Anybody know where I can get a hard top for an MX 5??

py2006

Hi Guys,

I will hopefully be getting a 2nd hand MX5 in the next few weeks. It will come with a soft top but I believe there are hard tops available for it. (Or am I talkin through me arse?)

Where can I get one and how much do you reckon it would cost me?

Thanks for your help!

Borzoi

py2006 wrote:

Hi Guys,

I will hopefully be getting a 2nd hand MX5 in the next few weeks. It will come with a soft top but I believe there are hard tops available for it. (Or am I talkin through me arse?)

Where can I get one and how much do you reckon it would cost me?

Thanks for your help!

Give a mazda dealer a quick ring for the price of a new one, then go looking secondhand (possibly uk or ebay)

Having said that. Why bother? All the hard top does is take up space when you don't need it, and stop you dropping the hood when you want to. Believe me, you'll want to take advantage of any sun in this country, especially in winter.

Ernie Ball

Borzoi wrote:

Having said that. Why bother? All the hard top does is take up space when you don't need it, and stop you dropping the hood when you want to. Believe me, you'll want to take advantage of any sun in this country, especially in winter.

Three reasons:

1) Much harder to slash.;)
2) Cuts down on noise and dampness in the car for the 3/4 of the year when there's no chance you'll be lowering the soft top.
3) Stiffens the chassis overall if you're into performance driving.

Thumper Long

if my memory serves me correctly they were about 2500 Euro painted over here from mazda, CLICK HERE for a uk site based in portsmouth that does the hardtops and all the other accessorries like the fuse box and switches for the heated rear window etc, hope this helps

Borzoi

Ernie Ball wrote:

Three reasons:

1) Much harder to slash.;).

It's easier to break a window than slash a hood to gain entry, and you don't need to carry a knife

Ernie Ball wrote:

2) Cuts down on noise and dampness in the car for the 3/4 of the year when there's no chance you'll be lowering the soft top..

Noise? You're right
Dampness? There shouldn't be any if the hood is intact/not worn

The chances of putting down the roof are reduced to zero, if you've the hardtop on. I always laugh my ass off at convertible drivers using the hard top when I go by with the top down on sunny winter days

Ernie Ball wrote:

3) Stiffens the chassis overall if you're into performance driving.

Eh? It's not a piece of the chassis, it's mostly fibreglass. I think you may be totally wrong.

As the OP doesn't have a cabriolet at the moment, my advice would be not to worry about getting a hard top, at least untill you've had the car for a while. Though I still stick with overall opinion that they are the work of the devil.

Speaking as a convertible driver for the last 4 years

py2006

As the OP doesn't have a cabriolet at the moment, my advice would be not to worry about getting a hard top, at least untill you've had the car for a while. Though I still stick with overall opinion that they are the work of the devil.

Speaking as a convertible driver for the last 4 years

What do you mean the work of the devil?

magpie

I always laugh my ass off at convertible drivers using the hard top when I go by with the top down on sunny winter days

With your hands frozen to the steering wheel

Alun

We had one for our MX-5 and it stayed on for most of the winter. It's pretty easy to take off and put back on, as long as there's two of you, so if there is an unexpected period of fine weather in the winter, it can be temporarily replaced. Don't worry if you find one that's the wrong colour, they can be easily resprayed.

You'll need somewhere to stow the thing away too. We bought a special stand and dust cover for it and kept it in the garage.

Ours had a heated rear window which came in handy as well, and it has the advantage that the window wraps around a bit more and is a bit bigger which improves visibility over the ragtop window when visibility is bad. Regarding the heated rear window, your car may, or may not be wired for it. In fact even if it is wired, you may need to buy and install both the switch and a solenoid which fits in the boot somewhere IIRC.

I should add though, that in our case we lived in Germany and Holland when we had ours, so our winters were a bit more severe than what we have here in general. I'd be tempted to wait a bit and see how you get on first.

Ernie Ball

Borzoi wrote:

It's easier to break a window than slash a hood to gain entry, and you don't need to carry a knife

No, you need to carry a rock.

Hoods are slashed and windows are broken all the time. The difference is that it's €1,000 for a new hood.

Noise? You're right
Dampness? There shouldn't be any if the hood is intact/not worn

Sure. But the point is that they do wear in a way a hard top doesn't.

The chances of putting down the roof are reduced to zero, if you've the hardtop on. I always laugh my ass off at convertible drivers using the hard top when I go by with the top down on sunny winter days

I don't find it pleasant to have the top down when it's 2 degrees, no matter how sunny it is.

Eh? It's not a piece of the chassis, it's mostly fibreglass. I think you may be totally wrong.

From a post in this thread:

I have a hardtop, TRD lower member braces, TRD STBs, and iMR2's AntiFlex plate. of them all, the hardtop makes the single biggest difference in rigidity. with all of the above, I'd rate it 10. of that 10, the hardtop counts for about 5.

