"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
12/20/2016 at 20:32 • Filed to: miata
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"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
12/20/2016 at 20:32 • Filed to: miata | 3
| 6 |
For those not familiar with Miata hardtops, the rear fits around two so-called “Frankenstein bolts” which hold the rear to the car by way of a pair of latches. One of which is mysteriously absent in this picture.
There should be a piece of metal with a notch in it to fix that chrome bolt. There isn’t, so my hardtop rattles. This is a problem.
You can see here how the latch is “popped up” from the bodywork. The curved shape of the Frankenstein bolt helps pull it down.
c-shaped piece of metal? Sure. I can do that.
Little bit of duct tape and some bolts and Bob’s your second counsin twice removed. You can see the notch sitting under the Frankenstein bolt where it’s supposed to. The hardtop gets set on the bolts and then slid forward, forcing everything together nice and tight.
That worked great for a few days until I was able to get the *actual* piece I needed. Got a great price on it from Miatamecca on eBay. I expected it to be a take-off piece from a salvage yard but got a brand new Mazda part!
A bit of rubber conditioner on all of the seals and some white lithium grease on the frankenstein bolts to prevent squeaking and it’s all good to go!
Damn winter roads. That is one filthy Miata.
Seat Safety Switch
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
12/20/2016 at 20:37 |
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The whole foot broke off my hardtop before I bought it, so the hardtop was like $400.
I can’t even comprehend how to fix it since it seems like the rest of the foot is bonded into the fibreglass or whatever the top is made out of.
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Seat Safety Switch
12/20/2016 at 20:44 |
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Yeah, your best bet is to weld a new foot out of mild steel stock and then fiberglass it to the top.
miadaman? yes please
> Seat Safety Switch
12/20/2016 at 20:47 |
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:| pretty boned since it’s not a replaceable part, lots of putty work to get it back together. I would recommend to get side latches and forgive and forget!
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miadaman? yes please
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
12/20/2016 at 20:52 |
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A word of caution - there is a rubber piece beneath the chrome latch, it gets torn out often while removing/installing top. They’re like $7 a piece and prevents the latch from rattling and hitting the paintwork underneath.
Those three small holes are what you use to “install” it.
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Seat Safety Switch
> miadaman? yes please
12/20/2016 at 22:34 |
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Yeah, the rallycross beater it is eventually destined for is going to get bar-stock permanent latches.
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> miadaman? yes please
12/20/2016 at 22:59 |
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Huh. Those are missing from both sides.