Miata Hard Top Basics (FM Live)

[@WaWaZatt]

Just a comment regarding the question about using window seals interchangeably for NA/NB. The OEM hardtop seals from Mazda have different part numbers for NA & NB. I had my local Mazda parts dealer contact Mazda and the answer back was the seals have a slightly different shape. I ordered up not only the stock OEM 1 piece seals, but the 1 piece seal rails for my new CCP top. They tell me I got the last driver’s side NB seal in the country. Sorry guys!

[@michaelh.9866]

Thanks, Ethan!

[@jrod1577]

Fastback Hardtop for NB PROS AND CONS vs standard hardtop: I have the CCP top and will say that I love it. But it will require a little extra work to get it to fit properly. Can be done in a few hours. As for sealing it from water and air, it will take OEM seals for windows but you'll have to fab up some custom ones for the trunk and around the rear parcel shelf. Its not hard and I did it myself. Pros(VS standard hardtop): -It IS more aerodynamic. (although I have yet to any tests myself, there is a video on youtube of someone doing a wool tuft test on one of the variations of fastbacks but they were at a cruising speed the whole time) -less wind noise by maybe 30% or so if sealed right since less turbulence hitting the rear window -harder to steal since there are additional points in the trunk where you need to tap into to bolt the top there. -possible stiffer chassis. (Due to the additional mounting points in the trunk area, I believe this top slightly stiffens the chassis. Might be placebo but from a structural standpoint, it makes sense. My observation was that if you mount the top with the bolts loose, you can see the bolts move in place when you go slowly over large speed bumps at an angle, when you tighten the bolts, they are no longer moving but the top makes some creeking noises as if the top is under a lot of structural load. Almost 3 years of ownership and it hasnt broke or shown signs of breaking/cracking so far so it might be just the bolts maybe moving slightly and I cant visibly tell) Cons: -you cant remove the hardtop as easy as the standard hardtop due to having extra bolts in the trunk. Also, you have to use the fastback's trunk. This means you have to store your oem trunk somewhere. Its only 6 extra bolts total but its enough to make you feel too lazy to swap back and fourth. -much larger top, so you'll need to figure out where to store it when you want to use the car as a convertable again.

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Thanks for weighing in with some extra details!

[@DeadlyPsyko]

Are there any adjustments to the windows that I would need to do? My windows seem to fit tight with my hardtop and kind of causes my door to be harder to shut.

[@6siks]

There are a few of us with aftermarket tops in Colorado, I am one of them lol. Quality is nice, lightweight, meant for track use though.

[@boiled4safety]

Nice i got the sienna Now just need to find an affordable hard top Edit: found one and bought it

[@just_passing_through]

Here in Australia an NB top won’t be seen for less than AU$3,000.00. They were not bought as an option very often when cars were new as our climate doesn’t require then and we drive topless more or less all year, hence they are much rarer.

[@RetroQGaming]

I've always wondered if you can get a fully clear, or at least clear other than struts etc hardtops. So a near fully clear back and top part. It's why I prefer my soft top for now. 97 NA

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

I have seen someone fab up a clear bubble as a hard top but can't remember where. It didn't look very appealing to me.

[@rickiejones6860]

For NC hard tops. Thanks to better aerodynamics, though, top speed is increased from 196 km/h (121.8 mph) to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) for the smaller-engined model and from 210 km/h (130 mph) to 215 km/h (134 mph) for the 2.0. These figures are for the European-spec models.

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Thanks for the info, we didn't see that info when researching. Thanks!

[@LateNightCable]

The NC is the stinker of all Miatas and everyone knows it, there’s no need to justify it with dubious stats.

[@thepabs1]

@@LateNightCableyea the extra 4 mph top speed probably isn’t even from aero dynamics and more the fact the engines went from 1.8 to 2

[@notsofast60]

​@@LateNightCable I bought a strinker, sorry to disappoint you. Didn't want an NA/NB: No cruise control

[@TBMono]

Does anyone know why water still leaks into the rain drains of my car even though I have brand new oem seals which seal perfectly at the windows. I found the NB and NA weatherstripping seals for the side windows have a slight difference near the bottom of the side windows. The NB has a greater bulge compared to the NA, you can see this when comparing the NA and NB soft top weatherstripping.

