[Miata] Replacing rear window

Wed Jul 2 19:07:53 CDT 2008

I've always drilled out the rivets in the car.

Larry

White Knight      1991 Crystal White   #99 CSP
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Honey B             1992 Sunburst Yellow #99 SM2L  JR Supercharger
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From: miata-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:miata-bounces at realbig.com] On Behalf
Of Sam Sharp
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 7:37 PM
To: mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com
Cc: miata at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [Miata] Replacing rear window

I've had luck grinding the heads off of the rivets at the back with a
Dremel.  Then push them out the back one at a time and you can separate the
top from the rain rail without removing the rain rail from the car.  Much
less chance of cracking it this way.

Sam

On Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 8:27 AM, <mark.ariagno at boehringer-ingelheim.com>
wrote:

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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