Lachstock and Four Turbo Charged Cylinders ['04 NB SE]

[Red_Bullet]

The best bet is to simply not daily it, have something more comfortable and look forward to the occasional unpleasantness of getting the go-kart out.

[ManiacLachy]

yours, Lokiel’s and mine are the same... constantly in the shed being played with. However at least yours and mine is seen in public

None of us can leave well enough alone!

The tiles look like a great idea Lachy. With the new bracing going in mine this week there may be some need to look into that idea too!

We'll do a swap next time both our cars are together, you can get a feel for the suspension and sound/vibration damping, and I can get a feel for real power and BMW 'box. I think I'd be getting the better end of that stick!

The best bet is to simply not daily it, have something more comfortable and look forward to the occasional unpleasantness of getting the go-kart out.

That's the dream. Unfortunately my other half won't let that happen. Also, it would be very hard for me to not want to mod the daily! But one day I'm hoping to get something for the daily commute and dog hauling duties.

[ManiacLachy]

If you've ever read about soft top installs/replacements, you'll have read that they're a bitch of a job. I can confirm this!

A quick recap. About 2 months ago I found a big rip above my rear window and another small rip in the lower left corner, the day a week of big storms was set to kick off. Luckily this forum and it's members is awesome and Lokiel lent me his hard top so my car would not drown. Since then I pulled the old soft top out of the car and ordered a new skin for it. And now it's finished (almost). Luckily I could take my time with this job, I could not have completed it in a weekend!

I bought a Robbins factory style top, canvas/cloth material with defroster and zipped glass window. Canvas just looks classy, and I wanted the zipped window so I could drop it and get all the airflow, but still be shaded from the cancer machine in the sky. I bought it from the US, it cost a little less than buying locally when shipping is considered, still I would have bought from Mania but it doesn't seem Australia gets the Zipped window option so I went overseas. Luckily I didn't get stung for GST or duties!
https://mossmiata.com/1999-2005-miata/tops/canvas-zippered-defroster-glass-window-factory-style-tops-by-robbins

Pulling the soft top out wasn't too bad. Only problem was that I removed a bolt in the roll bar, which was holding a captive nut, which then dropped in behind the seatbelt receiver. The only way to get behind the seatbelt receiver is to fully remove the roll bar and a lot of trim, then somehow stick the nut back up inside and hope it doesn't fall while you reinstall the trim and roll bar. The roll bar is a two person job, luckily I had a friend lend me hand.

Getting the old soft top off the frame wasn't too bad, you have to drill out a few rivets, remove the rubber seals and retainers and unscrew the tension cables. Unfortunately one of tension cable screws burred out and we had a fight. I said some words I wish my dog didn't have to hear In the end a slash from the dremel helped get it loose.


Burred and slashed - this shouldn't have been so hard!

Putting the new skin on is where it starts to get hard. The whole thing is just slightly too small and everything is a stretch. Make sure you screw your tension cable in before you rivet the new skin to the frame, or you'll be drilling them out again. Man, I went through a lot of rivets!


Top on frame after many fights with rivets

Finally, installing the new top on frame into the car. Roll bar out again (captive nuts dropped again), because getting those retainer plates on over the rain rail with the roll bar in the way would have taken more dexterity than I could muster. Thankfully my friend came by to lend a hand again. Even with the roll bar out of the way it was a tough job. Getting that rain rail attached is another job where it's all just a little too small. Robbins provided foam spacers to go on each side of the rain rail, but it made the whole sandwich too thick to get the nuts on, so I just used one one one side of the rail. Oh, I managed to snap one of the studs while tightening the retainer down, they really don't want much torque!

Closing the top was hard too, as expected. We pulled and pushed and stretched that thing as hard as we could, but it was just a few millimeters away from catching the strikers. In the end, we attached some zip ties to the striker and the latches and pulled it tight. Left it in the sun to heat, soften and stretch and with a little more effort I got them attached. What helped was extending the latches at much as possible, and one side it was so close but just not quite catching, so I loosened the striker slightly which gave me the reach I needed to catch on.


Installed and latched, tight as a drum

Seriously the whole thing is an effort! Everything is a fight. But the top is up, and latched and tight as a drum. I'll leave the top up for the next week or so to really stretch out before I attempt to drop it.

It's one of those jobs that would go easier the second time after you've learned all the little lessons that no amount of research can teach you. Unfortunately, after buying my helper friend lunch I noticed a tear in his soft top (he has a very nice black NitroDann Twist Mounted NB8B), so it looks like I'll get to put those lessons to work again soon!

I'll take some better photos on the weekend, for now I'm just happy its done. For now, here's Hobbes riding shotgun


I have to pull the seat out for him to fit!

[apsilon]

These questions might be answered by the pics which I can't currently view (work in their wisdom block imgur and other image hosting services) but how does the glass top work with the roll bar and/or OEM seatbelt tower brace? The plastic window tucks under this but I've never seen a glass window top in person to see how it works. Did you get the Robbins rain rail? Is it the new style rubber ones I've heard exist now? Back when I did the top on my original car these weren't around and you had to reuse the fragile OEM plastic one.

[ManiacLachy]

I haven't dropped the window yet, I'll let the top stretch out a little more and report back next weekend. But I think it should be able to lay down on the rear deck without issue.

I got it with the rain rail, my OEM one looked OK after 14 years, but would it hold up for another 14? I don't know, better safe than sorry.

