I was hoping that someone could post pictures of their top fully retracted (without the boot cover installed), and also of the way the boot cover fits at the rear. I have trouble keeping those little plastic tabs tucked under the molding at the rear of the boot. Several people on this board have complained of a similar problem, and some also mentioned that their top does not fully retract. Having never seen another S2000 up close with the top down, I don't know what it is supposed to look like.

Can anyone help?

 

Here is what it looks like installed. Have no problems with it popping out, well one time only. Have no pictures with boot off, always use boot it looks cheap and unfinished without.

 

Thanks William.

I agree that it looks much nicer with the boot cover installed - plus it protects the top/window from dirt and dust. That's why I wanted to get to the bottom of this rather than just leaving the cover off.

 

The 2001 boot cover is a different design than that of the 2000. Infact, the 2001 cover actually works.

-- Aaron

 

I beg to differ, my 2001 cover's tabs just will not stay down.

 

Same with my '01. The tabs are just useless.

 

I got my 2001 a week and a half ago, so I can relate to the problems with the boot cover.

Some helpful hints that I have gotten from other members.

1) Be patient and diligent in using the darn thing. It needs to "break in" a bit.
2) Don't fold the boot cover up as instructed on the underside. The material seems to have some "memory" and folding it with its corners in makes it both more difficult to install as well as more likely to pop out.

The last few mornings, my boot cover has been much easier to install and has actually remained in place for the day. I received mine still in its cheesy plastic bag and folded into itself. It just seems to be taking its time in becoming user friendly.

Final word of advice, no matter how much a pain it seems to use... USE IT. I used to have a miata and many of the members of my local club learned the hard way to install the boot cover. Not doing so will prematurely eat up the inside of your top, its mechanisms, and your window. Some guys who put their tops down a lot and left them in the sun would end up having to replace the top within two or three years. A good Robbins top for the Miata can cost anywhere from $500 - $1,000 installed. And that top isn't power operated.

Save yourself some major duckets and live with the inconvenience until the boot cover breaks in.

10 miles to go until the magic 600 is done.

 

I store my cover in my house (flat), and I left it in the Texas sun this weekend to see if it would relax a little more. I don't have any problems with the snaps lining up or getting to the snaps (as some people here have had). I just think the cheap plastic clips in the rear of the cover were poorly designed.

 

Agreed, I have absolutely no problems with the snaps. Its the tabs. The pop up. Frankly, I can see why. Looks like maybe 3/4 of an inch on each tab to hold the cover in place. I just don't think thats enough. IMHO its a design flaw. Perhaps one of our ingenious sponsors could design an extender for the tabs, or replacement tabs, I'd be willing to pay a considerable markup.

 

I found the reason why my tabs did not stay down was because the top was not fully lowered. I now tie down the top using a belt, after it is lowered, to hold it in place, and now the tabs never pop out, even at highway speeds.