NB top AND frame in an NA?

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ROMAD - 15 Oct 2004 03:10 GMT

I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will bolt
right into an NA. Has anyone here done this? Is it true or did you have to
modify the frame, car, both?
Dennis B. Swaney
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pws - 15 Oct 2004 03:22 GMT

> I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will bolt
> right into an NA. Has anyone here done this? Is it true or did you have to
> modify the frame, car, both?
> Dennis B. Swaney
> remove .zz to reply

If you have the entire frame, then this is true. It is only 6 bolts that
have to be removed once the interior panels are out of the way, then the
old top/frame comes off and the new top/frame goes in with an exact fit.
If fitting the NB top onto a NA frame, there are modifications that are
required, which I did to my car.

Pat
'96M

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Jim - 15 Oct 2004 05:42 GMT

>I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will bolt
>right into an NA. Has anyone here done this? Is it true or did you have to
>modify the frame, car, both?
>Dennis B. Swaney
>remove .zz to reply

Yep. I did it 3 or 4 years ago. Remove the 13 nuts securing the back
edge and rain rail. Remove the 3 bolts on each side. Remove NA soft
top and frame. Replace w/NB soft top and frame by reversing steps.

NOTE: Don't drop a nut for the rain rail into the side drains. It's a
pain in the *** to retrieve.

Jim

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Jim Hayter home: jhayter AT alum.mit DOT edu
Columbus, OH work: jhayter AT ecnext DOT com
Red '93 B Miata
Blue '02 WRX

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pws - 15 Oct 2004 15:27 GMT

>>I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will bolt
>>right into an NA. Has anyone here done this? Is it true or did you have to
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Jim

That's right, I forgot about the 13 nuts in the back. The ones in the
back are also supposed to be tightened in a specific sequence, (I think
that the instructions are on miata.net), something I learned after
installing mine, but it has never leaked.

Pat
'96M

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Leon van Dommelen - 15 Oct 2004 11:39 GMT

>I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will bolt
>right into an NA. Has anyone here done this? Is it true or did you have to
>modify the frame, car, both?

http://www.bigbendmiataclub.org/bigbend/events/051902/index.htm

Leon

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Leon van Dommelen :) Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
rammm@dommelen.net http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

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Southoceandrive - 15 Oct 2004 16:40 GMT

Alright, I'll ask the stupid question.

Can you give me a scenario where you have an NA with a bad top/frame, and a
good NB frame/top appears on your doorstep? If your NA top/frame needs
replacement, why wouldn't you get NA parts to replace/restore/repair it?
Where does the donor NB top/frame come from?

Or, is this a philosophical question? Like, how many angels can dance on
the head of a pin?

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Chief_Wiggum - 15 Oct 2004 17:08 GMT

> > I've been told that a complete top and frame assembly out of an NB will
> bolt
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Or, is this a philosophical question? Like, how many angels can dance on
> the head of a pin?

Well, I don't know of anyone dropping off tops on the doorstep (except,
maybe UPS :) )

But from what I gather, the concept is *IF* you can get a good NB top from a
donor car (I know it's painful, but Miatas' DO sometimes end up in
junkyards ) Then it is much easier to install the entire top / frame
assembly then it is to JUST install the vinyl.

Plus, of course the big bounus in installing an NB top is that you get the
factory glass rear window!

Problem, from what I see though, is that they are PRICEY! and unless you
really get a good deal on one, it's seems to be a break-even with just
having a new top installed by a shop. *shrug*..

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Lanny Chambers - 15 Oct 2004 19:02 GMT

> Can you give me a scenario where you have an NA with a bad top/frame, and a
> good NB frame/top appears on your doorstep? If your NA top/frame needs
> replacement, why wouldn't you get NA parts to replace/restore/repair it?

The NB top has a glass window and NO ZIPPER. The NB top fabric, however,
is thinner than the NA.

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Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

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Southoceandrive - 15 Oct 2004 19:09 GMT

> > Can you give me a scenario where you have an NA with a bad top/frame, and a
> > good NB frame/top appears on your doorstep? If your NA top/frame needs
> > replacement, why wouldn't you get NA parts to replace/restore/repair it?
>
> The NB top has a glass window and NO ZIPPER. The NB top fabric, however,
> is thinner than the NA.

