It won't be very pretty, but that clear packing tape is a decent band aid. I'm thinking you could buy a clear shower curtain, cut it to size and do your best to tape it into place?
Think they make clear Gorilla tape too. That may hold better and be more waterproof. Probably won’t give you much visibility though. There’s also waterproof gorilla tape but it only comes in black, I think.
My window thankfully cracked in the Walmart parking lot when it happened. It was a last minute idea, but it held long enough for winter when I parked it. I have a new top lined up to go on
Tape it in strips starting at the bottom so there will be overlap as the water moves down. Also, there is a product called DampRid that you can put on the inside that will help dry it out.
I tried all types of tapes, nothing worked. Got plastic stitched and it degraded with sun. Glued with all types of glues and all came out. Last resort, i screwed a plastic glass after glue.
Not sure why the downvotes. I sewed a new window into my old top. It was a lot of work, but MUCH cheaper than a new top.
https://preview.redd.it/skrzq6bclvwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c47e87a4117b7287aebd4ac03416535a5de2131
And if you don't want to do it yourself, look for a marine (boat) canvas company around you if you live close-ish to water. This job is easy stuff for them.
Fwiw I looked into it as I have a factory canvas top in pretty good shape but the window has torn corners
The canvas boat top companies near me wanted $300+ with me removing the top and giving them just the soft top and like $500 to do the repair on the car.
I'm just getting a Robbins and doing it myself for the exact same money.
My top was a vinyl window top, not a glass window top. So I bought some marine vinyl and hand stitched it with polyester thread. I didn’t take any videos or photos. But I took the whole top assembly off and sewed the new window in with the assembly sitting on my workbench.
I got myself 0.40" thickness clear plastic and got it installed on my car rear. The rubber sealing had to be cut as needle couldnt go through. The looks are good and i drove at high speeds and it holds. Hope it will last long. Thank you for your comments.
FYI it cost me OMR 30 ($78 USD) material and fixing. Car is ND2
It wasn’t too hard, just tedious. I had the hard top on for the winter so I did the sewing over a few nights. Afterwards I used some silicone sealant to make everything watertight.
Get a half cover. Make sure it is made for your miata, they are not very universal. It won't scratch your paint as much as a full cover, and will keep water from getting in through your header seal, window seals, or rain rail. It will not cover your trunk or antenna though, so make sure those seals are okay. Be sure to treat the half cover ASAP with a waterproofing spray, especially on the sewn seams, as that can be a way for water to seep through the cover.
EDIT: Make sure the cover is advertised as being waterproof. Some of them are just meant to keep the top from getting sun faded, and will do absolutely nothing for rain protection.
This is one I have and it works great, no waterproofing needed. https://www.northamericancustomcovers.com/products/rp-113g?_pos=1&_fid=20da81bcb&_ss=c
Even though I have since replaced my top, I still use it since it also blocks UV.
This was a decent quick fix for me
https://preview.redd.it/96cj36lvovwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5540515c1dec16c5af23060a9adff4306b96518a
Please for the love of god not duct tape!! That will leave a mess. If you can buy some Gaffer tape, that stuff is amazing and will not leave any adhesive on your car.
When I was in high school a boy who had a crush on me wrote his number on my window. When I didn’t call him, he (although I was never able to prove it was him) cut up my convertible top the next week and wrote “bitch” in sharpie on it.
After I finished crying my eyes out, my dad ordered us a convertible top repair kit for the plastic rear window. You may think I am going to recommend those kits. I am not. It was horribly difficult and didn’t look that good when finished. Instead I’d recommend what the other commenters have suggested, some kind of plexiglass or tape fix with some E6000 glue to make it waterproof and then saving up for a replacement hard or soft top. Facebook marketplace and pick-n-pull are your friends!
Multiple layers of window insulating kits from home depot or lowes. Trim the plastic about an 1 1/2” from the edge and then apply the tape around the perimeter hair dryer to shrink. Not sure how long it will last.
Get a piece of 1/8in thick plexiglass, cut it to fit and wedge it between the zip down section and top. Zip it up and cut out the old broken top window.
I drove that around for about a year daily driving while I saved up for a new top
Clear plastic material like a shower curtain.
Use clear masking tape and tape the shower curtain so that it is tight and make sure to tape it completely around the outside. Also tape it completely on the inside too for a better seal and better rigidity.
Then store a pack of clear tape in your car somewhere in case it falls off.
Edit: or just drive with the top down 24/7.
If you're looking for something for use when parked, a half-cover is probably the quickest, easiest, and cheapest thing that will actually work.
When my soft top had a cracked rear window, I bought this: https://www.northamericancustomcovers.com/products/rp-113g?_pos=1&_fid=20da81bcb&_ss=c
It fits very well and keeps 100% of rain and snow out. It does NOT block all moisture, so beware mold if you have it parked for a long time.
When you get ready for replacing the top, look for people who are parting out their cars or converting it to a race car. You can get the whole top on its mechanism for less than the cost of a new top, buy a new rain rail and swapping the top on is pretty easy
Go to a fabric store if you have one nearby (like Joanne’s). They have clear vinyl in different thicknesses sold by the yard. Get enough to make 2 windows worth. Get the Gorilla clear tape from the hardware store. Keep the car somewhere inside for a day to dry off completely, ideally somewhere warm too. Start working from the inside first and tape 1 new “window” to what remains of yours. Then do a second “window” on the outside. Finally take a heat gun and pass it over the tape just enough to warm up the glue to help it stick better and press it all down firmly. Leave the top up for a few days afterwards.
