Mazda Stupidity, wrt - Miatas

Once again, it's rained, so once again my Miata is filled with water. And once again, I'm thoroughly disgusted with the design.

Who's bright idea over at Mazda was it to put the convertible top INSIDE the Miata? Even the Brits, who are not noted for fine car building, could figure out that when you put the convertible top on the car, you put it on the outside the car.

Mazda, in some bizzare fit of brilliance, decided to put the top inside the car. That way when it rains all the water washing off the top goes down inside the car.

Their solution? a gutter around the bottom of the convertible top they call a rain rail. A each end of the gutter is a drain, that is pencil sized tube.

Those little drains can't handle a decent rain, so the rain rail overflows, filling up the inside of the car with water.

Then there are leaves and helicopters and such. They get washed into the rain rail, where they block the drain tubes, making sure the rain rail overflows, filling up the inside of the car with water.

It gets better. Mazda decided that those totally inadequate tiny pencil sized drains needed one-way check valves. God only knows why. Maybe Mazda feared intrusion from earthworms. But the already inadequate water flow of those drains is badly restricted from the check valves, filling up the inside of the car with water.

And those check valves do a great job of catching any tiny debris that went down the tube, instead of blocking it at the top. Ensuring the tube is still blocked by gunk down inside it, filling up the inside of the car with water.

This has got to be the stupidest convertible top design I have ever seen in my life.

Sorry, I've never owned a Miata, so my comment may be worthless. However, considering all the folks who have driven/owned Miatas in all their various model years and who have never mentioned how awful the top's design is I can only conclude:

1.) It somehow never rains on their car

2.) They don't seem to mind sitting in a wet car.

I have owned a TR 3 and a Spitfire, and the tops of both cars still get you wet. Though in the case of my cars it was usually due to not wanting to use the "3s" side curtains, and/or the fact that I could never get the Spitfire's windshield defogger to work right.

BTW, please note, I REALLY was being facetious.

foxtrapper. I had the same problem with my daughter's NA and while it was a pain, I pulled the top out, cleaned (and siliconed and gaffer taped) the rain rail then removed the drains and their little scuppers and cleaned them out. Since then we've had no problems with leaks...as long as she doesn't leave the windows open! P.S. A long chopsick was most helpful for feeding the drain tubes back down into the body.

Clean your drains. The tops do seal quite well. My cars stay dry.

Remember that a 1990 Miata on the original top (like my previous Miata) has a 20-year-old top by this point (like my previous Miata does). How many of these wonderful LBC tops last that long? How many can be flipped open and closed from the driver's seat in a matter of seconds?

There are some dumb things in the Miata design, but I don't think the top design is really part of it.

Or... do the right thing. Throw away the soft top and bolt a hard top on :)

I've never had a problem in 19 years of Miata ownership. I can't think of any cvt top design in the last 25 years that isn't inside the beltline.

Maybe your rain rail is broken and leaks? Maybe the PO installed the rain rail incorrectly putting the top completely on one side or the ofher (the rain rail should straddle the top).

Mine has never leaked and I live in Washington....

Mine has never leaked and I live in Washington....

splitime wrote: Or... do the right thing. Throw away the soft top and bolt a hard top on :)

^

Mine ALWAYS leaks, and I live in Florida. Both cars. I started having to carry a towel around, cause in a decent Southwest Florida rain, the driver's seat will be soaked.

Yep, keeping the drains clear is part of the design problem. As well trying to keep the rain rail itself clear. The system is just like the gutters on a house, with the same problems. The whole system gets overwhelmed in really heavy rains. Spring and fall the leaves and pine needles and helicopters fall on the roof, get washed into the gutter (rain rail). They block the downspouts (drains), and rot into that gunk that blocks water flow to the downspouts.

Home owners have to scoop their gutters, Miata owners have to scoop their rain rails. At least home owners only have to do it once or twice a year, at the most. Miata owners have to do it every few minutes in the spring and fall, as a piece of leaf the size of a thumbnail can block the drain.

Though this does give me an idea. I wonder if making a screen insert for the drain hole might help keep the gunk from blocking the hole. Just like those inserts you put in the downspouts of gutters. Same problems, same semi-success, maybe.

I keep looking at the belt molding on the body of the Miata and trying to figure out a good gasket approach that would actually seal the top and keep water and leaves and such from washing down into the rain rail.

The top on my 1961 Pontiac Bonneville convertible was installed the same way, it's not like Mazda came up with something new.

The Fiat 124 Spider used a similar system.. the rear side windows were glass and attached to the convertable top so they flipped up and down with the top. Quite innovated and as far as I know, still not duplicated.

Each little window had a "drip rail" beneath the edge where it sat beneath the sheet metal of the car. on the Pre-1979 models.. it had rubber tubes that ran down into the sills (but not through them.. that part was silly) the later 79+ cars used the side pockets (which are plastic) that the top mechanism falls into as BIG Scuppers to grab and drain the water away.. (again, into the sills)

The Miata design is not new.. and as far as I know.. only the Miata, Fiat 124, and Alfa can easily have their tops raised and dropped in seconds while sitting at a light

Neither of my Miatas have ever had leaky tops. I also don't park under trees, or let the top fold area collect junk and debris. If your car collects debris in the fold, expect to have to clean the drain tubes.

My 99 leaks constantly in heavy FL rain. Somehow water gets in between the gaskets on the drivers window and stores within the rail above the window. The sun comes out and heats it up. When I get in the car, as soon as I pull forward the scalding water shoots out onto my shoulder.

Also leaks through the gutter, which I suspect is cracked somewhere. This drains into the trunk and stores in the battery and wheel wells.

Latest one I've just found is some stitching above the window has worn through, if it rains from behind water comes straight in. Looks like a new top is in order for me.

The only issue that I ever had was above the windows where the top window seal is split. After a rain all was well and good until I hit the brakes and then water would stream from that gap either onto my left knee or if turning right and braking... into my ear canal. That was slightly uncomfortable.