Miata Mailing List: January 1995, Message #202
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   From: Cynthia Paloma 
Subject: CD changers and tie down hooks
   Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 20:11:02 -0500

Consider this a "me too" to the query from 
Bob Crawford :

> Also, what 
> options are available for cd and tape other than buying the factory cd 
> changer. I see plenty of AM/FM/tape or AM/FM/CD. Must that choice be made?

I saw a couple CD changers in Miata trunks recently, and that has
piqued my curiousity enough to take a look at the Crutchfield's catalog.
I glanced at the "add-on" variety which plays through the stock FM radio.
As I recall, the smallest changer unit was something like 10x7x2 inches, 
which is a big chunk of the Miata's trunk.  I think a changer would be
much more convenient and probably safer than adding an in-dash CD player.
If you have a CD changer, where in the trunk did you locate it?  (I don't
even know why I'm asking - I don't even listen to the radio!)

As for the tie down hooks - they were particularly difficult to remove 
on *my* car!  I just did this last month - did not need to lift the car. 
I used an assortment of 14mm wrenches, but the bolts were torqued down
extra tight which made it hard to start loosening them.   There are 3
per side, only one per side is readily accessible.  The other ones are
pretty hard to get at, and it takes a lot of very small movements to
loosen them because of parts in the way .  The one on the passenger
side came out easier and just fell right out.  The one on the driver's
side was much more difficult.  One bolt is cake to get at.  One bolt,
next to a plastic fluid container was pretty tricky to get at.  The
last bolt was totally blind *and* it was really torqued down tight.
Eventually was able to access it from the front of the tie down hook.

So the last bolt comes finally comes free and then the hook would not 
slide out no matter how it was wiggled - the car has A/C and pushing
it backwards pressed against copper tubing!  Finally end up taking out
the plastic pieces around the "mouth" until the hook would come out.

This all took the better part of a week...  I had plenty of time to check
the archives to see if the driver's side tie down hook problem had been 
addressed before.  It had, once, and I asked the poster how he'd solved 
the problem.  He got his dealer to do it - for free!

Was it worth it?  I thought it would be, back when I started the project
(10 minutes per side, Miata Magazine said...)  But tons of other people 
have had no problem removing their tie down hooks.  Maybe I drive a lemon! 
Well you know what they say - if life hands you a lemon, make lemondade!


Cindy Paloma
San Diego, CA
white 92B

PS For those of you in San Diego, sorry about the storm - it's because
   I waxed my car the day before...