Put 96 hardtop on 03?

Question

Everything I've been able to find indicates that the hardtop from my 96 ought to fit an 03. The local Mazda dealership parts guy says it's not compatible.

The same dealership also claims it takes $300 in parts and $90 in labor to equip a 2003 to accept a hardtop. The $90 in labor sounds reasonable, but $300 for parts?

A side-latch kit is about $60, and the frankenstein bolts can't be much. The only additional parts I can think of would be defroster wiring, but the 2003's already have wiring for rear window defrosters don't they?

Grant Edwards · Accepted Answer

Hmm. According this very informative page

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my top won'tjust drop on. They changed the design of the front latchespart way through the 2003 model year, so the latches on thehardtop would need to be changed. I'd need the pigtail adapteras well.

I'm pretty sure the $300 includes neither the new latches for the hardtop nor the pigtail adapter.

Frederick Potts · Answer

The only difference is the rear window heater plug in. You can go to radioshack and get 200 sets of two wire plugs for what the dealer will want forone factory OEM set. Clip the ends off of the window plugs (soft top andhard top) and but splice a radio shack two prong plug on in their place andyou are home free. The hardest part is installing the side mount brackets.But that is another story.

Grant Edwards · Answer

And the front latch design.  :(The pigtail adapter is $82 from Trussville.  If it just plugsin, it's hardly worth the time and effort to replace threecable ends.

Frederick Potts · Answer

The plug is a different shape, but can be replaced by radio shack partscheaply.

Grant Edwards · Answer

You're saying that the $82 pigtail "Y" adapter from Miata won'tplug into an older Miata hardtop?

Frederick Potts · Answer

The plug on the end of your soft top is a different shape than the one on ahard top made before 2001. You can cut the end (leaving a few inches) thatgoes to your soft top, than splice in a radio shack two prong connector.Next cut off the connector of the old hard top, then splice in an identicalradio shack c

Grant Edwards · Answer

Right.  But what was asking was: is the cable available fromMazda for an '03 Miata that's intended to plug into a _hardtop_different than the connector on a '96 hardtop.

Put 96 hardtop on 03?

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