Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

fiercebrett

that sucks , anyway i just got a rear window installed on my '96, it was about $300 with the installation. It was the origional top and the window was plastic (i'm assuming yours was glass)

Hope this helps

-Brett

ateixeira

Yeah, glass.

I found a new Robbins no-zipper top for $449, I might get that and install it myself. It includes a pre-installed rain rail so an idiot like me could probably manage.

Actually I'm relatively handy so I might go that route.

For $300 plus all that work, and then to end up with a plastic window, isn't worth it. I had thought it would be more like $150, but I guess not.

-juice

fiercebrett

Sounds good, I wish I could get a glass window but I have a hard dog roll bar so it wouldn't be able to fold down.

mm5

I live in Marietta, Ga. I used to own a 1999 Miata and sold it a few years back (I can't bevleve I did this). I miss my Miata and thinking of buying a used one for under $10K. Does anybody know which model I sure be looking for (1990 to 2001). I have heard the older ones were more fun to drive, but the newer ones may be safer. This is going to be a fun car to drive on weekends and nice afternoons, not a work car. Also, when is too many miles on a Miata?

Thanks!

ateixeira

For your price range you should be able to find a 1999 or 2000 model without too many miles. Maybe 40-60k or so.

The NA is lighter, but the NB has the torquier engines. I you liked your '99 get another one.

-juice

thel

I had an 02 that I sold. I replaced it with a 90 that had 124000 miles on it. I now have 137000 miles on it. I miss the power windows and the more modern niceties but the car is still fun and paid for. BTW it runs like a top!

mm5

Thanks for your reply. It seems that a few 1999 had engine trouble on the earlier Vin #, but I can't seem to find any information on this.I am looking to buy a 1999 again. I can't aford any latier models.

Thanks again,
Mike

ateixeira

Met up with a rep from insurance and they gave me enough to replace the broken glass and the back half of the top, plus some money for a torn shift boot and nicked shift knob.

But not the $$$ for a full replacement top.

So I might buy the whole top and put it on myself.

thel: you did this recently, right? Where'd you buy, and what instructions did you use?

Just got a rivet gun so I'm getting motivated to do this...

-juice

thel

I bought mine second hand from a fellow poster. For new, I'd recommend one of the vendors at the Miata.net marketplace (GoMiata and Moss have good reps).

As for instructions, I used the ones in the Miata.net garage. If I were to do it again, I'd use the method detailed in Keith Tanner's Projects book. He recommends removing the frame from the car and putting hte top on the frame before mounting the frame back into the car. While more time consuming, I think it would be easier and far less aggravating to do a good job doing it this way.

I would also recommend talking to a local upholsterer that has experience replacing Miata tops (most probably do several per year) and getting a few tips. It's always wise to heed the voice of experience.

Finally, invest in a good pop riveter (if you haven't already) and be sure to get a top with the rain rail already installed. Do NOT attempt to reuse the old one it will leak and it is a nnnoying to try to use the old one. Trust me on this one, if you heed nothing else I say.

Good luck!

ateixeira

Go Miata sells tops with the rain rail pre-installed. I'll buy it there.

What do you think of the new no-zipper top? It requires the addition of a couple of straps to fold the top down like the 99+ models do.

I like the idea of one less step, no zipping/unzipping.

-juice

thel

Mine is a zipperless top and the only extra thing you need to do witht these is pull one of the bows forward before you fold the top down. Still less of a pain than the zipper (usually).

Someone pointed out that they liked the zippered tips b/c they can fold down the rear window for extra ventilation while leaving the top up. I'm not sure how often I'd actually do that, but it might be kind of cool to be able to do sometimes...I guess.

ateixeira

I rarely use my current top in that manner. Top is either down or it isn't. That's why I think it would work for me.

Off to order it...

-juice

edadriven

I have owned two Miatas for the last 16 years and was tempted to move on to try another convertible (Mustang). I have a '99 Miata now and am getting ready for a new car.
Went up to the Mazda web site and saw the 2006 Miata and fell in love all over again!!
Called a local dealer to find out when the new 2006 Miata would be on their floor. I was told around the end of August time frame. I also asked when they thought that Mazdaspeed version of the 2006 would be available. I was told that there was a good possibility that Mazda would not be making a SPEED version.
Somehow I find this hard to believe and was wondering if anybody could shed some light on what they thought would happen with the SPEED version for 2006.
Was also told that I more than likely would not be able to tell much difference between the SPEED version and the LS 2006.
Opinions, greatly appreciated.

ateixeira

I imagine it will vanish for a year or two at least. The new model will attract enough attention on its own, Mazda will save the special editions for later on to keep the press and public talking about it.

But yeah, the new 2.0l engine makes nearly the power that the current turbo makes. Imagine what the next MazdaSpeed model could do...maybe with a tuned 2.3l?

