Grant Edwards wrote:

> Ouch! To be betrayed by another Miata owner (who else is going to
> know to steel a hardtop?) just adds insult to injury.

I would guess that some thieves understand the value of them, hardtops
in general, not just for the Miata.
There was one hardtop stolen from a Miata here in Austin not that long
ago, which makes at least two that I have heard of.

A used Miata hardtop fetch anywhere from $500.00 to as much as $1000.00
around here, which is a lot better haul than grabbing the stereo.

> I had a top slashed as well. The car was unlocked, sitting in a
> driveway in a nice suburban neighborhood in Lawrence Kansas. They
> never even bothered to open a door -- it was just vandalism.

With my normal luck, I am surprised that this has never happened to me.
Shooting is way too good a punishment for thieves and vandals.

> I did have somebody in my (unlocked) 96M once. The alarm must have
> gone off, becuase they did about $200 of damage ripping the alarm
> switch off the steering column (which of course doesn't turn off the
> alarm). I think they took some of the change out of the ash-tray.

Sounds like a brain trust went at it that time. ;-)

> One other time, I'm pretty sure somebody walked off with a wallet of
> CDs that was in my 96m. But, they probably just leaned in and grabbed
> it. After that I switched to keeping, uh, let's say "backup" copies of
> CDs in the car with the originals at home.

I have been doing that for a while, so now my main concern if they are
taken is that someone out there will know exactly how bad my taste in
music really is.

Pat