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What should it cost to install a soft top? So far I have called 2 places and they want $600 not including the top. At that price it looks like I will have to do it with some friends. I am in the Dallas area if anyone knows of a good place.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:01
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compton rear end terry posted:What should it cost to install a soft top? So far I have called 2 places and they want $600 not including the top. At that price it looks like I will have to do it with some friends. I am in the Dallas area if anyone knows of a good place. I paid about a hair over $500 all said and done solely for the top install in Seattle, at one of the highest rated convertible shops. I bought the top on my own for about $400. Most of the quotes I got were in the $500-700 range just for the install, so your quotes are not out of the ordinary. The guys over on Miata.net are completely delusional when they say expect to pay $300 for a top install. That $300 price they keep throwing around must be at least 10 years out of date. Guinness fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Mar 3, 2008 |
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Mar 3, 2008 22:04
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Looks like I might have to do it myself then. It doesn't look too hard, just very time consuming.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:08
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There's some guy locally on CL who keeps advertising an install for $150. No clue how good the work is though.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:08
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compton rear end terry posted:Looks like I might have to do it myself then. It doesn't look too hard, just very time consuming. Which top did you get?
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Mar 3, 2008 22:13
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Schwack posted:Which top did you get? A cheap ebay top. I am not expecting it to last more than 2 years, but I needed something cheap after mine got slashed.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:25
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Guinness posted:The guys over on Miata.net are completely delusional when they say expect to pay $300 for a top install. That $300 price they keep throwing around must be at least 10 years out of date. These are the same guys that bitch and moan and say that they got their Miata for 4000$ less than you did with half of the miles.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:39
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compton rear end terry posted:A cheap ebay top. I am not expecting it to last more than 2 years, but I needed something cheap after mine got slashed. Just make sure you do it on a warm day. If it's cold outside it turns into a real bitch of a job, well more of a bitch than it is anyway. The only tough part for me was getting it reattached to the car with the rainrail in place.
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Mar 3, 2008 22:59
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compton rear end terry posted:A cheap ebay top. I am not expecting it to last more than 2 years, but I needed something cheap after mine got slashed. I did the same thing. I bought the car for $150 with 215k miles, a slipped timing belt, and a torn up top. I was going to fix it up and flip it, so I got a cheap top off Ebay for something like $200 and had a friend help me install it. It took us an afternoon, but it looked fine and didn't leak. It was a bit of a pain in the rear end to install and required a rivet gun. I ended up keeping the car for about a year and the top never gave me any trouble.
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Mar 4, 2008 02:39
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Are FM Sways going to ruin the toss-ability of my car? I have quite a bit of fun driving it in stock for so I'm wary of making modifications that will take the fun out of it.
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Mar 4, 2008 20:29
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Ziploc posted:Are FM Sways going to ruin the toss-ability of my car? FM sways will make the car better.
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Mar 4, 2008 23:29
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chem42 posted:I did the same thing. I bought the car for $150 with 215k miles, a slipped timing belt, and a torn up top. I was going to fix it up and flip it, so I got a cheap top off Ebay for something like $200 and had a friend help me install it. It took us an afternoon, but it looked fine and didn't leak. It was a bit of a pain in the rear end to install and required a rivet gun. I ended up keeping the car for about a year and the top never gave me any trouble. My ebay top is 8 months old and has given me no trouble. It took me 4 weeks to install it because it rained every 15 minutes out of every hour for a month. Total instal time, by myself, was right around 7 hours. I could probably do it in 2 on my second attempt.
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Mar 5, 2008 01:41
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Ziploc posted:Are FM Sways going to ruin the toss-ability of my car? The FM sways are awesome, and adjustable to your liking. Just be careful not to overcook it in the wet if you set them stiff, because you will spin.
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Mar 5, 2008 03:22
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mobn posted:The FM sways are awesome, and adjustable to your liking. Just be careful not to overcook it in the wet if you set them stiff, because you will spin. I know they are adjustable since they are sitting on my floor right now with my Tokico Illuminas. Can you really tell the difference between the settings?
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Mar 5, 2008 03:26
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Savington posted:FM sways will make the car better. Are FM sways better than others? I had put sways (I think Racing Beat) on my '91 and it made the front end push really bad. I took them off the next day.
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Mar 5, 2008 04:07
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leica posted:Are FM sways better than others? I had put sways (I think Racing Beat) on my '91 and it made the front end push really bad. I took them off the next day. Did you do front only?
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Mar 5, 2008 05:14
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Ziploc posted:I know they are adjustable since they are sitting on my floor right now with my Tokico Illuminas. Oh hell yes. If you set the front loose and the rear tight you will oversteer like a motherfucker. If you set both ends tight you will have less drastic, more controllable oversteer, and if you stick the front one loose and the rear one on the middle setting it becomes relatively neutral. These discoveries were made while riding on half bald snow tires in the summer, so you probably won't have such drastic oversteer, but there's definitely a noticeable difference between settings.