I'm not sure about its construction. my guess is that it is a fiberglass shell on a metal frame, with the attach points and glass mounted to the frame. the interior is nicely lined, so you can't see what is inside. it is very rigid, and the 4 points that it clamps down are very firm and solid.

Though there is some dissent in the thread, the consensus seems to be that MR2 hard tops stiffen the chassis noticeably.

As the OP doesn't have a cabriolet at the moment, my advice would be not to worry about getting a hard top, at least untill you've had the car for a while.

I actually agree with you. Unless he finds a sweet deal on a car that already has a hard top there's no reason not to wait.

Ernie Ball

Oh, yeah: another reason to prefer a hard top:

4) much better rear visibility.

prospect

I have an MX5,

Personally i wouldn't bother with the hard top, but it is a matter of personal preferance..

1. Security! If someone wants to get into your car, they'll get in, hard top or not....
2. Noise reduction, it makes very little difference. There can be actually more wind noise, but less external noise, like the engines of other cars, etc. etc.
3. Hard tops can actually be more prone to leaks than the soft tops
4. Hard top will stiffen the chassis, but so will a good high quality style bar...

For info go to www.webcars.net

Also, make sure the car you are buying is an original standard mazda colour, otherwise it can be a bugger matching the hard top.....

Borzoi

Ernie Ball wrote:

No, you need to carry a rock.

Hoods are slashed and windows are broken all the time. The difference is that it's €1,000 for a new hood..

More or less - depending on make and model. It's also easier to repair a slashed hood than broken glass. AS others have said if a scumbag wants in, they'll be in.

Ernie Ball wrote:

Sure. But the point is that they do wear in a way a hard top doesn't.
.

I've a 10 year old hood (Saab) , a mate has a 13yr old (MX5) so I don;t think wear is an issue

Ernie Ball wrote:

I don't find it pleasant to have the top down when it's 2 degrees, no matter how sunny it is..

You're right. My cutoff is 4C. Sunny and warmer than that, and the top is down - frequently with the heaters on full Possibly the Scandanavians put a bit more thought into heaters as they don't have a very warm climate themselves!

Ernie Ball wrote:

From a post in this thread:

Though there is some dissent in the thread, the consensus seems to be that MR2 hard tops stiffen the chassis noticeably.

I've no experience of MR2 hard tops, so I wouldn't know. I did test drive the Toyota a few years back, and when the salesman tried to justify the price with 'it comes with a hard top', I laughed

py2006

prospect wrote:

I have an MX5,

Personally i wouldn't bother with the hard top, but it is a matter of personal preferance..

1. Security! If someone wants to get into your car, they'll get in, hard top or not....
2. Noise reduction, it makes very little difference. There can be actually more wind noise, but less external noise, like the engines of other cars, etc. etc.
3. Hard tops can actually be more prone to leaks than the soft tops
4. Hard top will stiffen the chassis, but so will a good high quality style bar...

For info go to www.webcars.net

Also, make sure the car you are buying is an original standard mazda colour, otherwise it can be a bugger matching the hard top.....

Thanks for that, there are some good prices there. They dont seem to have a garage though where I could go have a look at them or am I mistaken

prospect

py2006 wrote:

Thanks for that, there are some good prices there. They dont seem to have a garage though where I could go have a look at them or am I mistaken

This guy is based out on the stillorgan dual carrigeway, near the big dunnes stores shop, cornelscourt i think its called (he works from home).

He imports as a hobby really, so you need to contact him first to arrange to meet him and see some cars.

I got mine through him, and would deffo go back again.

BTW, RE: wear & tear of soft tops, most are said to last 10 years, but with the proper care you can easily get much longer life from them, as borzoi said.

Best of luck.

alias no.9

If you're buying a second hand hardtop for an mx5, make sure you the mounts that fit on the car if they're not already on the car you're buying. I know that a few years back, they were next to impossible to get without forking out for a new hardtop.

py2006

prospect wrote:

This guy is based out on the stillorgan dual carrigeway, near the big dunnes stores shop, cornelscourt i think its called (he works from home).

He imports as a hobby really, so you need to contact him first to arrange to meet him and see some cars.

I got mine through him, and would deffo go back again.

BTW, RE: wear & tear of soft tops, most are said to last 10 years, but with the proper care you can easily get much longer life from them, as borzoi said.

Best of luck.

What year and colour is yours? How much did you fork out?

prospect

py2006 wrote:

What year and colour is yours? How much did you fork out?

My one is still on his site,

REF: 0512, fifth on the list,
It is a stepping stone, because ultimatly i want a 1,8L manual. But as you can see from the pics, it is in beautiful condition. Also, these cars are good for very high milage and this one had only 41K on the clock .
Remember when buying, low milage is worth more to you than age.

