how do identify an OEM miata hardtop

Hi grm. I came across this car and thought of you guys..

I've come across a running 91 miata with 120k on the clock for ~1500... One owner ... literally driven by an old lady (with a propensity for sipping wine and driving - so there's a few fender dings). The soft top is a mess but it has a hard top - I'm not sure if it's the OEM one or not (can't find 'mazda' written anywhere, there's no defroster element in the glass, and the glass is japanese).

of course I'm picking it up after money frees up, but I'm just curious about the top. I did a quick google search but didn't see any images of the differences between the OEM vs aftermarket tops.

I've owned two hardtops. One is a 2004 Mazda and the other was a Snugtop that I bought used in 99. It was a few years old at the time.

The Mazda top has a very nice headliner and the latches are the same as the ones on the soft top. Earlier Mazda tops had no headliner or rear defroster.

The Snugtop had a small "Snugtop" decal, I think in the drivers side "B" pillar area. It had a headliner glued on that seemed to be made of indoor / outdoor carpeting and had a funky odor. It also had a dome light and rear defroster. The latches were very different and looked cheap with sharp edges.

From the outside, the Snugtop was indistinguishable from the Mazda unit. Mine actually had a nicer finish, as it was shipped in color, whereas the Mazda one was shipped in bare fiberglass and sent to a body shop for paint by the previous owner.

I suspect that you're looking at a Mazda top. If it was a Snugtop, one look at the inside and you'd know immediately.

Snugtop makes some of the best pickup truck caps. They stopped making the Miata tops about ten years ago.

List the top for sale on CraigsList for $190 You'll get every Miata guy within three states at your door before you're done typing. Every one of them will know exactly what it is and will try to impress you by telling you. Tell them the listing was wrong and its really $1900.

List it on ebay once you get out of the hospital.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: List the top for sale on CraigsList for $190 You'll get every Miata guy within three states at your door before you're done typing. Every one of them will know exactly what it is and will try to impress you by telling you. Tell them the listing was wrong and its really $1900. List it on ebay once you get out of the hospital.

haha I like the way you think.

Not all factory hardtops had a defroster, and I've never seen a Mazda sticker on any of them. But there are a lot more Mazda tops than Snugtops.

I like the Craigslist idea. It would so work.

According to Miata.net's hardtop FAQ, the 90-91 models weren't set up to run a rear window defogger, nor did factory hardtops that came with those cars have them. I can confirm that the 90 and 91 Miatas I've owned haven't had defogger switches or wiring or anything. Since this is a 91 you're talking about, that would be the configuration that came from the factory. Not a guarantee, though.

Most of the aftermarket hardtops look just like the factory tops, so without a sticker or brand name of some kind it's hard to tell the difference.

By the car, sell the hardtop, and you can at least break even - if not profit. Or, score a deal on a sweet ride with a free hardtop! (Then change the timing belt before it breaks. Non-interference engine, but still inconvenient.)

I looked at a 90 with 164k at the auction. Right front fender damaged, both quarters bondoed by the blind, reprayed in a heavy wind, and the inside smelled like Jimmy Hoffa was in the glove box. The only redeeming feature: hard top! I was trying to get it for about $1500: it went to 2300 and the seller wouldn't cut it loose. It was a $950 top with a $500 car snapped to it.

on an OE top, below the rear window, pretty much dead-center, should be the letters "SMC" (sheet molded composite)

that's the only way i know to be sure. i found this info on some miata website a few years ago but don't remember where. i have a photo somewhere, i think.