Miata Mailing List: February 1997, Message #2
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   From: (none)

Subject: Re: Replacement Top 

   Date: (none)



Please do....Post your installation findings re: the Robbins top.



Jack Hamilton & Shoryu [a '96 Montego Blue & Tan]]

"Shoryu" = "Sea Blue Dragon"



----------

> From: Brian K. Dore' 

> To: Multiple recipients of list 

> Subject: Re: Replacement Top 

> Date: Friday, January 31, 1997 11:08 AM

> 

> Moises Romero said:

> 

> > Due to unforseen pointy objects and gravity, my 94's black top is in

dire

> > need of replacement. Is the factory top, vinyl or cloth, and is there

> much

> > difference between the two in appearence??  and can a lowly human

> > install them easily?

> 

> I've done the job myself once, and it was a LOT of work.  The

circumstances

> were complicated, but I ended up getting a top from JC Whitney.  I didn't

> pay for it, but I believe the cost was about $200.  The top fit well, but

> the vinyl cloth had a cheap look to it; it was more charcoal than black

and

> had a high gloss finish.  Where the top meets the car is a plastic gutter

> known as a rain rail.  It's fairly fragile, and in this case had to be

> re-used which involved drilling out rivets and punching new holes in the

> top cloth and riveting them back together.  This took a lot of time and

> effort.  I think it took about 12 hours over two days working by myself. 

> I'm really glad that I had both the shop manual and the Enthusiasts Guide

> to refer to, as the top came with no instructions.  I learned a lot from

> the experience.  I know I'm not the only one, and I'm sure that the gory

> details are somewhere in the archives ...

> 

> In any case, I'm crazy enough to do it again, only this time I bought a

> Robbins OEM style top.  It just arrived today in fact.  It cost twice as

> much as the JC Whitney top, but this time a new rain rail is already

> attached to the top, saving a lot of trouble.  Robbins makes a cheaper

> model without the rain rail if you are a masochist or need to save about

> $50.  They also make much nicer and more expensive versions with premium

> cloth and glass rear windows.  I'll review the thing later once I get it

> installed; right now I can only say delivery was prompt.  :^)

> 

> I guess I ought to take lots of pictures of the process and write an

> instruction (web page) manual, since I know a lot of people are

interested

> in doing this themselves, but good documentation is hard to find.  I'm

also

> planning to resurface my brake rotors, rebuild my calipers, fix my

> emergency brake and all that fun stuff the same weekend, so I guess it

> depends on how much time I have.

> 

> Brian "looks like I'm going to be busy Mardi Gras weekend" Dore' &

Cayenne,

> Lafayette, LA  

> 

>