The bolt on kind, like racecar.
Who makes the very best hardtop brackets for my NA car ? I need something soon so I can hit the button and get them headed here. My car only has front latches and rear Frankenstein bolts with no center latch brackets on the car. It squeaks and rattles without those center latches. My soft top now lives in the rafters of my shop so this hardtop won't be removed with any regularity.
I am prepared to notch out the plastics on the interior to expose the bolt holes where the stock center latches would reside.
Mainly, I want quality.
You wouldn't want to find side latches and be able to remove the top occasionally? I can't remember where I bought my plates for the SpecMiata I had but I'd just be looking for some reasonably thick ones. They don't appear to change much from various suppliers.
I've never seen a radical difference between different ones. It's just a T-shaped piece of sheet metal.
You can still pull the top pretty quickly with bolt-on brackets. You just need a tool.
I am seeing that some brands use a simple strap rear bracket with one bolt holding it to the car at the top boot mount point. And others use the factory two bolts that the latch bolts to and require cutting the plastics. I am really feeling the Jass Performance ones look pretty nice. Mainly I want this damn top held down. I don't like movement and squeaks.
Jass
Cousin_Eddie said:Mainly I want this damn top held down. I don't like movement and squeaks.
Hint: That isn't completely the top's fault. Fix the chassis with some bracing (butterfly, etc.) and much of that will go away.
Stefan said:
Cousin_Eddie said:Mainly I want this damn top held down. I don't like movement and squeaks.
Hint: That isn't completely the top's fault. Fix the chassis with some bracing (butterfly, etc.) and much of that will go away.
I hear you on that. But I need to start by properly securing the top to see what I have to deal with. Having just the rear Frankenstein bolts and front latches is surely to blame for much of my annoyance with the hardtop.
In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
Is that because you're missing the hardtop side brackets? If you just want the brackets instead bolting stuff down, I think I have a spare set of brackets + latches for an NA.
That said, it's probably not a bad idea to bolt on the hardtop. I'm seriously considering that for my haven't-picked-it-up-yet NA.
I have the Advanced-Autosports brackets holding the cheap ebay lightweight hardtop on my caged track miata. The side brackets are one bolt each, but they have held fine up to 110 mph with no squeaks or rattles that I could hear.
https://www.advanced-autosports.com/collections/body/products/mounting-kit
The Jass ones do look great, but they're probably a bit overspecified. A simple strap does the trick to hold the top down.
I appreciate everyone offering the suggestions. I wound up ordering the Jass ones pictured above. I just used the easy button and ordered them from Moss Miata. They have always offered me good customer service in the past.
This is no where near the most goofy thing I have overkilled on this car.
I have the front latches and Frankenstein bolts only on my 2001 sport. With all of the chassis bracing that comes on a sport, the hard top never shifts or makes any noise. It's a lot quieter and more stable than the hardtop on my 99 with all four latches.
