Miata top?

The back window on my Miata is coming un-stitched. I've tried re-sewing it, but it still leaks & a couple days later more of the original thread came loose anyway.

The top isn't horrible, but it probably only has another year or so in it, so I'm thinking about a new top. I don't want anything fancy or too expensive, just a decent OE-style top that will last.

What should I look for & where should I go to find one?

Oh, and sorry - I know this was covered on the old board, and I seem to recall it being in one of the issues, but I couldn't find the right one.(And no, I don't bother with miata.net - way too much garbage posted over there)

I used a cheap ebay one. Let me dig up the company name. They're a commendable ebay seller in my eyes. It was "daveshouze"...the seller on ebay.

Anyway, I got a cheap one with the rain rail. The install wasn't as hard as I imagined...but I never did get those rivets done on the bottom. It worked ok though...then I got a hardtop...then the car got totalled.

I'll leave that top on when I rebuild the new tub.

Hope it helps, Clem

I just bought a Kee top from the ebay seller "Daveshouze" (website), and it looks to be very good quality. I haven't had a chance to install it yet, I'll probably start a thread on here once I do. I went nuts and got a no-zip, glass window, Stayfast cloth version, with attached Rain Rail, but the price I paid for that ($468 shipped) was the best I have found anywhere for a similar top. He sells a no-zip, plastic window, vinyl version of the same top for $179 shipped, add $109 if you need the rain rail. The rain rail I got on my top was really nice, no brittle plastic like the stock one, and the polyurethane channel seems about twice as thick. I'm sure it's the last one I'll ever have to buy for this car. If it had been my own money and not a birthday gift from my Dad, I probably would have gone with the vinyl glass window top he sells for about $250 shipped.

Overall, I'm really impressed with it so far, and I hope the install goes as well as I expect it to.

i got the no zip glass daves top in vinyl sitting upstairs. i think i paid 260 ish shipped. ill be installing it very soon and tell you how it goes, the quality looks very good though.

I bought one of the budget tops from a miata.net sponsor (moss maybe?). Think I paid something like $190. Wasn't too terrible to install myself and worked way better than the shredded original top. Being able to go through a car wash without an umbrella inside the car was unreal.

Get the rain rail. No need to take the top apart twice to replace it later.

Stop by a boat shop or marina, they might be able to fix what you have.

It's more money, but I love the zip-out rear window. It's a nice compromise between top up and top down.

Check your local wrecking yards. You might get lucky and find an NB top and frame on the inexpensive side.

Thanks! Looks like I'll try one from daveshouze.

I find Miata.Net to be a great source of info.

David, is there a top with a zip-out glass window?

Tim Baxter wrote: David, is there a top with a zip-out glass window?

I don't know. Keith?

I think Robbins makes a zip-out glass window top for NAs, they are pricey though. Of course, any factory NB top and frame will bolt on to an NA, and they are all zip-out glass.

Found this...

http://miami.craigslist.org/pts/687942581.html

A.A. Best Co is going to make me a custom top in Racing Green Cloth with a no-zip glass window for less than $500.

David S. Wallens wrote:

Tim Baxter wrote: David, is there a top with a zip-out glass window?

I don't know. Keith?

Not quite my area of expertise, but I don't think so.

I just checked, the Robbins 2962/2963/2964/2965 for '90-05 Miatas has a zippered glass window (link). These cost more than the no zip models though, since they are more complicated to make.

Whatever you do, don't buy a top from convertibletopguys.com or eBay seller itrimming . They don't fit, the rain rail design is kind of a joke, and the instructions suck. Their glass window top isn't zippered, FWIW, but it is cheap. Not worth the hassle though.

And yes, you can get a top with a zip-out glass window. The white top on Kara's car (see Student Driver article) has a zip-out glass window, but I don't think its ever been unzipped, since you don't have to unzip it to put the top down. I'm going to pass on the unnecessary complexity of a zipper window when I put a new top on my car.

I installed a 3 window from daveshouze (Kee) last fall and it fit pretty well. $300 with rain rail. Definitely worth it to look at miata.net for the top install. Those tops fit great, but there's a lot of engineering into them.