Manual Convertible talk
 

I've come across a couple of S2000's with previous owners deleting the soft top - to include motors, frame and top itself. A hardtop for winter is appealing but ifI have to choose between a soft top OR hardtop (plus nothing), I will go soft top every time. I have walked from the 2 cars that were pretty solid otherwise. The owners stated that it was to reduce weight and mimic the CR.

Here is my question is this.... Should I stumble across this scenario again or even if I find one to pull the trigger on with a full soft top, is it possible to only remove the motors or only install the frame and top and have a manual operating top? The question is more for putting a top back in as I'm not convinced that the weight is enough to trade functionality on a working top. Thoughts?

I'm still learning about these cars so thanks for bearing with me as I clumsily navigate through some of the education.

I don't think it is worth the effort at all. An extra gallon of gas in the tank will weigh about as much as the motors anyway. It is just gilding the lily IMO.

I enjoy and use the very fast electric top all the time. 6 or 7 seconds to put it up or down. You can do it at a stoplight. One of the great things about this car is being able to go topdown with so little effort.

As to your actual question: is it possible to only remove the motors or only install the frame and top and have a manual operating top?

I'm sorry but I have no idea. While I do not have any enthusiasm for undertaking such a project myself, I do find it interesting to contemplate. I hope that someone with actual experience of doing this or of attempting to do this will speak up. Usually when one person learns something new, so do many others.

The roof can be raised (and lowered?) manually. Page 185 in my '06 owners' manual. Need to electrically disconnect the motors first. Appears from this that not having the motors there at all would make this easy but I've not inspected the linkage. Manual doesn't specify why this is a two person job. May be related to the motors still being there.

I want the motors: Six (6) second raising of the roof from the drivers seat on the shoulder of the road in an unexpected rain shower is a great benefit. :)

-- Chuck

As someone who thinks the S is light enough, I like the top the way it is. But this is still a good question.

Its not just that it only takes 6 seconds, its the convenience. Its a push of a button. The result is I put my top up for security virtually every time I park, even if its for a very short time. More importantly, I will put the top down for even the shortest of drives.

I never actually latch the top unless I have to actually drive with top up (like if its raining hard). So I just put it up unlatched when I park, then its easier to put back down when I drive.

If it was less convenient, I wouldn't have the top down as often.

I don't think I have the flexibility to reach back from drivers seat and put top up manually if our tops weren't powered.

I would be worried these were track cars that were put back to street form for sale. Either way, someone chasing so few pounds and willing to give up that much convenience probably drove the car pretty hard.

I always see people with their top-up Miatas on beautiful days and I have to wonder if it is because the top - while easy enough to drop - is just too much effort for these people.

"Fasted top in the world" at 6-7 seconds, and snipping the speed sensor means you can drop it while moving (tested safely up to 20mph), which makes it a huge convenience, especially when the rain drops start. Measure that against a minor weight change.

Personally, anyone who is removing soft top motors is going down a route that I would not want to buy from.

Heck I see the retractable roof Miatas running with the roof up when mine is down.

-- Chuck

The motors add very little weight compared to the frame itself. The whole assembly weighs close to 75 lbs and the motors are probably less than 10 lbs of that.