Robbins top questions

First, honestly, how long has it taken anyone else to put one of these
things on?!

Now, there are those two straps inside the car's top from the B & C down to
the back of the top. They're not really supposed to interefere with the
velcro part of the headliner part, are they?

And how in the hell has anyone CLOSED a new top? I can't get it within 1/2"
of closing with all of my weight on it, and I'm pretty damn fat.

It's been a week now, and there has been at least one problem with each
major step. Am I missing something? Is it harder when the top you're
replacing is 15+ years old and was screwed up by the previous owner who had
an upholstery place sew in a new window?

I'm so frustrated, I could *kick my Miata*.

I haven't installed a Robbin's top but the material and installation from my
experience should be the same...
for the zipperless fold down style top the b and c bows are not connected to
the top. You should have received covers for the b and c bow that have a
velcro close. I pointed the velcro down towards the grown so that the
smooth side of the box cover is what has contact with the top. The rivets
installed to attach the straps to bow b and c should not be in contact with
the top. As for closing the top for the first time I have to say it was
truly incomprehensible how difficult it was. Mine was a cloth type but I
hear the vinyl is not much different. With the help of a friend it took
nearly two hours of the eight hour operation just to close the top. What
finally got it closed was doing one side at a time with my friend in the
seat pushing the front bow forward and attempting to latch while I was in
the door jam with one foot on the vertical part of the door jam and pulling
on the vertical part of the top frame... the top looked great but I thought
I was never going to be able to open it again... One week later I opened it
for the first time. Fearing the worst (and fully expecting to not fully
unlatch it if it were too stiff) I was pleasantly surprised to find that it
worked beautifully. I suggest that you put the car (top) in direct
sunlight for a couple of hours before you try closing it again. The heat
helps to relax the top material.

"Lisa" > wrote in message
. ..
> First, honestly, how long has it taken anyone else to put one of these
> things on?!
>
> Now, there are those two straps inside the car's top from the B & C down
> to
> the back of the top. They're not really supposed to interefere with the
> velcro part of the headliner part, are they?
>
> And how in the hell has anyone CLOSED a new top? I can't get it within
> 1/2"
> of closing with all of my weight on it, and I'm pretty damn fat.
>
> It's been a week now, and there has been at least one problem with each
> major step. Am I missing something? Is it harder when the top you're
> replacing is 15+ years old and was screwed up by the previous owner who
> had
> an upholstery place sew in a new window?
>
> I'm so frustrated, I could *kick my Miata*.
>
>

See if any of this helps, Lisa:

http://www.miata.net/garage/garagetops.html

Ken

"Lisa" > wrote in message
. ..
> First, honestly, how long has it taken anyone else to put one of these
> things on?!
>
> Now, there are those two straps inside the car's top from the B & C down
to
> the back of the top. They're not really supposed to interefere with the
> velcro part of the headliner part, are they?
>
> And how in the hell has anyone CLOSED a new top? I can't get it within
1/2"
> of closing with all of my weight on it, and I'm pretty damn fat.
>
> It's been a week now, and there has been at least one problem with each
> major step. Am I missing something? Is it harder when the top you're
> replacing is 15+ years old and was screwed up by the previous owner who
had
> an upholstery place sew in a new window?
>
> I'm so frustrated, I could *kick my Miata*.
>
>