the truck.

Damnit this is a slippery slope. I have a flat spare and a jack with no handle, so it's just wasting space and adding weight too. I better just stop thininking about weight reduction or it's going to get the best of me.