Ever since buying my S2000, I've wanted to change the top because the vinyl was showing some shine, there were small tears, and the plastic rear window looked foggy. I could not justify a new top when the issues were so minor so I lived with it. Well, the car decided it wanted a new top so the rear window cracked when I tried putting it down. Most of the threads I looked through were old posts, so I wanted to throw up my experiences with Mike (@s2k_born).

Some highlights:
He was professional and prompt. Communication was through Instagram. Showed up on time. Offers the convenience of mobile installation. Paid a deposit and set an appointment date pretty quick.
Great demeanor, easy to talk to, chill, definitely passionate about anything with a motor.
He gave me options regarding top types and manufacturer. He's done Robbins and Sierra Auto. He's also done some eBay tops despite the subpar quality. Even talked about doing a GAHH top but ended up with Robbins.
He is clean and detailed. You can tell he's done it A LOT. Tools and equipment are organized, he puts protection throughout the car.
He's meticulous. He goes the extra step to make sure that car is taken care of. Was able to learn neat tricks and tips to further enhanced the quality of his work.


OEM 25 year old top.

The plastic was the ultimate failure point. Wanted to upgrade to glass.

Some areas that were showing tears.

Here is the "after." Stayfast is a dark black. Nice and tight. Crisp glass window.

Wonderfully done.

Organized and detailed, he puts down towels and microfiber cloths to prevent paint damage.

He even goes the length to protected the gas door opener by making sure it doesn't catch on clothes.

He's efficient with disassembly. Even working in tight spots like the rear, he tries to not damage the plastics.

Seeing progress with removal.

This is an example of the extra steps he takes to make sure his work is quality. He collects the metal shavings whenever drilling out the rivets.

And there are A LOT of rivets. Here's a catch cradle he used to collect more shavings.

He used painters tape to plug the frame while drilling out the rivets to prevent the metal from falling out into the interior.

Looking like a race car.

25 year old grime around the rear drain area. The weatherseal is also showing some age.

Not only did he vacuum it, he wiped it down, and added Shin Etsu grease to hydrate the rubbers.

Even while working he kept his workspace tidy.

Very organized.

This is the extra things Mike does. He used touch up paint on any exposed metal from drilling . He checked for burrs on the frame, sanded it down, and touched that up with some black paint too.

Protectional against corrosion

Early AP1's needed extra holes to attach the straps to.

He measured meticulously and drilled out each hole cleanly. Used a flat disc to clean the edges. He also filled in the exposed metal with paint.

He used some of the Robbin's hardware but for other rivets, used his own to keep it close to OEM as possible.

The water collection trim was removed, cleaned by him, and new hardware placed.

First time setting the new top being mounted.

He removed the old trim tape and applied his own weatherproof adhesive to tack down the top.

It definitely looked cleaner than the old tape.

Some painters take to prevent lifting.

Then he used a clamp WITH microfiber cloths to prevent marring the finish. Steps like this show that he's proud of his work.

The weatherseals were massaged with Shin Etsu.


The best the car looked since coming out of the factory.

 

Man! This is an awesome write up and display of the details involved in an S2000 soft top replacement. It is rewarding to do, especially on a STUNNING example like yours. Thank you bro

Mike

 

Great writeup and photos on this! It brings back memories lol.