Miata Mailing List: October 1998, Message #168

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Previously on Robbins cloth top, Thompson, Cathy
<CThompson@LibertyCorp.com> said...

> I am interested in hearing from any and all that have had experience
with
> the Robbins cloth top with glass window.  Specifically I would like to
know:
> 
> 1.)  Is the tan cloth harder to keep clean than the tan vinyl top?  What
> cleaning products are needed to remove spots off the tan cloth?  Surely
I
> can't use a scrub brush as I do now.

This is the only one I don't know.  Mine's black and needs nothing but
soapy water.  You definitely don't want to scrub hard on it because it
will scrub the fuzzy part of the cloth off and leave a smooth spot. 
Forced to guess, I'd say that the same recipe of diluted Simple Green and
a soft brush would probably work.

> 2.)  Does the glass rear window make the top lay funny, i.e. is the
glass
> really too heavy for the top? does it have a smooth line like the
factory
> top or does the glass droop?

When zipped, the glass sits firmly against the top and does not droop. 
The window looks better than factory because it doesn't wrinkle.

If you get the version with the lift-track system and leave the window
unzipped, it does droop /very/ slightly at the top.  You'd have to have a
Miata eye to notice it.  My window hasn't been zipped in months.

One thing to consider wrt the lift-track system, besides the inability to
open the rear window with the top up (silly IMHO), is that the straps of
the lift system seem to cause the top to wrinkle next to the upper corners
of the window.  It looks like the fabric bunches up there as the top folds
and just wrinkles.  It depends on how often you have the top up, and how
much you mind the less-than-flawless look whether it matters or not.  I
only have a sample of 2 to go on, but I'm blaming the lift-track system
for now.  I still like the luxury of not having to zip and unzip.

Getting back to "does it lay funny", when folded, the top sits higher than
the plastic window top.  Probably by an inch or so.  It doesn't sound like
a lot, but you will notice it.  The boot still fits, barely, but it is a
very tight stretch, and it bulges a little at the corners, where it used
to be pretty much flat across the back.

If I make it to Talladega on the 31st, and you /really/ insist, I'll put
the top up for a few minutes so you can look at it :)   That is if you can
wait that long.

> 3.)  Anyone have a defroster on their Robbins top?  and if so have you
had
> any problems with it?

Not on this one.  Toyed with the idea, but it was too expensive,
especially since I don't have /any/ of the wiring in the car.

> 4.)  How bad does the cloth top puff in the wind while up?  (I know,
it'll
> hardly ever be up, but CATTOY does not want to look like a blow fish
> traveling down route 85 on those rare occasions - damn prissy car).

Doesn't puff up at all AFAIK.  Should be just as tight as the vinyl. 
Careful what you say about BLOWFISH, there's at least one on the list.

	-John

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John Freas (jfreas@earthlink.net)
Red '90 Base-ish #7690
Birmingham, AL
Team LS1, SP, the Gap...
Team dlralt, PBC, Roebuck, Voodoo...
"I have no idea what those dimple things on the windshield frame are for."
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