-juice

lngtonge18

Were you ever able to fix the rear window leak? Did you reuse the old rain rail?

thel

I think that reusing the old rain rail is why it leaks so much. That's why I recommended that Juice go ahead and buy one with the rain rail installed.

ateixeira

Nowadays the tops are often sold with a new rain rail preinstalled. That's how I ordered mine (from gomiata.com).

My guess is that's where people had the most difficulty, and that created unhappy customers.

So now that vendor only sells tops with the rain rail preinstalled. I figured since I was doing it myself, to make it do-able, I'd get one.

-juice

thel

That's definitely the way to go. I don't know why people would complain to the vendor, it's not their fault the old rain rail is bad, but it doesn't surprise me that they did....

ateixeira

Well, I think they just had problems with the install, lining things up and getting the right holes riveted properly. Then they want to return the top, but it's damaged.

I like the idea, saves me work but it's still affordable. $449 for a no-zipper top, complete, with glass and the rain rail is included.

Did you know the glass window alone is $359? With no rain rail! Ridiculous!

-juice

fergie1

I read your 2/21/04 comments about yje zipperless top with glass window. Are you still happy with it. Is it a Robbins and what did it cost incl install

fergie1

Also in the market for a zipperless top. Your price of $449 I assume was for vinyl and not the Sunfast canvas. The best price I've seen for Sunfast is at MMmiata.com under $600.00

ateixeira

Yeah, mine is vinyl, tan color. Black was the same price.

-juice

erics6

I'd like to find a Mazda OEM radio/in dash cd changer for my 93. Any suggestions on what Mazda units will fit?

thel

I know of a bloke that took a 6-disc cd changer out of an Explorer and it fit right into hiw 94 NA. You should be able to find one second hand pretty easy.

ateixeira

From an Explorer?

The size is pretty standard, Double-DIN. I had heard that a 6CD changer from a Tribute would fit right in, so maybe the Escape's stereo would as well. I didn't know the Explorer's would.

Did the harness just plug right in? No adaptors required?

I have my OE stereo but the CD skips and one of the lights inside the unit blew out, so I really ought to change it out.

-juice

mcatt

I understand that the new Miata has more leg and head room, the question is how much. I'm 6'3 and, while I've always loved the Miata, just didn't have enough headroom. Has anyone sat in one of the '06s yet? I think they'll not be widely available until late summer but thought someone might have been aboard a pre-production model.

ateixeira

I sat in one at the NY show.

With the seat all the way back, I could not fully depress the clutch pedal. With my foot on the dead pedal my knees still had a slight bend, however.

I'm 6' even with a 30" inseam, so you're still going to be a borderline case. Fit, you will, but I'm not sure about comfort on longer drives because you couldn't stretch out.

-juice

ateixeira

Got the no-zipper top with a glass window from Robbins, and finally put it on over the last couple of days.

I'd say it took about 3-4 hours to remove the old top, and maybe 4-5 hours to put the new one on. I'd never done it before and a lot of that time was setting up, getting tools, getting a computer for extra tips on installation, etc.

I'm beat! I'm sure I'll be very sore tomorrow. That darn B-pillar bracket is nearly impossible and requires a contorsionist to remove and replace!

But she looks good, that's for sure.

To be honest I'm not sure I'd do that again. Even though I know much more now. If you can find a shop to do the labor for $200-300, my advice would be to pay them, it's worth it IMO.

Gotta let that new vinyl stretch out a bit, but otherwise it's nice to have her back to ship shape.

-juice

fergie1

Thx for the info. I plan to get the zipperless sunfast top as I live in Florida for $146 extra over viynl. I definately will not install it myself!

ateixeira

I adjusted the two latches so now the top is easier to fasten. Before the vinyl stretched out I could barely close the thing!

Now it's better, but can you adjust that cable to loosen it up a little more?

-juice

thel

You wouldn't belive what I did to mine to get it to close that first time. Let's just say it involved unintended uses of a bar clamp and lots of direct sunlight.

As for constructive recommendations, I'd advise you to leave your latches on the "easiest" setting possible for at least a few days and leave the top up for about a week. After that see how the vinyl has stretched. It was about a month before I readjusted the latches on mine to pull the topp tighter to the windshield. The tighter you adjust those latches, the more it will stretch out your vinyl, but it will also be harder to close the top for awhile.

About a year after installing my top, I have the latches back to the "normal" setting and I leave the top down for a couple of days at a time without too much trouble putting it back up again. That said, it still seems much tighter than the top on my 02 ever was...

ateixeira

Glad to hear it's normal.

-juice

Kirstie_H

A reporter with a national newspaper would like to speak with professional women who for the first time are buying a fun car or truck they have been longing to own but were not able to buy before because it wasn’t practical. This vehicle purchase is a splurge. The reporter would like to speak with first time buyers of full-size trucks, convertibles, Miatas, Porsches or Jaguars. If you fit what the reporter is looking for, please email a brief description with contact information to Kirsten Holguin at kholguin@edmunds.com as soon as possible.

thel

Well I finally redid my lower door panels in my 1990. It's classic red so I decided to replace the boring black vinyl lower door panels with red vinyl. IMO it looks awesome! If I knew anything about digital photos, I'd post a pic, but my digital camera tends to take photos that come out HUGE when I put them into posts.

