[Miata] Replacing rear window

Wed Jul 2 09:27:15 CDT 2008

Hey Alex, funny you ask.  I just did mine on my 1997.  Miata garage has a
good article to follow although the beginning is a little confusing so I
ignored that part.  Just take out the rear carpet by removing the plastic
fasteners.  Then you will expose several bolts holding on some plates to some
studs.   They are 10 mm.  You will see several rivets to drill out.  Use a
very sharp drill bit or in my case bits and variable speed drill.  This is a
real pain if they start to spin on you.  Hold with needle nose vice grip.
Once out you can separate the top from the rain rail.  The rain rail like
every one says is real fragile.  I broke mine in a couple of spots.  If you
do the same, just go to the hardware store and pick up drain plumbing tape
and tape her up real good.  It is thick gooey tape with a paper backing.
Sticks to anything.  Just tape the whole thing up nice and pretty.  You wont
be putting rivets back in so tape over the holes.  Rivets are just for
factory convenience.  

Now there are two more rivets or I would call them brads that hold the rear
curtain containing window to the top.  Drill them out too.  They are a pain
along with two rivets holding the top on each side of the car near the bottom
of seat belt tower.  They are a pain too.  Two on each side.  Now the zipper
holding window in has these little metal stops at the end of the zipper.
Bend the prongs out and use needle nose to remove.  Mark both sides of zipper
with red nail polish.  You want to put the stop back in the same place.  Now
run the zipper off the track.  I took the window to a very nice mom and pop
upholstery shop. They put a new window on the inside of the curtain and
double stitched it on.  They also stitched Velcro on that was coming loose.
Real pretty job for $70,00.   Put it back together in reverse, don't scratch
your new window.  Now those two rivets that hold the top and curtain together
can be replaced by using slammers which are two part rivets that are pushed
together.  They really hold very well.  I ordered from Mcmaster Car.  The two
rivets on both sides are real hard to replace, so I used small electrical zip
ties to secure top in those locations.  Make sure your rain rail is taped up
real well and the drain tube on each corner should be cleaned out while you
are there.  

By the way if you screw up the zipper stop like I did, ask the upholstery
shop for one when you pick up your rear curtain.  After I did mine, I noticed
just a little flapping noise between the top and the curtain by the sides of
the window.  There is suppose to be a little rubber pad there, mine is a
little worn.  I wanted to add another piece of Velcro but have found no glue
to attach to top and curtain.  Self adhesives one wont stick either.  Took me
four hours to take apart and three to put back together and roughly a six
pack or so of beer, this might be a conservative estimate though.   If you
have an original top it has like a little embossed or raised area with
writing on the corner of window in Japanese.  That is the real deal..I would
be surprised a 1992 would still have original.  If it was after market you
could get a new curtain with window ready to go if the zippers would match.
Miata has proprietary zipper so if yours is Miata, no one makes one to match
But if top is OK and curtain is OK, I would go with the upholstery route.
There also is Velcro that hold top to cross bar near back window, you can
tighten the top up some by moving Velcro towards the window.  Its wrapped
right around cross bar.   Hope this helps some.

Mark R. Ariagno
Manager Plant Engineering
mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com
ABoehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc
1411Oak Street, P.O. Box 338
Elwood, KS  66024
Telephone (913)380-3105
Telefax (913)380-3117
Cell:  (816)-390-0296

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