I am looking for a new soft top for my totally standard car as the original 30 yr old one is getting a tad crispy.
My preference is to replace it with as close to the original as possible, or am I better going for a mohair version with a zip our rear window.
The car is garaged and only comes out when the sun shines
I have looked on the internet and there is a selection available but which ones are better ? I feel competent enough to fit my self but again I am open to suggestions/recommendations
Hi Ian
I had mine fitted by The Soft Top Shop in Stockport. Paul does a first rate job and services the framework,rain gutter, cables before fitting the hood. He does vinyl & mohair, heated glass or zip out plastic. I went with mohair/heated glass and am very pleased.
BAS hoods are considered among the best, short of OE Mazda.
In principle “mohair” (its not real mohair obviously, but a cloth-canvas material bonded to a rubber membrane) does not shrink in the same way as vinyl. Vinyl (Haartz Premium if picking someone approaching Mazda OE, ie BAS or Robbins (Moss)) will last 8-10 years, before showing signs of shrinkage (ie. the splits in the binding above the windows). However, the rubber membrane rots, which is why, with time, Mohair will need regular reproofing, like an old tent. Some mohair hoods had or have problems with the seams failing. Additionally, Mohair needs a bit more maintenance in terms of cleaning.
Personally, I prefer zip out plastic windows, so I have the option of just lowering the rear window (and less of an issue if fitting a rollbar). Aftermarket windows scratch pretty easily. After market glass windows come in two flavours; one that apes the operation of the Mk2 hood in function, and the other which is a zip out glass window. Back in the day, the latter were actually 2CV rear windows, and flat glass, which can cause a slightly odd side profile, because the rear of the hood sags.
Also, some of the hood makers have problems with the glass window seal coming away, even Mazda had this issue. A plastic window is all in all much simpler.
Some cheaper hoods have single skin corners, with the zip around the window edge. These zips can leak water, wheras the original Mazda design has a hidden zip which is also more secure).
BAS uses a beefy zip; better quality than the Mazda zip.
20+ years of MK1 ownership, always went with vinyl. Mohair is also a fair bit stiffer as a material, so it doesn’t fold like vinyl. More difficult to clean as well.
As saz said, all my research led to the conclusion that BAS are best, Freelance Mazda comes well recommended for fitting as well, I am not shy of doing work like this but I get the feeling that there is a bit of a black art to it and to be honest I recon £150 for someone with the knowledge and experience a price worth paying for a job that may turn out difficult, all of that said I decided to leave mine for a year or two, so all my comments are based on research NOT experience. When I do go for it it will be a BAS vinyl fitted by probably Freelance Mazda. MK2 by the way.
good luck with it, Dave
Its not that hard, and as far as"black art", theblack art is in corner cutting, such as those fitters who cut the old roof off in situ, to save time, and who manage to fit the hood without removing te frame (its possible, its how I fitted my first roof back in 2000. Last time though, I needed help from a forum member, as my fingers are no longer up to it. Whether £150 is money well spent depends on the fitter. There are cars out there where a replacement roof has been fitted, but the rainrail left off…
Hi, I am now finally going to get round to have a new soft top fitted to my MK1 in the new year.
Following recommendations from this site, I will be getting it from BAS (Vinyl with zip window) with VAT and postage is a tad under £330 (I wonder if they offer club members discount ?)
I have the facilities and skill level to fit it myself but I would prefer a professional to do it, or at least someone who clearly knows what they are doing. Can anyone suggest anyone, I live in between Manchester and Huddersfield.
Kindest regards Ian