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Mar 5, 2008 06:31
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leica posted:Are FM sways better than others? I had put sways (I think Racing Beat) on my '91 and it made the front end push really bad. I took them off the next day. The size of your bars and your spring rates really rely on each other. Fat Cat Motorsports has a great spreadsheet that lets you play with all of those variables; I used it to set my car up and I am extremely happy with the end result (700# front springs, 450# rear springs, 1.125" tubular front bar, 14mm rear bar).
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Mar 5, 2008 10:32
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Ziploc posted:Did you do front only? No, I did both front and rear. A friend of mine runs a Miata shop and he had some laying around so I installed them to see how I'd like it, and almost killed myself on my favorite on-ramp. Luckily, my buddy warned me about understeer, so I was kind of prepared but I didn't expect it to be that bad. Savington posted:The size of your bars and your spring rates really rely on each other. Fat Cat Motorsports has a great spreadsheet that lets you play with all of those variables; I used it to set my car up and I am extremely happy with the end result (700# front springs, 450# rear springs, 1.125" tubular front bar, 14mm rear bar). That makes a lot of sense, I'll have to remember that if I ever get another Miata. The bars I used probably didn't agree with the stock springs then. And it's probably why I hear people bitch about sways. The ones I had put on my car were from a customer that came in and said "just take 'em off, you can have them, they suck." and we swapped them out for some stock bars. Some people even like removing the rear bar all together.
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Mar 5, 2008 15:15
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I hope FM sways match up well with stock springs.
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Mar 5, 2008 15:19
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Ziploc posted:I hope FM sways match up well with stock springs. I would take it easy at first if I were you until you get a good feel for how the car is handling with the new sways. I was being pretty aggressive because at first they felt really good at low speeds. Then when I took the on-ramp at the speed I normally take, the front end just started plowing on me and it took me by surprise. Maybe call FM to see what they say, if they recommend different spring rates for optimal performance, you might as well get some springs too.
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Mar 5, 2008 15:33
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I have a front FM sway bar on my 2001 LS which is turbocharged and the steering feels even better than it was before I put on the sway, but I also have SSR rims and after market tires, and tires may play a role in how changes to the suspension feel car by car
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Mar 5, 2008 18:28
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I'm looking to buy a basic Robbins vinyl top with rain rail installed. I'm thinking of buying the top from here: http://www.gomiata.com/robvintopwpl.html Paying $350 to have it installed at a popular shop in town, seems like a decent deal.
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Mar 5, 2008 19:39
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I ordered a top from these guys http://www.convertibletopguys.com/cgi-local/displaycat.cgi?cat=1444 And the shop I'm having it installed at told me they were having a hard time with it and that it's "junk". I hope that's hyperbole.
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Mar 6, 2008 00:04
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Gear Head posted:I ordered a top from these guys If you got the "econotop" you got the same one I got. It took a friend and I about 7 hours to complete it. Tomorrow I am going to check for leaks. It isn't the best top for sure. Some of the plastic that supports the top started to tear in a few places while installing it.
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Mar 6, 2008 04:22
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gently caress, $4200 estimated to repair my Miata. The frame is bent so it's pretty much 3 wheeling it right now. Insurance will not cover it because my mom filed the claim wrong and said it happened 5 days after it actually did. The dealers insurance will not cover it because no one has any proof it happened when it actually did. I'm going to have to pay for it all myself with $12000 left on the brand new loan. The dealer said he owns a body shop and if we pay $600 he will cover the rest of the cosmetic damage, I am very wary of this but my mom is all for it. It's her car so gently caress it she can do what she wants. I just don't want to drive it without the frame bent straight again.
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Mar 6, 2008 04:27
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Gear Head posted:I ordered a top from these guys It seems like if you arent going to spring for a decent aftermarket or NB top, you may as well just do the install yourself.
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Mar 6, 2008 05:52
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Coolnezzz posted:gently caress, $4200 estimated to repair my Miata. The frame is bent so it's pretty much 3 wheeling it right now. Insurance will not cover it because my mom filed the claim wrong and said it happened 5 days after it actually did.
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Mar 6, 2008 06:00
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Schwack posted:It seems like if you arent going to spring for a decent aftermarket or NB top, you may as well just do the install yourself. The shop guys are being professional about it. They got it on impressively well but it had a few wrinkles. They scheduled a time on Friday to fix it. I believe them when they say it took double the normal install time.
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Mar 6, 2008 06:26
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Luxmore posted:It might be time to call a lawyer. I definitely agree. Don't let the insurance company weasel out of honoring the insurance policy that you pay for. Situations like this are exactly why you pay for insurance in the first place.
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Mar 6, 2008 09:17
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We're talking to a lawyer in the morning. Despite my best wishes and lots of pleading my mom STILL called the insurance this morning and had the claim canceled. It's currently suspended pending an investigation. I may go to jail for this.
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Mar 6, 2008 09:30
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Coolnezzz posted:I may go to jail for this. Haha what? Your mom filed a claim wrong and you might go to jail? I have a feeling you're not telling the whole story. [edit] And why the hell is your mom even involved, are you in highschool?
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Mar 6, 2008 14:48
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leica posted:And why the hell is your mom even involved, are you in highschool? This has confused me, lots.
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Mar 6, 2008 16:21
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Coolnezzz posted:I may go to jail for this.
