I've been debating the windshield tape issue like many on the board for quite a while now. Since my hardtop is here and will be installed this weekend, I decided to go ahead, bite the bullet, and remove the tape. It was a nice afternoon yesterday in Chicago, so I went to it.

Surprisingly, the job only took me about 35 minutes, including cleanup of one part (3" x 1/2") in the middle of the center piece where the adhesive stayed on the car instead of the tape, and at the edges of the center piece where I had to fingernail them up rather than a nice peel like the rest. Getting started on the side pieces was by far the most difficult part. The tape extends under the rubber winshield-surround, as well as under and back behind the side window sealers. It pulls out just fine after you've got it started and put the right angle/pressure on it, but getting the first half-inch took 5 minutes per side.

I have a 2001 Silverstone, and my paint was perfect under the tape. Other than the one bit at the center, I feel that the job was really quite easy. Clean-up was sort of a bear, but Goo-Gone and a correctly-angled thumbnail made even that not too terrible.

If anyone out there is on the edge - thinking it's beyond their skill level - here's my vote to say just go for it. It's just not that hard. Of course, your paint might not be as perfect as mine was, but that's another question entirely. Speaking purely from a skill v. difficulty perspective, I say do it.

I have pictures, but there are numerous other threads out there depicting the before & after - no need to waste cthree's disk.

Regards,

 

How does it look if you have the regular soft top??? Mine is GP white.

tks

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kekoa
[B]How does it look if you have the regular soft top???

 

I think either way is fine. I still have my windshield tape on. Personally, I think it looks great when the top is down with the tape off, but when the softtop is up, I think the black tape is essential. It's the difference between the Miata look and the S2000 look. Just $.02 though.

 

For myself, I feel that spa yellow, GP white, and suzuka blue are "must-remove-tape" colors, while the silvers and red are more on the fence. It was seeing pictures of a silverstone with the tape, with a hardtop installed that pushed me over the edge to doing it - just didn't look right. And here in chicago we've got a looong winter, during which my hardtop probably won't come off at all. But it's all personal preference in the end, I suppose.