Either way, it took me a couple of hours and some spray adhesive but it was pretty easy and it looks great.

ateixeira

Scale them down, a program as simple as Paint can do that (Image, Stretch/Skew, try 25%).

1/4 size will actually shrink the file to about 1/16th the size since it's 2 dimensional (4x4).

-juice

audia8q

We got pricing on the 2006 Miata today...

The prices below are MSRP before destination.....(add $560 destination charge for continental US.)

Club spec (very limited) $20,435
mx-5 $21,435
Touring $22,435
Sport $22,935
Grand Touring $24,435
3rd Generation Limited (750 units) $26,700

6 speed auto $1100
run flat tires with pressure monitors $515
suspension pkg $500
premium pkg1 $1600
prem pkg 2 $1600
PZEV emissions $ n/c

ateixeira

Prices are down slightly.

Even the base mx-5 is about $600 less than the outgoing base model. The club spec is $1600 less.

The Touring is also about $500 less than the old LS.

Solid.

-juice

thel

I doubt a new NC is in my near future....but you never know.

mcatt

Anybody know when the 2006 will begin arriving dealerships?

audia8q

end of Aug. Sept 1 is the offical launch date at this point.

ateixeira

I love 'em, in fact I may skip the NB generation when I trade in my NA and maybe get a slightly used one.

A lot of folks buy these and decide they are impractical, so used they are plentiful and cheap.

-juice

gotenks243

I must say I'm really impressed... not only by the pricing but by the features.

All Miatas, even the Club Spec, now come with ABS, Side Airbags, etc. Previously, you had to option up an LS to even have the choice of ABS, and even then they were hard to find. Hopefully this reflects a paradigm shift at Mazda, who formerly made ABS a hard item to come by even on mainstream Proteges, 626s, 3s, and 6s.

At $20,995, the Club Spec has power windows, ABS, and side airbags going over a base Solstice. A comparably optioned Solstice would be $21,020 albeit with power lucks, but still lacking completely unavailable side airbags.

For $1000 more, the MX-5 model adds a/c and a leather wheel. Adding a/c to the Solstice brings it to $21,980, about $15 less than the Miata.

At $22,995, the Touring adds some trim bits, fog lights, steering wheel audio controls, cruise, and power locks/keyless entry. The Convenience package brings the Solstice in slightly less at $22,445.

Still, Mazda's really sticking it to GM. So much for the Solstice's price advantage. The Mazda gets noticably better gas mileage to boot, at 25/30 versus 20/28.

I really do want to root for Lutz's Solstice, and I like the fact that the LSD is a stand-alone option (you can only get it in a package on a 6-speed Miata). But I think if it came down to my money and my preference a couple years down the road, I'd probably pick the Miata.

Mike

ateixeira

Very useful, too.

Solistice's problem is weight, it's 300+ lbs heavier. That hurts is everywhere, acceleration and efficiency, handling and braking, etc.

-juice

tsotsi

The A/C on my '93 needed $1600 worth of work and since I almost always have the top down I decided to do without. The trouble is, I noticed that after driving a while and then letting the car sit, the driver's footwell was really hot. I finally figured out that the heater -- the type that is always filled with hot water -- was the culprit. You can't just block off the heater hoses (the engine will overheat) so I bought a little brass fitting and bypassed the heater completely. Huge difference -- now the ambient air is no longer artificially heated. I would recommend this even if the A/C is working -- it will work even better.

Of course I live in south Florida and never need the heater. But . . . it would only take 20 minutes or so to connect it back up.

pipefitter

Today I got to test drive :shades: the 2006 MX-5 ! My local dealer just got two delivered. The Grand Touring in gray and saddle leather looks great. I test drove the Sport in red with black cloth and the six speed. I was very impressed with the power and handling. I was very surprised with the lack of (or no) wind intrusion into the cabin, you can carry on a conversation at 65 MPH with no problem. GM has a tuff act to follow.

jobiek

How's the leg room? Would someone who is 6"-6" fit? Don't laugh I fit fine in a 2002 BMW Z-3....

blueguydotcom

compared to last gen....is the power more pronounced? what about the handling...is the car smoother around town? is it sharper in corners? the new miata and the S2000 are my only hope right now of avoiding another bmw.

ateixeira

I like the open air feel, hope that's not lessened.

-juice

rontide

I have a 1995 Miata- Everything is fine except I get clear water in the passenger side near the dash. My mechanic says my A/C unit is not stopped up and it drains properly. Any ideas what to do. Thanks.
RS

ateixeira

I've heard of water in the door sills, but not there.

I'd clean out the cowl and make sure none of the drains are plugged up. Does it make a difference if you have the A/C on? Whether you use the windshield washer fluid (could be a leak there)?

-juice