[hks_kansei]

These questions might be answered by the pics which I can't currently view (work in their wisdom block imgur and other image hosting services) but how does the glass top work with the roll bar and/or OEM seatbelt tower brace? .

Cant comment on the robbins top, but certainly can re: oem

Basically, the glass appears to be slightly shorter in height than the plastic NA windows, which allows it to have some more clearance to the windblocker the NB had.

There's actually a fair bit of clearance (from where the glass rests, to the blocker is maybe 15cm or so), so I can't see it fouling the NA8 tower brace.

[ManiacLachy]

You guys have me concerned now! I didn't even consider the possible interference.

It'll be a shame to have gone to the extra effort for the zip window to not be able to use it. Not the end of the world, I'd just have to leave it up, but disappointing for sure.

[hks_kansei]

Just went and looked.

Mx5+ torquebox bar correct?

If so you should be fine, they have heaps of soft top clearance for the window.

The box is far enough forward that it's pretty much the same as the oem NB windblocker, and the rear legs are wide enough apart (and short enough) to clear.

The brown Davis bar can be tight, since it's rear legs are longer and a bit closer (I had to crumple my top around the legs when I had the bd bar)

[ManiacLachy]

Yeah, MX5+ Twin hoop. There's space under the torque box, I was worried about the glass fitting between the up rights more than anything else. A little bunching up of the side flaps isn't a worry.

I wonder if the glass would bounce on bumps?

[hks_kansei]

It should be well and truly fine to fit between them.

As I mentioned, glass tops fit ok on a Brown Davis bar, and they have less clearance than the MX5+ bars.



The only way it wouldn't fit is if the Robbins top glass is substantially wider than the factory glass, which I doubt since going much wider than OEM means the glass is getting close to the curves of the top (plus then there's no zipper space)




The zipper tops are great for ventilation though, I hate how stuffy my NB is inside.
If I could unzip my back window i'd love it, airflow without the sunburn.

[Daffy]

Looking forward to seeing the new top- I’ll be looking a bit later down the line to possibly replace mine before long. It still look fine at the moment but that Robbins zipper top really looks the goods mate!

[ManiacLachy]

Do you know what occurred to me last night as I was going to sleep? Of course it will fit! Where do you think the glass goes when you fold the roof down!? I had a chuckle to myself

[ManiacLachy]

So, before installing the new soft top, with the roof and parcel shelf out, I figured "while I'm in here"...

I should apply some more CLD tiles!


Removed all the panels and cleaned the surfaces with spray and wipe and then some grease and wax remover.


CLD tiles around the tank and in the tunnels.


It seems I forgot to take a photo of the re-assembled parcel shelf with tiles I used 2 or 3 tiles on the top, with tiles going on the access panels as well as the chassis. Also maybe 2 across the big silver panel you can see above, which is really quite tinny. I didn't apply any to the lower area of the back wall, near the seats as it's quite sturdy and firm, it didn't feel like it would vibrate much.


I discovered this panel was rusted when I first bought the car home over 4 years ago. At the time I sanded it back a little and re-installed it planning on getting cleaned up properly soon. I forgot about it until I had the old soft top out and I decided it was time to properly sort it out. I clean the rust off with a wire wheel and repaint it with some grey paint. It got 1/2 CLD tile.


The rear floor got 1 & 1/2 tiles per side, the front area of the floor is covered from the factory with some sort of material and I didn't apply any tiles. The transmission tunnel got 2 tiles per side, the passenger side got 1 full tile and 1 cut in to halfs because of the hand break. I thought I'd get one on top of the tunnel, but it's quite narrow and there really wasn't much room.


Finally, 1 tile under the pedals and one tile on the ECU access panel. I plan to put one tile under the ECU, which I'll do next time I have the electronics out.

And I still need to do the passenger door, which I should get to this weekend.

I haven't been for a drive yet, so no review on how much change this has made to the resonance and vibration that I'm attempting to tame, but I'm hopeful!

[ManiacLachy]

The soft top is installed!


Perfect fit

The glass lays down on the parcel shelf with no issues. Unzipping it isn't as easy as unlatching the roof, it's not a job you'll do while waiting at the lights. The zip goes in a wide arc, along near the rear seam of the roof and you basically need to unzip half, walk to the other side and unzip the other half. I've read that some people have had issues with tearing and it's recommended to unlatch the roof, unzip, then re-latch to release tension while unzipping.


New roof + Side Skirts

The effect is nice, you get a little more airflow on the inside of the car. It's not a wind tunnel by any means though. Similar to having the roof dropped, but with less buffeting overhead, and more sun protection. I'm sure NA drivers with the old zip down know what I mean.


The car in it's natural habitat - the E85 pump!

Eagle eyes will notice the new small tupperware sideskirts on the car! I bought these on ebay about 6-9 months ago, and finally had them painted and installed. I had some PDR work done at the same time, and some rock damage to the front lip fixed. So the car is in decent nick now. Apart from the stone chips...

[KevGoat]

Looking really nice!! My soft top's still really good, not sure the two previous owners had ever used it! But if I ever had to replace it I'd always thought I'd go the zipped window and seeing yours and reading your comments I'm now even more sure I would. Side skirts on these look great. Mine already had the skirts when I bought it and I reckon they enhance the lines from the front spoiler. Finishes the appearance off nicely. I've even found they give a little but of extra protection from rocks etc off the front wheels.

Just zooming in closer on the window photo and I think I'd be placing a soft towel or something under the window. Having thoughts of it bouncing hard on the rear deck....

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