Miata Mailing List: November 1994, Message #5
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   From: buck@claude.ma30.bull.com (Kenneth J. Buck)
Subject: re: zipper...
   Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 07:30:49 -0500

> From: Jonathan Webb 
> Subject: zipper....
> 
> The zip(per) on my hood is beginning to fail. [...]
> Poor old rooster is 4.5 years old and is on UK extended
> warrenty. I just tried my mazda dealership and they said
> "wearable item, not covered, you need a new hood". I said
> "cripes, that sounds a litte excessive". They said "yes, try a
> trimmers". 

i don't see why you couldn't just have the zipper replaced
(assuming the rest of the top is in good enough shape to make
this strategy worthwhile).

> So the questions are, has anyone had a new hood out of mazda on
> a car this old via extended warrenty ?

personally, i think we all should be expecting to replace our
soft tops *someday*, it's not exactly news that these things wear
out eventually.  i don't know what the life span expectations of
others are, but when i got the car, i figured that 4-5 years would
be acceptable, and anything more would be icing on the cake.
unless you bought a warranty that explicitly covers the soft top
for an extended period, i think it's only fair to be expecting
to pay for replacement yourself after this amount of time.

--

for the record, after 4.5 years, my soft top is wearing fine on
the outside, but had developed some wear spots on the inside
(where the rear window surround material rubs when the top is down).
i covered these spots using some of the Mazda soft top repair sheet
(basically the same material as the top), but now the edges of the
squares i applied are rubbing and forming their own wear spots.
the top will make it to hardtop season (about another month),
which guarantees it a 5 year anniversary, but i don't know how much
more to expect.  i won't be dissatisfied if have to replace it next
year, though.

also, my zipper works fine, but requires a certain amount of care -
i had it separate once, but have had no subsequent problems for
about 6 months since then.  i think the '91 zippers, like my wife
has on her car, are a lot better and will probably last longer with
less care required.  oh well, guess i'll get one of those when i
get my next top...

--                                             
Ken Buck                                          /|
Internet: kbuck@peritus.com                   \'o.O'    ACK!
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