John,
There is an ancient art to folding down these tops properly, so that
everything will still look good after you put it back up. At least there
is for the top on my 70 Mk III. Generally, first you unsnap the rear
quarter windows and then undo the front latches and start to recline the to
backwards. Here is the crucial step! You must (or at least really should
if you want the top to last) fit the windows safely in under the frame
before fully putting the top down. It is also important to make sure none
of the top is caught in the frame. I would have to unzip the rear window
on mine, if the zipper weren't disintergrating. Then again, though I have
a friend who has a Mk IV who simple undoes the front latches and tosses his
top back without a second though, and it always works smoothly. I'm still
trying to figure out how he fit the miata top (jk)! Anyone else go through
all this labour for their top?
On a somewhat related question, I have an old issue of Practical Classics
(Dec 97?) where they talked about replacing the plastic windows. The
vinyl on my top is in fantastic condition, but the windows are dying on me.
Has anyone tried this? I'd be greatly interested on the feasibility of
such a project. Alternately, has anyone had an upholstery shop redo the
windows? Cost?
Hope this helps, and thanks!
Zach Zaletel
70 Spit Mk III
McGill University
http://freespeech.org/zach
At 10:47 PM -0500 3/2/1999, John Suchak wrote:
>This topic sort of gracefully segues to a question I've had on my mind
>recently, specifically what is the correct method for folding down the soft
>top on a later fixed style soft top? I assume you remove all the snaps and
>just stuff it all down in the well? Do you have to unzip the back window?
>What about the "sides"? Fold them in?
>
>John
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