I saw one of these on the lot at a local used car dealer, and though it was out of my price range, I may try to buy an older model some time after I save up a bigger downpayment.
How does one engage and disengage the roof? I tried (gently) tugging at it (it was down) and it didn’t give. I looked and didn’t see any buttons to push. What am I missing?
Also, is this vehicle a 4-cylinder or a 6-cylinder?
Thanks!
This page has more info than you could ever want on Miata tops, including, if you scroll down far enough, how to remove them: The Miata Hardtop FAQ
Sorry, that appears to be all about hard tops, which may not be what you were asking about.
It’s a 4-cylinder. Originally a 1.6L, then a 1.8, and now a 2.0. They’re not exactly fast, if that’s what you’re asking.
IIRC the first two generations had latches at the top left and right side of the header that were pretty nice. I never owned one, but drove several and rented a few for vacations. I recall being able to deploy the top by myself without getting out of the car in the 1st gen.
It’s definitely a car you have to drive to appreciate.
The older Miatas do have latches above the windshield. To put the top down, unzip the rear window if it’s plastic (if you don’t and it’s cold outside, it will bust the window, I learned the hard way), flip the two latches and push the roof back.
To put it up, do the reverse. Just pull it up, relatch and rezip.
The newer ones, I dunno, but I suspect it’s the same. You probably just needed to pull harder, but, of course, it is a good idea to find out first.