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After searching for one year I've decided to offer up to $1,500 for a OEM original factory paint hardtop for my 1997 M Edition in Marina Green.
Location must be within 700 miles from Jacksonville FL.
In case the seller decides to deliver to Florida trip expenses will be paid to the seller.
Condition must be excellent.
A finder will receive a $200 cash reward if the referral leads to a purchase.
PM please.
why don't you just buy a simple $800-$900 any color hardtop and spend $300ish to get it painted to match? seems a lot easier than trying to find a rare one and spending more money.
Originally Posted by tsingson
700 miles from J'ville is a huge range! I do believe that limit is about to Richmond, VA?
Just get one local and have it painted...
chances of finding an 'original' from a 97 M are pretty slim..
but a guy in our Club here in CT has one...along with TWO 97 M editions...
PM sent...
Last edited by 3MiataFamily; 04-25-2014 at 07:11 PM.
President Nutmeg Miata Club/94 C pkg/163k/VMaxx/RB header/exhaust/NEW PAINT!/RB sways/OZ Racing Starlights/Boss Frog Twin
Call me picky but since my 97M has only 27,000 miles and is in as new condition I feel that it deserves a similarly mint OEM color hardtop.
Finding a truly mint hardtop with headliner and heated glass in another color is proving to be as difficult as finding the Marina Green one. I tried for the better part of one year!
Anyway, as KFJ says ^^ the 700 mile range is too long and I'm revising the distance to 400 miles just so as to reduce the round trip to a one day expedition.
I understand, but I wanted to add a few things...
The tops were painted at the dealership when new, IIRC. GOOD paint will run you $600 + new seals + fixing any waves or cracks. That said, a padded, defroster unit should be around $1k.
atank (04-26-2014)
Live and learn ... I had no idea that they were painted at the dealership! This may force a change in my thinking since once properly prepped and outfitted with new seals any halfway decent top could be as good as new.
Thanks for the education.
Allow me to refine you answer a bit, all dealer installed 1990-1992 tops were shipped crated from the factory in RED, in 1993, the factory would, for a nominal fee, paint the top the color of the car, when the dealership ordered it by VIN. There was a 6-10 week lead time for this. At the same time, tops were shipped (from regional US based warehouses) either in primer, or in whatever color they had sitting in inventory for those ordering for customers who wanted them immediately. Lead time was cut down to 2-5 business days, but as already stated, those tops were painted to match (if need be) at the selling dealership (or their local paint shop under contract with the dealerships).
As an afterthought for the OP, have you contacted your local Mazda dealership to see if there are any NOS hardtops located in their parts system? Out of curiosity, and because we lost a set of stock mats for my wife's BRG, I called Rosenthal's Mazda in VA and they drop shipped me a set of NOS, in the box, factory replacements they found in their parts system for me. This was just last week..... Just a thought......
Bill S.
fwdtamiya (04-29-2014),kung fu jesus (04-28-2014),The Driver (04-28-2014),theothersawyer (04-28-2014),WASABI (04-28-2014)
That was my first thought as well Bill but after being derided by various parts departments at dealerships near and far I gave up on it.
George V.
^ Ha! I thought I told you that they were painted @ the dealership. If I didn't, my bad!
96 Montego, replacing a 95M... I miss: My running peeps in Tampa, running barefoot @ Clearwater Beach and First Choice BBQ, in Brandon. In So Cal I miss: The Malibu Canyons, CA 33 and In & Out Burgers ! I'm from Tampa, if I was from Tampa Bay, I'd be a fish!
Wait, so did all hardtops go to dealers and then get painted? I had no idea!
Mostly. There are Miatas, that had a HT in their factory buildsheet. But that is a SMALL sample size. Most HT where painted @ the dealers.
96 Montego, replacing a 95M
atank (04-26-2014),theothersawyer (04-27-2014)
It makes sense. It wasn't a hugely popular option. Unless the car came from the factory with the top, as Driver mentioned, it makes more sense to have supplied the tops as kits to the dealer where they would have them painted to match. I imagine a removable hardtop would have shipping concerns if attached to the car. Shipping the tops, pre-painted, and stocking them would just be a logistical nightmare, not to mention inventory costs by color. So, sort of like the addition of PS or AC. The cars came with the basics pre-installed, the dealers finished the process according to the order/in-stock inventory. If you look at 'building' many new cars online now, there are a plethora of dealer-installed items that are painted and installed at final destination.
WASABI (04-28-2014)
Another thought...if the hardtops were finished at the factory, there should be a serial number/identifier along with the part number to designate the option and color. To my knowledge, there isn't. That sort of fortifies the dealer-supplied/finished idea. Factory-painted options, like different side skirts/appearance packages have a part number and code according to the paint.
That does partially explain why some HT are in better condition than others. Not only are they subject to the care, or lack of, by the owners, but the quality of paint and skill of the painters of different dealership body shops. I'm now curious if the HTs were shipped as one piece only needing paint, or if they also required assembly (glass/seals/etc. install) as you do get better coverage not having to tape weatherstripping back to get paint under it.
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