[@corkbread3331]

On the transportation side. I can confirm a hardtop will fit nicely in a 2005 Chevy trailblazer.

[@heavychevy4616]

thank u

[@Richibald1]

Seller gave me an older HT without the defroster. Is there any after market defroster kits out there to bring my HT up to date? (pretty certain window is lexan not glass) . The HT was white then red now green, the slightest bump and I get a fresh chip standing out a mile 🤦 Do you recommend hand sanding over an orbital sanding. I'm nervous of making holes... What paint or goop do you recommend for best sound attenuation in the headliner? Ever seen a spray foam headliner?

[@Adam-wt5id]

If you want to restore the top the way a professional would, you need to remove the glass entirely so you can sand and spray. You should be able to order a glass with defrost if its OE and it will fit, reapply the glass and seals and its good as new. Its a huge pain, but results are a huge improvement from every top repainted by simply masking the glass off.

[@_GarageThings]

Do the rear chrome latches differ from earlier years to later? Because I purchased an OE “Top Lock Deck Cover” (the top part/cover of the latch that swivels- part# NA01-R1-871) and it is NOT an exact match to the latch on my NA hardtop.. it looks the same, but the cover is slightly shorter in length/stubbier than my chrome latches. Can’t seem to find any info on this

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

We aren't sure to be honest, but Mazda has been known to update parts slightly over the years.

[@jamiekirkpatrick96]

Hey FM Gang quick question iv'e recently picked up a 2012 PRHT 2.0 which has had a header and tune and is running slightly more power than stock and definitely more than my old NB! , it's an absolute blast and i love it, my question is this, i love the look of wider tyres ie 17x9 245, i've seen some people say not to "over tyre" the car so what in your guys' opinion is the sweet spot for street use and what would be the difference between having a narrower but grippy UHP summer tyre vs a wider possibly less grippy standard tyre? Is it possible to have the aesthetic of the width but retain some playfulness for rural Scottish roads by opting for a slightly less high performing tyre? hope that makes sense, love the videos guysbeen a fantastic resource!

[@WiseUpRiseUp]

Been wondering the same. They finally got an NC but still act like they don't exist, 17 years later.

[@jamiekirkpatrick96]

@@WiseUpRiseUp i think the NC is maybe about to come into it's own just shortly, with NA and NB prices rising and ND's holding value, the fact that NC2+3 have a 2.0 with forged internals, hydraulic power steering and having creature comforts to make it reliable and daily-able not to mention it has strong design cues from the NA+B hopefully we'll begin to see enthusiasts take a greater interest in the platform

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

We've had an NC in our fleet since 2006, and have used it to develop multiple suspension kits, supercharger kits and a variety of other products. We have more NC products coming up soon!

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Tires can be a bit subjective, but we really recommend choosing a wheel/tire combo that fits the use of the car. 215/225 width seems to be very popular for street cars, with 235/245 more of a popular track size. The wider tires will make the car feel more confident and stable, but can make the car feel less nimble and playful than the skinnier options. If you are looking for a skinnier tire with better fitment, you'll need to either use spacers or find some wheels with a more aggressive offset to push the wheels out more to fill the fenders. Feel free to give our customer support team a call directly. They'll be happy to offer suggestions and pass along any personal experiences. Thanks!

[@danielalfonso7084]

Would an NA hard top still seal well with the leather tonneau cover fitted to protect the soft top thats folder down?

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Don't think it's possible to have the cover and the hard top installed at the same time.

[@jacobcontreras3176]

Would you be able to turn a 2017 MX-5 soft top and make it a hard top or install one if possible?

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

There are certainly aftermarket hardtops you can add to your soft top ND, but we don't have experience with any.

[@LPVP123]

Could you please produce a quality aftermarket hardtop for the Mazda MX5 ND model . And make it with all the needed fitting items . I feel a black carbon fibre look top would be a big seller !

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

There are already other places that offer these. Try Carbon Miata or Treasure Coast.

