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While driving home from work this morning in 4*C weather I noticed that the PVC window on my soft top has a 200mm crack through it. Not a huge surprise given that it was looking in bad condition when I got the car back in 2017.

A few questions about replacements:
Are the Robbins Auto Top < https://robbinsautotop.com/convertible- ... years=4901 > brand the best to go with?
Vinyl, cloth, mohair? Does any stand out as longer lasting or more durable?
Any reason to stick with the PVC window rather than ‘upgrade’ to glass?
Can a glass window soft top be fitted to my current PVC window frame, or do I require a replacement frame?

Are the glass windows compatible with the factory seatbelt tower braces?


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/ ... c_0359.jpg

Is there any other bits (seals, trims, etc.) that should be replaced while doing the job, or is it all reusable?

(and no, I don’t want a second mortgage to be able to afford a hard top…)

I knew you Tasmanians were different - your steering wheel is on the wrong side with weird dashboard bits!

twr7cx wrote:A few questions about replacements:
Are the Robbins Auto Top < https://robbinsautotop.com/convertible- ... years=4901 > brand the best to go with?
Vinyl, cloth, mohair? Does any stand out as longer lasting or more durable?
Any reason to stick with the PVC window rather than ‘upgrade’ to glass?
Can a glass window soft top be fitted to my current PVC window frame, or do I require a replacement frame?

Are the glass windows compatible with the factory seatbelt tower braces?

Is there any other bits (seals, trims, etc.) that should be replaced while doing the job, or is it all reusable?

I went with a Robbins Mohair, zippered glass replacement for my NB. I think mohair (or is it canvas?) looks better than the vinyl and I feel like it'll better resist UV fade but that might just be wishful thinking. It's a personal choice, if you want to keep the car looking as close as original, then maybe you'd want to stick with the vinyl.

My OEM top was fixed glass, but I really wanted to be able to drop the window for airflow, and with the glass I retain my demister, and again, glass won't be affected by UV like the plastic window would. If you don't have a demister then glass might be overkill? It's more weight but nothing major. My glass window is just fine with my rollbar, so it should have no issues with the seat tower brace.

Get a new rain rail with the top. Also, I'd suggest new tension cables and springs, they get tired after time and this new top will be very tight at first. You could also do the soft top seals (around the windows) if yours are looking a little tired or letting in more rain than you'd like.

I believe the frames are pretty much the same across all NA/NBs so the tops should fit just fine, whatever configuration you end up getting.

bruce wrote:I knew you Tasmanians were different - your steering wheel is on the wrong side with weird dashboard bits!

It's just a Google Image to show the style of seatbelt tower brace that is fitted in the vehicle to assist with confirming glass rear window compatibility.

ManiacLachy wrote:I went with a Robbins Mohair, zippered glass replacement for my NB. I think mohair (or is it canvas?) looks better than the vinyl and I feel like it'll better resist UV fade but that might just be wishful thinking. It's a personal choice, if you want to keep the car looking as close as original, then maybe you'd want to stick with the vinyl.

I'm not phased about originality, but am always interested in the superior product. In this case if the new soft top lasts longer (through UV resistant etc) then that would be more of a factor for me than the look of the different materials.

Thanks for the replies.

If the lifespan guidance is to be believed then it seems that soft-tops for the MX-5 are something that you get what you pay for. The cheapest options indicate a 5 year life span, mid range 10-15 years and top end 20+ years. But a top spec is less than twice the price of the cheap option while potentially delivering four times the life span.

After looking at the various suppliers, taking into account what's available in Australia and international freight options, I ended up ordering a Canvas soft top with heated hard glass from Prestige Soft Tops < https://www.prestigetops.com.au/product ... -zipper-2/ >. It's made out of the Haartz Stayfast canvas https://www.haartz.com/products/stayfast which seems to be a common material for many of the top specs are.

Also got the strap conversion kit from them https://www.prestigetops.com.au/product ... l-1989-97/

MX5Parts.co.uk < https://www.mx5parts.co.uk > for the heated rear window switch, hood catch stoppers, hood pillar base clips, new hood tension cables and springs and rain rail.

And MX5Mania for the I.L. Motorsport Heated Rear Window Wiring Harness < https://www.ilmotorsport.de/en/mx-5-hea ... rness-3129 > to add the rear window deminster feature into my 89 NA6.

All up it equals almost half the original cost of my MX-5 five years ago but a needed maintenance item and hopefully delivers a good life span.