Leon,
Thank you for that link and for taking the time to compose that article. I
enjoyed reading it and will read it again soon to see what I may have missed
the first time. Since you think that attaching the rain rail is a mistake
what is the alternative? Do you attach it to anything at all? How does it
stay in place without being attached to the bottom of the top's fabric? Does
it flop around if it is not attached? Does having a zippered or zipperless
window top make a difference with regard to your suggestion about not
attaching the rain rail? The rain rail seems like quite a curious mystery
to me, but I suspect it will be a bit disappointing once I actually get in
there and see it... I don't like surprises.
Thanks again.
"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> "Christopher Muto" > wrote:
>
>>Thank you for the reply. I heard of people leaving the cables attached at
>>the front/rivet end and pulling them through with the tracer string but it
>>was not clear to me if the spring would pull though easily through the top
>>or if the spring was removed from the end of the cable in order to fishing
>>it through. Did you remove the spring before pulling it through the top?
>
> I installed a new frame and top, so I did not have choice in the
> matter.
>
> http://www.bigbendmiataclub.org/bigb...1902/index.htm
>
> Leon
>
>
>>Thanks again.
>>
>>"Tom Garrett" > wrote in message
>>news:rr7Vd.144161$0u.71765@fed1read04...
>>> Hi Chris
>>> The top we bought from GoMiata.com came with the rain rail already
>>> installed(new). The instructions we followed said to just unscrew the
>>> rear attachment point of the cable, where the spring is attached to the
>>> cable. The top we bought came with the right number of rivets including
>>> two big ones for the front cable attachment if you decide to detach from
>>> that point. Also, our new top came with a string already in place in the
>>> top to pull the cable through it. Couldn't have been easier.
>>> The extra rivets I needed I bought from AutoZone and they were 5/32 in
>>> diameter.
>>> If you've never used pop rivets before, it's SO very easy, and fun
>>> too!
>>> My bride had never used a rivet gun before and enjoyed using it. You can
>>> pickup a pop rivet gun and rivets together in a package at any auto
>>> parts
>>> store, Walmart, etc. Once you use one, you will find so many things
>>> around
>>> the house that you can now fix.
>>> Tom
>>> "Christopher Muto" > wrote in message
>>> news:tw0Vd.88458$QS5.38090@trndny06...
>>>> Congratulations. It looks great.
>>>> I am about to do the same and would love to hear your experience with
>>>> regard to the rivets. I never used rivets before and have read that
>>>> special attention is necessary to rivet the cable to the front of the
>>>> frame. Specifically that the hole in the cable connector need to be
>>>> enlarged and that the rivet for it needs to be long... did you have
>>>> any
>>>> problems with that? Where did you get your rivets? Also, if you
>>>> recycled the rain rail did you rivet it or use nylon screws (as
>>>> mentioned
>>>> on miata.net) to attach it to the new top. Thank you.
>>>>
>>>> "Tom Garrett" > wrote in message
>>>> news:BjRUd.141739$0u.135665@fed1read04...
>>>>> Over the weekend, my bride and I installed a new Robbins No-Zipper
>>>>> Glass
>>>>> window top on her Red 93.
>>>>> We followed the instructions that came with the top, and the four sets
>>>>> of instructions from Miatanet. We still had a major problem in that we
>>>>> forgot to re-fasten the cable until we had already done a ton of work.
>>>>> So we had to backtrack, undue a lot of work we had done, including the
>>>>> b-pillar retaining clip. Since I had to drill out four pop rivets I
>>>>> had
>>>>> installed, I had to run to Autozone to get more. Without the screw-up,
>>>>> we figured it took us a total of 8 hours. Bought a 3/8s butterfly
>>>>> impact wrench for 26.99 at Harbor Freight which was a lifesaver.
>>>>> Here's the pics.
>>>>> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...nd/newtop1.jpg
>>>>>
>>>>> Hope the link works.
>>>>> Tom and Candy
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
> --
> Leon van Dommelen 
Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)