cracked rear window fix

[austin337]

hi im new to miatas and sunday i put my top down and i didnt zip my rear window down. when i put it back up the rear window cracked all the way across. i found one post that said something about getting a new window put in as my top is in ok condition and dont just want to put a new top on just to fix the rear window. any help would be great. i have a 1990 miata

[—atank—]

Depending on your top, you could have a new piece sewn back in........what color top do you have? Is it cloth or vinyl? Do you have any pictures of the soft top?

[austin337]

the top is black. i think its vinyl. i dont have any photos. just get the car last tuesday. so the top is really three parts. i just taped it up becuse its might snow tonight

[— kung fu jesus —]

I did the same when I lived in MI many years ago. I had a boat shop do it, as they made tops and covers for all kinds of pleasure craft. It cost me $250 and they used a thicker, higher-grade plastic for the window and a heavier marine-grade zipper that was pretty stout compared to the OE one it replaced. This was probably around 2002? I wound up preplacing the entire top with one off a fresher NB a couple years later, then hardtop only (softtop delete).

[austin337]

my top isnt in the greatest condition either. i might try and cut out the plastic myself. then try and glue a new piece in myself. has anyone ever tryed that?

[— Malibu Q —]

Maybe you could just use 100mph tape over the window to stop the snow getting in for now.
I don't think I'd bother trying to fix it if the top isn't nice.
Glue would be messy.
Consider replacing the top.
The cheapest one I found on eBay was $169 (link).
RSpeed has high quality Robbins tops for $195 (link).
No zip out window on these though and you'll have to swap your rain rail.
It's a good days work.
It's about another hundred or so for a glass back window top.

[—atank—]

What ever you do Austin, this is not the correct way to do it:

[austin337]

i will not do that. what did he do use trash bags as his roof? thanks for the help

[— kung fu jesus —]

A couple of options (as listed above). Reskin or replace. For what a company may charge to replace the window, you can buy a decent NEW top, if you skin it yourself. A heated or warm garage will be necessary. Another option is to buy a used one already on a frame.

There is a Spec Miata shop in WI, Panic Motorsports? that breaks up Miatas, maybe they have one. A nice upgrade, if you don't have a rollbar installed yet, is to get a complete NB top on frame. Swapping it over is about a 1-2 hour job and you get a glass rear window! If you want to install a rollbar later (with rear legs), just make sure it is for an NB.

Reskinning a top is about a 3-6 hour job and harder to do if it is cold because the heat and sun help to make the vinyl more pliable.

There are a number of forum sponsors that sell tops. I installed a new top on my former NB that I bought from R-Speed. I was very happy with it and the rain rail was already attached when it arrived.