Miata Mailing List: February 1998, Message #178
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From: 	Stephen Foskett <sfoskett@concentric.net>

Subject: Re: '99 top question

Date: 	Mon, 2 Feb 1998 11:42:46 +0000



At 10:01 AM 2/2/98 +0000, Jim Smithbauer wrote:

>To those who have seen the '99 soft top up close, how does it fold

>around the rear glass backlite?  The bows look similar to the M1's in

>pics, so how does it avoid folding the glass window in half?



I poked at a few '99s at the Houston Auto Show.  Here's how the top works:



Sorry for the ASCII art!



The rearmost bow is NOT anchored to the top!  When raised it looks like it

does on the M1 cars.  When lowered, it slips forward up against the next

bow, allowing the top material to fold over the window.  This bow is

anchored by two straps on the outsides to make it sit up straight when the

top is locked up.



   the top folds here

_ _________v______

_\\______________ \

next bow>||\\  || \\<glass

         || \\ ||  \\

 moving bow> \\||===\\

              \|| ^  \\

                straps



The glass window looked nice and big from the inside and the defroster sure

looks like a nice addition.  The window does sit flat on the (reshaped)

rear deck from what I could see.  



It looks like this system will REALLY get in the way of all the style bars

I've seen!



The engine compartment looked positively empty.  There was a LOT of room on

both sides of the block and indeed even in front of the block between it

and the radiator.



The car in general looks very much like the M1.  My wife and I almost

missed noticing it, it looked so familiar!  The trunk hump is really the

biggest noticable thing about the car's exterior!



Stephen & Buckeye

'94C Black/Tan

Houston, TX

(Newly wired for a light-minder)