Need a new top latch

Auto salvage yard.

Nice. Thanks for the link.

Scott, I have no idea how handy you are if you can do this, this is how I "cured" that problem: (1) I removed the latch. (2) I removed the little "C" clip from the pin that has the spring around it. (3) Hold the spring with your finger and slide the pin out of the housing. Hint here: If you remove the two latches, you can see how it goes back together once you have one apart. (4) Take the part that rubs on the latch when you use your thumb to open the latch and drill a very small hole to match a 4-40 screw tap. (5) Tap the hole and screw in a 4-40 round head screw. (6) Re assemble the latch using the other latch as a guide. (7) Install the latches and you will "Never" need to fix it again.

Hope this helps everyone that has this problem.

Total cost, the price of a 4-40 tap and a screw.

Do it to the other one while you are doing it. It is just a matter of time and they will booth need it.

Bruce Bing '03 LS

There are two modes of failure for Miata latches. Some of them are made so far out of spec that the lock button never touches the latch lever. These can be fixed by inserting a screw, although the filing method can fix these also, unless the gap is huge.

Sometimes the button touches the latch lever, but the mechanism wears and develops enough slack that the lever will unlatch anyway. Inserting a screw won't help these, but filing will.

It work fine for the first few years so I think it's just wear. The driver's side is still fine. I'm getting air whistling in now but I don't want to adjust the latch tighter until I know it's going to lock down right. I'll take it apart this weekend. Sounds like a fairly easy fix.

Ebay.

Looked there. cheapest was like $80 :P

Check with Planet Miata - they quoted me $55 each for used latches. But don't take the ones they have set aside for me!

- shoot them an e-mail and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

I'm replacing the front latches on the hardtop from my '90 so I can install it on the '04. I did remove the side striker plates and the Frankenbolts from the '90 before she went away so that saves me a bunch of MSUs.

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

I know the latches were changed midway through 2003 so prior to that, there's not a problem, other than adding frankenbolts and striker plates for the side latches. See

for full info. According to that, if you have the old style striker plates and frankenbolts, all you need to add is new front latches. Since my 1990 hardtop does not have a defroster, I don't need to add a new pigtail for that. Hmmm, wonder if Planet Miata will give me a better price if I trade in the old latches toward the new ones?

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

It looks like you can get from $50.00 to $70.00 for them from through Ebay. This latch set looks very nice for less than a single latch from the stealership.

Pat

I meant the softtop latches. I don't have a HT. :)

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. I know that the compatability guide at miata.net says you have to replace the whole frame for an NA softop to fit an NB so I would assume the latches have to be changed.

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

Why would anyone out a NA top on a NB? I also thought that the two frames were interchangeable between the NA and the NB.

Leon, don't you have a factory NB top and frame on your '96 Miata?

Pat

Yes. The frames are not the same, since the NB is designed to lower the glass window. But IIRC, the latches are the same.

Leon

Yes, the NB frame uses a different system to pull up the window, as well as springs that lower the top without needing to push the window down like the NA frame/NB top conversion that I did.

Still, both tops have the same dimensions. The NB top fit on my NA frame just like it would have with the NB frame; same hole sizes, same cable lengths, same rain rail holes, etc. The earlier frame just needed modification to pull up the glass window.

Since the NB top and frame can be put on a NA Miata without modifications, I was guessing that everything besides the top attachment system and the springs on the frame are the same.

Pat

FWIW, I was concerned about this with my 2001. I bought it used last April, and both latches were defective. After I tore them apart, I realized they never did work correctly because they were machined incorrectly and couldn't lock. I put them back together and decided to live with it for a while to see what happened. Neither latch has ever opened or even loosened while I have owned it, and I suspect the same was true for the previous owner, or he would have changed them under warranty. There probably isn't much of a risk of the top blowing open, or I would think Mazda would have a safety recall on them.

Yes Dana, I had one of those latches on my 2003 and that is the one I started on when I drilled and put in the screw. It worked so good, I did the other one. Very positive lock with them now.

Bruce Bing '03 LS