Separate parts, I can understand. But the scenario posed by the original
poster took a complete top/frame from an NB and installed it on an NA. I
had a Robins no-zip top installed on my '96. It never would have occurred
to me to seek out a complete NB top and frame. As a previous poster
mentioned, the price -- even used -- of the NB parts would probably exceed
the Robins price.

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Lanny Chambers - 15 Oct 2004 23:20 GMT

> Separate parts, I can understand. But the scenario posed by the original
> poster took a complete top/frame from an NB and installed it on an NA. I
> had a Robins no-zip top installed on my '96. It never would have occurred
> to me to seek out a complete NB top and frame. As a previous poster
> mentioned, the price -- even used -- of the NB parts would probably exceed
> the Robins price.

Something you might be missing: the NB top will not work on an NA frame,
and is not the same as a Robbins NA no-zip top.

A few years ago, before there were any no-zip aftermarket tops for NA
frames, a junkyard NB top/frame was the only no-zip solution.

There's another factor as well: to get a no-zip glass window to fold
properly with the top on an NA frame, either the frame must be modified,
or the user must arrange one of the bows manually when raising and
lowering. The NB frame does this on its own, an advantage to some owners.

Finally, the ease of installation may encourage some owners to bolt up
an NB top/frame themselves, rather than pay a shop to install an NA top
on the existing frame. The savings in labor costs may pay for the frame.

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Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

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ROMAD - 18 Oct 2004 17:24 GMT

<< The NB top fabric, however,
is thinner than the NA. >>

Lanny, I assume you are talking about the vinyl top. Do you know anything about
the blue top that came on the 10th Anniversary model? I've been told that it
was cloth.

Dennis B. Swaney
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Lanny Chambers - 18 Oct 2004 22:24 GMT

> Do you know anything about
> the blue top that came on the 10th Anniversary model? I've been told that it
> was cloth.

Nope, I've never seen a 10AE with the top up.

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Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

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Leon van Dommelen - 19 Oct 2004 01:26 GMT

>> Do you know anything about
>> the blue top that came on the 10th Anniversary model? I've been told that it
>> was cloth.
>
>Nope, I've never seen a 10AE with the top up.

IIRC, I saw three at the dealer in Fairbanks. I understand from
Nora that they like them over there because white ones they cannot
find in the snow. Looked vinyl to me, but I did not investigate.

Leon

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Leon van Dommelen :) Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
rammm@dommelen.net http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

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96M - 23 Oct 2004 19:28 GMT

> >> Do you know anything about
> >> the blue top that came on the 10th Anniversary model? I've been told that it
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Nora that they like them over there because white ones they cannot
> find in the snow. Looked vinyl to me, but I did not investigate.

It's blue vinyl.

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Jim - 16 Oct 2004 04:23 GMT

<snip>

>Alright, I'll ask the stupid question.
>
>Can you give me a scenario where you have an NA with a bad top/frame, and a
>good NB frame/top appears on your doorstep? If your NA top/frame needs
>replacement, why wouldn't you get NA parts to replace/restore/repair it?
>Where does the donor NB top/frame come from?

Mine came off a totaled NB that was being turned into a race car. The
soft top was superfluous to the racer and he appreciated the $250 I paid
for it. I got a great deal because the car was only a few months old at
the time of the accident.

<snip>

Jim

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Jim Hayter home: jhayter AT alum.mit DOT edu
Columbus, OH work: jhayter AT ecnext DOT com
Red '93 B Miata
Blue '02 WRX

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ROMAD - 18 Oct 2004 17:22 GMT

<< Alright, I'll ask the stupid question.

Can you give me a scenario where you have an NA with a bad top/frame, and a
good NB frame/top appears on your doorstep? If your NA top/frame needs
replacement, why wouldn't you get NA parts to replace/restore/repair it?
Where does the donor NB top/frame come from?

Or, is this a philosophical question? Like, how many angels can dance on
the he >>

1. Glass window that lays flat.
2. No drilling, riveting, etc. required.
3. The cost of the NB assembly is roughly equivalent to the cost of a Robbins
top plus installation.
4.I really don't HAVE to replace the top & window; I can just keep re-gluing
the velcro tabs every other year, and put patches over the pin holes in the top
material. The top is down the vast majority of the year, the car is kept in a
garage at night, and the hard top is on during the winter.

Dennis B. Swaney
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