Miata Hardtop Questions

I just bought a hardtop for my Miata from a buddy. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that aftermarket hardtops existed until he told me it was a Snugtop... after we had fitted it to my car & right before I wrote him the check. Now that I've had a bit of time to look around online, I realize that this makes a difference in the value. I won't be in spec miata & my main intent was to make winter driving the Miata more enjoyable. I had been hoping to sell the top for what I put into it when I was done using it, assuming it is still in good condition. I paid $700 for it with a stand, thinking that was a very good price for a Miata hardtop, but not knowing about any of the differences. Did I get screwed here? If so, how badly?

I don't think you got screwed. OEM hardtops usually go for $1000 or more.

-Henry

Depends, does yours have a headliner and\or defroster?

That one's "OEM-looking" enough that it'd slide at a RallyCross (which REQUIRE OEM hardtops for insurance reasons). Snugtop is the only aftermarket top that doesn't suck. For that condition at that price, you came out good, especially since racing isn't in your future!

I had two Miata hard tops. One was a Snugtop and the other was a 2004 Mazda. Both had headliners and defrosters.

I think they both used the same rear window. The Snugtop was actually nicer outside. The latches and headliner on the Mazda were much nicer. The Snugtop headliner was indoor outdoor carpet and had a chemical smell that I could never get rid of.

I paid $500 each for them.

Snugtop is a pretty big operation. They've made fiberglass truck caps for years. The Miata tops look exactly the same from the outside.

Thanks for the info guys. Mine seems to be the same as what I read about most snugtops - decent top with E36 M3ty latches. It does have the defroster. It seems that I paid a reasonable price for what I got, but probably would have waited to find an OEM top for more money if I knew about these differences in advance.

My Snugtop latches never failed me, but I was always worried about whacking my head on one of the sharp corners. Be careful around the chrome things that go over the Frankenstein bolts. It's cast from white metal and it's very easy to strip out the threads for the small screws. Remember, those things are mostly for alignment, they don't play a huge role in holding the top down. That's the job for the latches.

For the track, I removed the Frankenstein bolts and bolted the top down through those holes. Don't do this. After my first track day, I noticed that the corner of my rear window was cracked. I don't think those chrome covered castings are designed for any kind of real torsional stress.

In reply to Woody:

Thanks for the warning about that. I'll probably end up fabricating some new latches for the inside to keep them from flipping open when I hit potholes/bumps. Then I'll get to see if the windows seal up right when the first snow hits tomorrow.

I've never looked at a Snugtop closely - can the Mazda latches be retrofitted? I'll bet Spec Miata shops find themselves with latches attached to busted up hard tops occasionally.

That rear window glass is NLA, assuming it's the same as the Mazda glass - which is probably is.

Snugtop has been around for a long time. I had a Snugtop for my Alfa Romeo back in 1966. Not only was it good quality but it was the only one available at that time.

I bought a great condition OEM hardtop, repainted black from red, for $1000 a week ago. Time will tell whether that was a good buy. I thought it was. Could not find a top with good paint in my area for the last year...and repaints are expensive.

I'd get a set of bolt in Spec Miata brackets for your own use. Even OEM latches can pop loose on bumps and take up sunvisor space. A good bracket & hardware set is cheaper than used OEM latches and you won't have to worry about compatibility.

Just make sure you're gentle removing the latches from the hardtop. You do not do not do not want to strip the fiberglass. Consider a heat gun.

Here's a stupid question, considering here in SoAZ I don't really have a need for a hard top, but what about those Treasure Coast Miata fiberglass units?

They use plexiglass for the rear window, so kiss rear defrost goodbye - but whereas I used to see tops on CL for $1000 all day long, prices lately seem to be getting closer to $1500. $750 (I think they are...) suddenly seems not bad.

Sometimes I think I want to get a hard top, just to say I have one - but I don't have to worry about winter weather. Old Man Winter in these parts is just like the rest of the old men here - retired and not working.

Kylini wrote: I'd get a set of bolt in Spec Miata brackets for your own use. Even OEM latches can pop loose on bumps and

FYI, if they're popping loose: https://www.flyinmiata.com/90-02-top-lock-cap.html

We dealt with an early Treasure Coast top. It was race quality, not street quality at the time. You still had to source/adapt weatherstripping, source latches/brackets and deal with a rear window. They do seem to constantly revising the product, so it may be better now.

Keith, they supply all of that now. Not sure of what quality, but it's all there. Except for the fasteners that hold the plexiglass down, looks pretty sano in the pics.

I still couldn't justify it, even so... like that's ever stopped me.

Good to know - that's why I specified it was an early one.

I wouldn't worry about the Snugtop latches popping loose (mine never did), they're just not pretty.

I removed mine to install bolt on plates. I don't suspect that OEM ones will fit a Snugtop.

I don't have any photos of the Snugtop latches, but here's a shot of the aluminum plates that I replaced them with. Maybe you can determine if OEM latches will fit or not from the bolt pattern.

Also, note the crappy headliner, although this top was made back when the Mazda ones were just bare fiberglass inside.

Woody wrote: I don't have any photos of the Snugtop latches, but here's a shot of the aluminum plates that I replaced them with. Maybe you can determine if OEM latches will fit or not from the bolt pattern. Also, note the crappy headliner, although this top was made back when the Mazda ones were just bare fiberglass inside.

My headliner is the same, but doesn't smell like you said yours does. I might make some plates similar to those since I won't need to take the hard top on or off much. It would pretty much be on in the winter & off in the summer.

A little late for the party, but at least your thread finally motivated me to sign up here at GRM...

I ended up with a Snugtop after looking for a factory top for a couple of years, without success. I nearly bought the Treasure Coast top, because it's mostly for track use, but always balked at the shipping. I ended up with about $700 in mine after a DIY repaint and retrofitting window seals from a factory soft top.

Here's a thread on refurbishing mine: Hartop Rehab

IMHO, the Snugtop latches are rubbish, especially if you're tracking the car. I don't think the factory Mazda latches can be retrofitted, but Garagestar sells bolt on brackets for the Snugtop, and that's what I ended up using.

The top itself is good quality, but no parts are available for them (rubber, glass, etc.) any longer. I was able to use a universal seal for the rear, and as noted, retrofitted Mazda soft top parts for the window seals.

I will add that the quality of the fiberglass on my early Snugtop was much nicer than the fiberglass on my 2004 genuine Mazda top. By 2004 though, Mazda was doing a really nice job with the headliner, although I had to remove part of it to clear the Hard Dog roll cage.

Woody wrote: I will add that the quality of the fiberglass on my early Snugtop was much nicer than the fiberglass on my 2004 genuine Mazda top. By 2004 though, Mazda was doing a really nice job with the headliner, although I had to remove part of it to clear the Hard Dog roll cage.

Or that cardboard underneath the plastic trim to clear my helmet!