BTW, alias no.9 is correct. There are a few parts required to fit the hard top to the car, so if you do buy second hand, make sure they come with...

py2006

prospect wrote:

My one is still on his site,

REF: 0512, fifth on the list,
It is a stepping stone, because ultimatly i want a 1,8L manual. But as you can see from the pics, it is in beautiful condition. Also, these cars are good for very high milage and this one had only 41K on the clock .
Remember when buying, low milage is worth more to you than age.

BTW, alias no.9 is correct. There are a few parts required to fit the hard top to the car, so if you do buy second hand, make sure they come with...

very nice, it seems to be in good condition. The one I am looking at is '98, its a newer model.

I'd prefer black or maybe silver over any other colour

prospect

py2006 wrote:

very nice, it seems to be in good condition. The one I am looking at is '98, its a newer model.

I'd prefer black or maybe silver over any other colour

Obviously your budget is much higher than mine you lucky bugger

Well, dont forget to check:
www.carzone.ie
www.cbg.ie
http://motors.nicemove.ie/vehicleSearch.aspx
http://www.motortrader.ie/
www.buyandsell.net

Cheers

py2006

prospect wrote:

Obviously your budget is much higher than mine you lucky bugger

Well, dont forget to check:
www.carzone.ie
www.cbg.ie
http://motors.nicemove.ie/vehicleSearch.aspx
http://www.motortrader.ie/
www.buyandsell.net

Cheers

Well I am talking 10,000 if the bank is good to me

prospect

py2006 wrote:

Well I am talking 10,000 if the bank is good to me

That is a good price.
But as suggested already, i would drive it with the soft top for a while, and if you are not happy, it is handy enough to get a black/silver hard top at a later date.

Best of luck, and let me know how you get on.

prospect

For a good priced hard top, already painted to order, check out this site, remember price is sterling, and wouldn't include irish delivery...

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/172

Cheers

py2006

Thanks for all the info prospect. I would prob follow your advise and leave the hard top for while and see how I go with a soft top.

I am still not sure about the other car. I guess it sounds too dodgy to take the risk on it.

Its just hard to find one as nice as that one for a good price. Your talking 12,-15000 for a '98 one.

Oh well

prospect

py2006 wrote:

Thanks for all the info prospect.

No Worries

I know this is slightly useless info, but prices on roadsters/convertibles do go up as the weather improves, so if you could hold off for a while it would make all the difference.

Ernie Ball

It's true that the prices go up.

But if you think about it, the very idea is hilarious:

'Hey, it's nice out. Think I'll buy a convertible.'

unkel

Ernie Ball wrote:

the very idea is hilarious:

'Hey, it's nice out. Think I'll buy a convertible.'

It's the Celtic Tiger out there

py2006

prospect wrote:

No Worries

I know this is slightly useless info, but prices on roadsters/convertibles do go up as the weather improves, so if you could hold off for a while it would make all the difference.

Wow, I never considered that one! Sounds ridiculous but I gets it makes sense kinda.

Its like barbecues. you can get them for next to nothing when its pissing rain.

The car is no longer available, I will have to look elsewhere now

prospect

Hey, PY2006,

Are you in a mad rush for an MX-5?

If not you are perfectly placed to clinch a deal, because:

1. You can hold out, watch the market, and pounce when you spot that bargain beauty
2. As mentioned, you will get a better price from next autumn onwards
3. You can start saving a few extra euros while you wait (requires some discipline i know, but if you are serious about it!!), and then you might have more money to spend, or less to borrow
4. Watch for the car that is not shifting, then you have the upper hand in a price fight!
5. I am sure there are a few more, but i have a head cold and can't think straight
6. I am sure there are a few people who think i am talking sh1te, they are probably right.

py2006

prospect wrote:

Hey, PY2006,

Are you in a mad rush for an MX-5?

If not you are perfectly placed to clinch a deal, because:

1. You can hold out, watch the market, and pounce when you spot that bargain beauty
2. As mentioned, you will get a better price from next autumn onwards
3. You can start saving a few extra euros while you wait (requires some discipline i know, but if you are serious about it!!), and then you might have more money to spend, or less to borrow
4. Watch for the car that is not shifting, then you have the upper hand in a price fight!
5. I am sure there are a few more, but i have a head cold and can't think straight
6. I am sure there are a few people who think i am talking sh1te, they are probably right.

You make sense Prospect, excellent sense. But I am gagging to get a car NOW!!!! hahaha. I guess I could hold off for a little while. But it would be sooo nice to have the convertible for the week of sunshine we will get.

I am the kind of person that when he decides he really wants something, I have to have it right NOW and if I dont get I get really impatient and anxious and arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

prospect

I'm a bit like that myself, thats why i went for the older, cheaper model, and next year (or late this year), i'll upgrade

py2006

I am looking at a lovely one at the moment. MX5 10th Anniversary Ltd Edition.

'99 Blue, leather interior, hard top, 6-speed, chrome alloys, 2-years nct, private sale, €14,995