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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / May 2008

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'Top Hats'value?

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Chris D'Agnolo - 27 Apr 2008 22:29 GMT
Anybody have a clue what a used set of 'top hats' (I believe that's the
term) should sell for? I've got a set available and a person interested so,
I'm just wondering. Is there an approximate value (relative to new) like 50%
or 33% of what new would cost that is considered a guideline?

My guess is that used parts places usually sell for 50% of cost of new.

Chris
99BBB
pws - 28 Apr 2008 00:37 GMT
> Anybody have a clue what a used set of 'top hats' (I believe that's the
> term) should sell for?

How many miles do you have on them?

> I've got a set available and a person interested so,
> I'm just wondering.

Did you do a suspension upgrade?

Is there an approximate value (relative to new) like 50%
> or 33% of what new would cost that is considered a guideline?

Not really, and these are not high-demand items, so it is hard to say
what they will sell for.
I remember that a single top hat for a 1991 model was over $70.00 from
the factory years ago, they could be as high as $500.00 for a set now
for the NB, and the price you sell them for is really determined by how
badly the buyer needs them along with your bottom price.

My set of 4 used ones from a 1990 model that I stripped got somewhere
around $50.00 on Ebay, or less than 20% of the cost of a new set, but
they were 8 years older than your's at the time.

> My guess is that used parts places usually sell for 50% of cost of new.
>
> Chris
> 99BBB

Generally true, though I have seen 80% and even 90% plus depending on
the part.
Your cylinder head is worth more than one from a 2001+ model, torsen
rear ends tend to hold a pretty high percentage of their original value,
as do hard tops.
The other side is things like a dash. Very expensive, but little demand.
 I could not give mine away.

Pat
XS11E - 28 Apr 2008 01:02 GMT
> The other side is things like a dash. Very expensive, but little
> demand. I could not give mine away.

That was more logistics than demand, I wanted it to replace my broken
dash but the shipping would be costly and I wasn't really eager to
remove mine and install yours.  

To be honest, I probably couldn't remove mine and install yours, I'd
probably have to pay someone to do it for me.

The JB Weld fix was much easier and still seems to be working very
nicely!

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pws - 28 Apr 2008 02:08 GMT
> That was more logistics than demand, I wanted it to replace my broken
> dash but the shipping would be costly and I wasn't really eager to
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> The JB Weld fix was much easier and still seems to be working very
> nicely!

I wasn't referring to you specifically, and I would have done the JB
Weld method myself before swapping dashes.

Austin has a pretty big Miata base, with a lot of them doing their own
refurbishing and repairs.
A number of people expressed interest in picking it up locally and never
showed up, even when I finally dropped it from $10.00 to free.
I finally got tired of having it in my way and trashed it, did the same
with my '96M dash as well.

The Miata of the month where the guy has transplanted most of a wrecked
MSM into a '95 model shows that it can be done with the dash by a
"normal" person, but I have a feeling that it was the most frustrating
part of the job.

Still, he has a nicely updated NA, Nardi 3-spoke steering wheel and all.
I want that car badly, even if it is red. :-)

Pat
Chris D'Agnolo - 28 Apr 2008 02:51 GMT
Yes, that car was beautiful! And, yes, I did upgrade my suspension! Speaking
of cannibalizing MSM's, I got the shock and springs (with boots and top hats
and everything) from an 04 MSM that reportedly only got about 4k of use
prior to removal! I've installed them and I'm in 7th heaven, I'm just hoping
that my 'significant other' doesn't think they are too 'punishing'. So far,
on a few short rides, all is well but I know the story of the princess and
the pea and so does my wife ;-)

Actually, big bumps are much better handled now as the KYB's really were
wore out. It's the small and medium stuff that I'm afraid might get on the
'princesses' nerves :-) on a long haul, we'll see. I'm dieing to go
autocrossing as I can feel huge improvements in every way even while tooling
around on the street and I've also totally tested it out in a parking lot
:-) It's very nice.

Chris
99BBB

> The Miata of the month where the guy has transplanted most of a wrecked
> MSM into a '95 model shows that it can be done with the dash by a "normal"
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Pat
pws - 28 Apr 2008 17:15 GMT
> Yes, that car was beautiful! And, yes, I did upgrade my suspension! Speaking
> of cannibalizing MSM's, I got the shock and springs (with boots and top hats
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Chris
> 99BBB

Sounds great, congratulations!

Pat
Chris D'Agnolo - 28 Apr 2008 02:56 GMT
Top hats that I have 4 sale are the OEM's and I've gotten this thing up near
90k now (ouch). The only thing that looks like it's an issue would be the
rubber bushing and I think I'd spring for new ones if I were the guy. They
surely don't cost more than a few bucks.

Did upgrade suspension, see post further down.

Maybe $50  ~ $100, eh?

Chris
99BBB

">
> How many miles do you have on them?
>
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>
> Pat
pws - 28 Apr 2008 17:14 GMT
> Top hats that I have 4 sale are the OEM's and I've gotten this thing up near
> 90k now (ouch). The only thing that looks like it's an issue would be the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Chris
> 99BBB

Sounds about right to me. :-)

Pat
Chris D'Agnolo - 04 May 2008 07:06 GMT
Actually the guy found them (OEM type) for $15 a piece (not including a few
$1 and $2 misc parts per corner). They did have $65 and $75 ones but they
were called performance shock mounts. I believe this is the link he showed
me;
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php?cat=330

Anyway, I think I offered him mine for $25 or $30 at that point and didn't
hear back from him ?

Chris
99BBB

>> Top hats that I have 4 sale are the OEM's and I've gotten this thing up
>> near 90k now (ouch). The only thing that looks like it's an issue would
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Pat
pws - 04 May 2008 17:13 GMT
> Actually the guy found them (OEM type) for $15 a piece (not including a few
> $1 and $2 misc parts per corner). They did have $65 and $75 ones but they
> were called performance shock mounts.

The $65.00 ones are performance mounts with stiffer rubber than OEM. The
 OEM mounts are exact replacements and are the more expensive ones.

> I believe this is the link he showed
> me; http://www.finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php?cat=330

I wonder what he needs, the parts for $15.00 do not have any rubber
dampener at all from what I can see, maybe they are to top off a custom
setup? I don't know, and I don't see anything in the description.

In any case, it makes sense that these parts would be so much less, and
if it is what he needs, it definitely makes sense to spend less.

I was under the impression that he was either replacing a set with very
high miles or was going back to a different suspension system from a
coil-over or something.

> Anyway, I think I offered him mine for $25 or $30 at that point and didn't
> hear back from him ?
>
> Chris
> 99BBB

It would be polite for him to drop you a line saying that he found what
he needs. Takes about a minute or less. :-)

Pat
Chris D'Agnolo - 04 May 2008 22:11 GMT
Polite? What's that? Just kidding, most folks on miata.net (and ebay for
that matter) have been pretty friendly.

Chris
99BBB

>> Anyway, I think I offered him mine for $25 or $30 at that point and
>> didn't hear back from him ?
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Pat
 
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