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Mar 6, 2008 19:09
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Insurance fraud is a fairly serious crime. The claim is canceled though, we won't be getting paid for our claim so no fraud has been committed as far as i know. I'm 24 but am still on their insurance. My parents also refuse to speak with a lawyer and believe everything is fine with the world and that god will take care of any problems they have. Full story can be found here about halfway up the page: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?postid=340621705#post340621705 Edit, I was fired last month but I have an interview today, I'm going to get my own insurance when I turn 25 in a couple months and if I can keep this job longer then my others I plan to move out as soon as loving possible. Plus it's her loan so her car. Shartweek fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Mar 6, 2008 |
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Mar 6, 2008 19:21
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So you're 24 years old and your mother is calling the shots. Get your own life dude, be an independent adult, get your own insurance and make your own decisions. quote:Also my dad tried to cast out the demons in me when I kept insisting we speak with a lawyer, loving mormons. Haha, holy poo poo. For the love of god don't listen to your parents and get a loving lawyer YOURSELF. YOU were in the accident and YOU will be held liable, so YOU need a lawyer. DO NOT let your parents speak for you on this issue to the insurance companies, they will only screw it up for you. Any lawyer will tell you DO NOT SPEAK TO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES WITHOUT REPRESENTATION EVER. Anything you or your parents say to them WILL be recorded and will be used against you. Trust me, been there, done that. Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Mar 6, 2008 |
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Mar 6, 2008 19:26
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So hold up there, you test drove a car, crashed it so hard that you bent the frame, and then signed for it anyway? Really? And then you tried to defraud the insurance company by making false statements on record? See here I thought they were denying your claim based on a paperwork screwup, but wow.
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Mar 6, 2008 19:53
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Luxmore posted:So hold up there, you test drove a car, crashed it so hard that you bent the frame, and then signed for it anyway? Really? That is the part that boggles my mind. Dealers have insurance for poo poo like that because it happens. My guess is his parents guilted him into buying it because they thought he would go to hell if he didn't.
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Mar 6, 2008 20:14
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Luxmore posted:So hold up there, you test drove a car, crashed it so hard that you bent the frame, and then signed for it anyway? Really? I can't tell a bent frame from one that isn't. The body shop told me. To my untrained eye everything looks straight. I incorrectly assumed that the damage was only cosmetic and we were afraid that they would make us buy the car so we got it anyway. My parents have led an incredibly sheltered life and have no idea about all things legal, and I'm just as bad. Yes we hosed up and tried to defraud the insurance. Yes we made a horrible, horrible mistake. I have the card of a lawyer I met a few nights ago that I am going to call as soon as possible. I am negative $500 in my bank account and have been out of work since the accident (fired and crashed the same day) so I can't pay for poo poo right now. I had to beg my parents for gas money so I could go fill out applications and take my resume to places. On top of that I blew a tire on my Isuzu last night and now there is a horrible grinding and clunking noise comming from the wheel well even with the doughnut on. Had to wake my mom up at 1 in the morning and tell ask her to pay the tow truck 30 bucks for me. We contacted the dealer, the fucker said he has no insurance which has to be impossible since he has a sellers license. There is no paper trail and no evidence that I crashed when we said I did so if we try to go through his insurance he will most likely deny everything.
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Mar 6, 2008 21:09
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I will summ up what is going on with Coolnezzz for you guys, since I am not him, and I know his situation well. A little while ago, he was looking at buying a new car. He wanted a Miata, and found a really nice one. He was driving said car on his test drive, and went into a turn hot, and shifted mid turn. This caused for massive weight transfer, and the thing kicked out. It's on max grip tires, and when it let go, it let go hard. The damage wasn't too bad per the post he linked. Dented fender, ripped off front bumper and minor sheet metal damage where the driver side head light is. (according to the body shop, it's worse than that) He wanted the car anyway. The dealership he bought it from didn't force him to buy it, but he offered to anyway. Just fix the damage, and move on. His credit wasn't the best, and his mom offered to sign for the car, and he can pay her. He gets back home after doing all of the paper work, and promptly get laid off. Good times? Anyway, now he has a car that is damaged, and has to pay for it without a job. On top of that, when he goes to pick up the car later after they "put the bumper cover back on". Well, they did some hack bondo job on the fender, and all kinds of ghetto poo poo for the bumper. Basically, it wasn't safe. Present day. His mom figures since he is under her policy, and he was insured under a different car when he crashed that one, they probably would get coverage on it. She puts down the wrong date (on accident) since it was her policy he is under. It get put under investigation, since he crashed the car the day he got the policy supposedly. Well the actual fact was the car was un-insured at the time, and he isn't supposed to get coverage. The insurance company was called, and the dates were straitened out. The coverage was denied, and nothing will come of it. He will just have to pay out of pocket on it for the repair. In a nutshell, that's the best way I can explain it. It's really a nothing thing. I hope to god this makes more sense to you. I can try to be a little more descript about the fact he is 25 and lives with his parents, but when going through school, or living in SoCal in general, it's a major pain in the rear end to move out without a great job to back it. Animedork2075 fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Mar 7, 2008 |
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Mar 7, 2008 01:49
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