[@LPVP123]

@@FlyinMiataVideo .. thank you 🙏

[@jameslane2326]

do they make a hard top for the ND soft tops

[@JoseMedina-gf4cu]

cb3fabrication makes one that with with a roll bar

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

There are aftermarket tops, but nothing that we know of from Mazda.

[@t_dduubb]

Random question for y’all, I have a NA6 and I’m currently on my 5th manual window crank handle. They just keep stripping and turning without moving the window. Is this common or do I have a bad regulator or something?

[@James-dt7ky]

I've replaced both regulators on my '96. They became very stiff. No broken handles though.

[@rogeliohernandez6440]

Could be a bad regulator, could be bad cables in the regulator, or could be dirty tracks for the wheels of the window/regulator/tracks. If it's cables or the regulator, replace the regulator. If it's dirty tracks/wheels, will require cleaning and rebuild. Sometimes the wheels will fall apart and need replacement.

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Sounds like you've got some sort of issue or friction causing an extra strain somewhere in the system. We've found cleaning and greasing the tracks makes a huge difference, but feel free to reach out to our customer support team directly if you need more help with this!

[@t_dduubb]

@@FlyinMiataVideo when I put vice grips on the window works smoothly. I will try to clean and grease the track. Thank you!

[@matthewgaribay534]

Where can I get new seals?

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Check with your favorite Mazda dealer or an aftermarket retailer such as Moss Miata.

[@HutchinsRacing]

Save $1500 and just 3D print my fastback hardtop and reinforce it with fiberglass!

[@jakedougherty6000]

Was about to comment this as an option

[@alexburgoa4759]

15:35 speaking of aero!!! I follow you on insta and saw your fastback build and has a lot more aero then the oe hardtop very cool 😎

[@HutchinsRacing]

@@alexburgoa4759 Thanks! Yes I was surprised with the results.

[@xXEvangelXx]

I want to buy a hardtop. How do I make peace with the fact that someone will steal it and or my car at some point? How do you folks at Flyin' (cuz if that Miata isn't Flyin', you're dyin') Miata deal with the constant existential dread?

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Well, FM is based in a fairly rural area and we own most of the Miatas in town. So the chance of hardtop theft is pretty low. You could use Spec Miata-style brackets to bolt the hardtop to the car, possibly with some anti-theft fasteners. The actual rate of hardtop theft is likely not that high, just high profile.

[@DavesWoodFloors]

You guys sell side strikers

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

Sorry, we don't carry those but you might check out Moss Miata for them.

[@deadrabbit6762]

Only answer I want, where to get one for a decent price 😢 or get someone to trade my PC for one lol

[@samuelrivard]

Patience. But if morality and legality aren't an issue, I highly recommend stealing one. Since the best mode of transportation is bringing along an MX-5, I recommend you steal the car too at that point, but purely for utilitarian reasons. Good luck!

[@livius16]

1000$ for an/nb top ? Yeah … not really … maybe leftover cracked na with no defrost in my area…. 1.5-2k is pretty much the minimum for something decent

[@livius16]

Also nb seals actually have a different sku from what I looked. I did observe bigger gap (window to “pillar”) on na seals on nb car. Even after adjustment.

[@myon-]

@@livius16 yup, learned the hard way after buying an NA top for my NB

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

$2k is realistic in today's market. Prices seem to keep going up, but deals are out there if you can be patient and keep your eyes open!

[@WiseUpRiseUp]

Still waiting for NC content #NCsmatter

[@FlyinMiataVideo]

What would you like to see, specifically? We've got some good NC content coming up, but we're always looking for video ideas!

[@mlrable]

Pool noodle

[@jonathanjurena]

Why are they sooo overpriced? Some of them ask more money than the car is worth.

[@TheBishop12]

Lurk longer

[@thefoodcan]

Supply and demand, also resellers buy them when they come up cheap and resell them, driving the price up artificially.

[@JamieBainbridge]

In the US, Spec Miata only allows an OEM hardtop so they're over $2k now. In Australia they are just rare and are over $3k now. In the UK nobody wants them despite the fact it rains constantly and they're like £500 lol

[@LildaddyFire151]

@@JamieBainbridgelol the euros