Soft Top Storage Advise Needed...

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:56 am

Hi guys

I'd like to keep the hardtop on the car for a long while. Barring removing the soft top from the car...any hints and tips that I should do to ensure my soft top will remain in good order? I want to ensure that it (soft top) remains in good condition when I finally remove the hardtop and start using the soft top. I'm worried that if I leave it folded in the car that it will end up showing permanent creases, becomes brittle, and worst case scenario, cracks or easily tears.

What's the recommended length of time that the soft top should be left stowed, folded?

Thanks in advance.

sliq · Postby **sliq** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:46 am

hiya hammer,

from an earlier thread (i think one of garry's posts), the advice was to give it a polish with 303, and remove the rear window (if its the plastic window). try to keep it as dry as possible.

if you try and open up the soft top after it's been kept in the dark for a while, it won't properly contract, so you'll need to leave it out in the sun so that it can stretch out a bit.

li21 · Postby **li21** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:50 pm

Any advice for removing creases?
I put my top down only for 1 hour and its already creased and wont come out

de Bounce · Postby **de Bounce** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:10 pm

Hi Hammer
One recommendation I read on Miata.net was to cover it with the tonneau cover to keep out the UV rays.
Use the press studs to hold the cover in place as you wont be able to clip it along the back.
Might need some type of protection where the Hard Top holds down the Soft Top latches.

NMX516 · Postby **NMX516** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:31 pm

Until Friday, I had the h/t on since early November. I make sure s/t is clean and dry before putting the h/t on, and that's about it. I put the tonneau cover on once but found it more trouble than it was worth. I have tinted windows incl h/t so I wasn't too worried about fading.

The s/t was difficult to latch onto the top of the windscreen after it had been folded down for that long, but after some persuasive leaning it clipped closed. I've kept it up, and parked outside for a couple of days to try and catch some sun to try and help get the creases out, and this has worked! The vinyl will stretch and shrink to some extent. If well maintained with 303 for example, there shouldn't be any real dramas.