Weird Question...

I really don't know what the tonneau screws screw into. Is this a hard or soft cover? It may be possible to remove the glove compartment bib and see if there is anything that you might add to help with the situation. It may be that epoxy will be your best bet.

It screws into holes already provided in the dashboard. You lift out the factory installed plastic pins that hide the holes when you install the screws for the tonneau.

Soft.

My question is can I reach my hand in there with the glove box removed? If someone has already done this it could save me time.

HERESY! Cars are fixed with either duct tape or baling wire, a true purist won't use any thing else! Except JB Weld, of course.....

*IF* I can reach the end of the stud from underneath, I can add a reinforcement somehow, if not, I'll use JB Weld to "glue" the stud in place but I don't have a lot of hope for that being a permanent fix, the area of the dash is pretty well damaged when the vandals ripped off the tonneau w/o unsnapping it.

I have taken two dashes off and apart, and I don't think that you are going to be able to reach up there without removing more than the glove box. There is solid metal tubing, plastic vent tubes, wiring, lots to get in the way in a small space. It may be possible, but it won't be easy.

How about a top side repair, maybe filling in the holes with quick-set epoxy so that the screws will have something to bite into again? With the dash mat the repair doesn't have to be pretty, just secure and not raised very much.

Pat

I was pretty sure of that, thanks.

That's my current plan. I'll pull the glove box first but I won't spent too much time or blood trying to get a hand up there....

"JB Weld" is an Epoxy! I don't usually recommend brand names. Automotive "Goop" should also work well once it sets up. (not an epoxy, sort of like RTV that eventually gets hard) And, I usualy tend to use a mil spec Scotch industrial epoxy that is similar to "Liquid Steel" (sometimes free when it goes out of date for mil spec use.)

I always thought bail>

I don't blame you! There are a lot of sharp edges on brackets and other things just waiting to stab and gouge the unwary. The heater may block underneath access anyway. Taking the dash out is a really major production, and on older models, an invitation for such things as breaking brittle plastic parts. To just get under the dash, I usually end up pulling the seats.

"I'll pull the glove box first but I won't spent too much time or blood trying to get a hand up there...."

I still think that they hone the edges razor sharp at the factory. One piece that I encountered during a shock replacement left a near-surgical cut on my hand.

Yes, I have a dash that will fit his car. Cost for the dash, maybe $5.00. My cost to install it, about $5,000 or so with no guarantees that the replacement won't snap plastic pieces off or rattle once in place.

I wonder what a shop charges. A dash replacement is probably the single last car repair that I would want to do on the Miata, especially on a

1992 model. A brand-new dash would have a good chance for a clean installation, but it hurts to even think of what Mazda would charge for one, and there is still a lot of labor involved.

That helps a lot, but I still usually do the contortionist act. Being thin helps, but it gets harder to do each year.....

Pat

My backs begins to hurts just picturing all this>LOL.

Not being too much of a mechanic myself, I would concentrate on finding a good NON dealer shop around my area. Check out cartalk.com (Click & clack). They have an area on their site, where you can put in your zip code and find some honest/trustworthy shops.

OK so far. I'm VERY lucky in that it's a fairly warm, sunny day although the forecast was for possible rain.

I removed the glove box and found, as everyone said, that reaching up to the area where the tonneau studs screw in isn't possible. I was able to determine this with minimal blood loss. ;-)

So, I mixed up a batch of JB Weld and, using a plasic knife, started putting the JB Weld into the holes where the studs screw in and also covering the surrounding area. I coated the threaded part of the studs and screwed them in finger tight into the now gooey holes and we'll see tomorrow if the repair will hold.

If not, you'll all be happy to know the local dealer has a fix that

*will* hold, he suggests I remove the studs and tonneau cover and put them into a 2008 MX5.

I suspect this may cost more than the JB Weld? ;-)

I never even realized that you could use a tonneau cover with the Miata, mine being a 2000. I either always have my Convertible top up or down. Why would the idiot have had to do such damage?? Could he have just as easily unsnapped the cover, looking for whatever. Even a convertible top isn't much security, if something was stupidly left within pure view, like a laptop, whatever. I'd imagine some scum sucker could just slice right through that. I am glad that mine is garaged nearly all the time, while at home.

I have a very good shop here:

but replacing the dash is a last resort because of the cost. I could do a bunch of the easy stuff I guess? I could remove the center console, radio, glove box, passenger seat and then drive it down there, that might save $50 or so but it's still an awful lot of money....

Of course he/she/it could have but that would require more intellect than he/she/it apparently had.

I think it's a matter of time, it's quicker to just grab and rip than to look and see what's holding it on.

There was a person on here a long time ago that always left their Miata unlocked so that the top would not have to be cut. Many people on here follow the same practice.

The logic has always been that replacing a top would be more trouble and expense than replacing whatever is in the car.

No such luck, this one cut the top to gain access to an unlocked car. I am guessing that these are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.

Pat

Baaaaaaaad logic, if the car is unlocked your insurance probably won't cover a loss, they will replace your top and whatever is stolen IF your car is locked.

So who has to admit that the car was unlocked?? Gee, I'm pretty sure that I had it locked>>LOL LOL :-).

Well, you didn't lock your Miata when they ripped your tonneau cover off, so you can't be too adamant about locking it.

I have left my 2 Miatas unlocked for over 8 years, never had anything taken that I noticed and have never had the top slashed. The logic has worked well for me so far.

My deductible is much higher than the value of anything that I ever leave in the car when it is unattended.

Pat

Is that like when the company asks if it has an alarm? Of course it does. ;-)

Really, you can break into my car by zipping the back window down from the outside. It is so lacking in security that the thought of locking it up just makes me laugh. At least the trunk is fairly secure.

Pat

Of course it was locked.

You don't but if you do leave it unlocked and something's stolen you better smash a window or something because the insurance company can and probably will refuse to pay if there's no sign of forced entry.

One guy I worked with had his car opened somehow (He swears it was locked but who knows?) and over a thousand dollars of company property was stolen. His insurance company denied the claim because of "no sign of forcible entry" as per the police report.

He learned, next time (if there is one) he'll break a windows before calling the police....

Having the top slashed is enough evidence for any insurance company.