Miata People....

[Keith-02Accord]

My father-in-law just bought an 04 Miata GS.

He's thinking of getting a roll bar and a hard-top.

Any suggestions on where he should go?

Thanks.

[Rob]

Re: Miata People....

Hardtop - Essentially any hardtop will fit any model year, but there are some compatibility issues regarding the defroster and the fasteners. There's a really good write-up at www.miata.net (scroll down the home page to hardtop FAQ). EBay usually has 5-10 used hardtops listed (be sure to search under both "miata hardtop" and "miata hard top" - different lists come up depending on whether you put that space in or not). Also check the classifieds sections of www.specmiata.com and www.trilliummiata.com. There have been some reports on the forums of hardtops being damaged in shipping so it is recommended that you buy one that you can pick up. Typical pricing is C$800-C$1200. A new one from a dealership will cost more that C$3K.

Rollbars - Harddog appears to be the most consistently recommended product on the various forums - check them out at www.bethania-garage.com. I have a 9B2 in my 2002 miata - it arrived three days after I ordered it and it took about 4-5 hours to install for two non-mechanics. My hardtop does fit over my rollbar but it is a very tight fit - however other than leaving small rub-marks it doesn't appear to be damaging either one.

[Rob]

Re: Miata People....

Oh one more thing about rollbars - if your father-in-law wants to run Solo-1 or any of the racing series, make sure that he checks the rollbar specifications - a lot of the "sport bars" do not meet the specs for competition.

[MARC W]

Re: Miata People....

CSC has the same roll bar as the hard dog for $350.

I pick up my Miata next weekend

http://www.cscracing.com/se.htm scroll to the bottom of the page

[92MX5]

Re: Miata People....

CSC has the same roll bar as the hard dog for $350.

http://www.cscracing.com/se.htm scroll to the bottom of the page

Here's a pic of the CSC in my car. The bar is quite tall (which helps get your helmet lower than the bar), but if you've got long legs, I'm not sure it's the best choice. It sits far forward, and limits the seat travel a bit. Consider the paint nothing but a protective coating too, as it's not well done That said, I like it: very sturdy, and it definitely stiffened up the car:

[Doug P]

Re: Miata People....

CSC has the same roll bar as the hard dog for $350.

I pick up my Miata next weekend

http://www.cscracing.com/se.htm scroll to the bottom of the page

First of all why did he not buy my wifes Sunburst?

Be aware the CSC bar may not fit under a hardtop and it will not let the seat go all the way back. Otherwise it is definitely cheaper than Harddog.

If you want a Harddog order from Lex at this site. He will take care of all of the import issues and give you a fixed price landed here. Great guy to deal with.

http://www.perfrmplus.com/miata/asp/default.asp

We have the Harddog Hardcore Double Diagonal Hardtop version. Fits perfect under the hardtop. My 10 year old son and I installed it in a day. You can also order a leather cover with some foam to protect the head a little.

Doug

[Doug P]

Re: Miata People....

First of all why did he not buy my wifes Sunburst?

Be aware the CSC bar may not fit under a hardtop and it will not let the seat go all the way back. Otherwise it is definitely cheaper than Harddog.

If you want a Harddog order from Lex at this site. He will take care of all of the import issues and give you a fixed price landed here. Great guy to deal with.

http://www.perfrmplus.com/miata/asp/default.asp

We have the Harddog Hardcore Double Diagonal Hardtop version. Fits perfect under the hardtop. My 10 year old son and I installed it in a day. You can also order a leather cover with some foam to protect the head a little.

Doug

[Keith-02Accord]

Re: Miata People....

First of all why did he not buy my wifes Sunburst?

Sorry Doug, He wanted to go with a new one! But I did show him yours

Thanks everyone. This has been helpful.

Keith

[Doug P]

Re: Miata People....

Pictur of HardDog.[IMG]rollbar[/IMG]

[MARC W]

Re: Miata People....

http://www.sputnik.ca/classifieds/cl...uery=retrieval

Jeff is a good guy maybe he can help you out with his.

[Doug P]

Re: Miata People....

http://www.sputnik.ca/classifieds/cl...uery=retrieval

Jeff is a good guy maybe he can help you out with his.

The CSC and HardDog rollbars are REAL rollbars offering rollover protection. I am not aware of any others. Many are cosmetic only so be careful and make sure you know what you are buying.

Keith, I am pretty sure Robert that runs the Miata in the Regionals is trying to sell his rollbar.

Doug

[92MX5]

Re: Miata People....

http://www.sputnik.ca/classifieds/cl...uery=retrieval

Jeff is a good guy maybe he can help you out with his.

Just a heads up:

That's a style bar, that offers no roll-over protection. If you're running Solo II, I believe it's still worth "points", and offers none of the protection of a rollbar. I would not trust one of those to offer any protection in Solo I or trackdays.

The CSC and Harddog bars bolt into the body at 4 points, and offer real rollover protection. The CSC bolts into the rear fender-wells/tunnels and through the floor of the car. The Harddog bolts into the seat belt structure (one of the most heavily reinforced bits in the cockpit) and the same fender/tunnel area as the CSC.

Style bars are cool, but don't mistake them for a real rollbar.

Cheers!

Jeff