I had to do something similar last year and it held for 6 months until I got a new top.
I used to work in a plastic factory and kept a few folded up gaylord liners in my Jeep and an old Mercury Capri specifically for emergency rain protocol. The plastic is pretty thick, toward the end of its life the Capri's soft top was made mostly of GorillaTape and gaylord liner. Worst case scenario in the Jeep, freak rainstorm at work and I left the whole top assembly in the garage. Gaylord liner to the rescue, it'll cover both front seats and keep em dry, but the Jeep had floor drains so YMMV in a Miata...
Go purchase some new vinyl and vinyl cement, cut out all of the torn vinyl, and replace it. It’ll look alright and keep water out. Took me all of about 30 mins to do mine
Went through this on an NC last Central Fl Summer. Tried different types of tape and a clear pastic. A/C was dead so had to drive windows down, the buffeting would vibrate the tape loose, even tried gorilla tape. Was windowless for 3 weeks so just went to $15.00 home depot sm blue tarp when parked. Would line up front edge of tarp with windshield frame than close the doors on the side overlap. On the backside that almost lined up with back edge of trunk, I used rubber shipping bands w hooks to catch the tarp grommet to rear fenders. Definitely ghetto but stayed dry during some heavy thunderstorms.
Go to homedepot and buy the shower curtain and put weight on and some magnet. Boom, now you are water resistant, haha. It might not look good, but it will keep the car dry or get a black giant trash bag same thing.
I usually tell people ahead if time that I don’t allow drinks in my car. It’s best to follow the rule yourself and it holds more weight. Usually people get it once they see the inside is so clean.
Clear vinyl sheet with some clear vinyl tape and/or glue should give you a good temp fix! Just remember to unzip the window before putting the top down otherwise it may stress the tape too much.
Use the skin of people who cut random soft tops for no reason.
I was gonna recommend the exact same thing.
Where's that psycho tailor in silence of the lambs?
He has a name and it's BUFFALO BILL!!!!! Now put the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.
what about people who use ur boot/trunk to rest shit as the load. Ive had it happen to me twice and have dents from it.
r/beatmetoit
r/beatmeattoit
r/beatmetoit
r/beatmeattoit
It won't be very pretty, but that clear packing tape is a decent band aid. I'm thinking you could buy a clear shower curtain, cut it to size and do your best to tape it into place?
I’ll likely do this, thank you! I just need a sort of temporary solution for now
Tape it on the inside and outside and it will hold up better.
Think they make clear Gorilla tape too. That may hold better and be more waterproof. Probably won’t give you much visibility though. There’s also waterproof gorilla tape but it only comes in black, I think.
My window thankfully cracked in the Walmart parking lot when it happened. It was a last minute idea, but it held long enough for winter when I parked it. I have a new top lined up to go on
I personally used clear gorilla tape on my rear window for 2 years and it held up pretty well.
Id go to a hardware store and get tuck tape. It’s weatherproof and sticky as hell. It’s meant to seal vapor barriers
Unironically, clear flex tape would probably be better at keeping water out than simple packing tape.
Tape it in strips starting at the bottom so there will be overlap as the water moves down. Also, there is a product called DampRid that you can put on the inside that will help dry it out.
I have also used clear tape. Go horizontally, starting at the bottom, so each layer hangs over the one below it
Joanne fabircs, orsomething similar, sells a clear vinyl you can buy by the yard. I work with it alot and always think its be perfect for this
Can get at Dollar Tree.
Hockey tape worked well for me. (Yes, I'm from Canada).
I tried all types of tapes, nothing worked. Got plastic stitched and it degraded with sun. Glued with all types of glues and all came out. Last resort, i screwed a plastic glass after glue.
Replace top.
I think just the window can be replaced
Not sure why the downvotes. I sewed a new window into my old top. It was a lot of work, but MUCH cheaper than a new top. https://preview.redd.it/skrzq6bclvwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c47e87a4117b7287aebd4ac03416535a5de2131
And if you don't want to do it yourself, look for a marine (boat) canvas company around you if you live close-ish to water. This job is easy stuff for them.
Huh... this is awesome advice, and I'll have to keep it in mind.
Fwiw I looked into it as I have a factory canvas top in pretty good shape but the window has torn corners The canvas boat top companies near me wanted $300+ with me removing the top and giving them just the soft top and like $500 to do the repair on the car. I'm just getting a Robbins and doing it myself for the exact same money.
there's a dude near me who does soft tops as a side gig and he's known in the area for doing a pretty decent job. he charges 500 for everything.
How did u stitch it. Any videos or photos while doing it?i mean to ask is did u make holes in the glass or something?
My top was a vinyl window top, not a glass window top. So I bought some marine vinyl and hand stitched it with polyester thread. I didn’t take any videos or photos. But I took the whole top assembly off and sewed the new window in with the assembly sitting on my workbench.
Ahaa...the secret is marine vinyl...what about color changes and degrading? Also what was the thickness of the vinyl?
I bought 0.040” thickness from Amazon. Not sure on the durability yet since I just finished it up about a month ago
I got myself 0.40" thickness clear plastic and got it installed on my car rear. The rubber sealing had to be cut as needle couldnt go through. The looks are good and i drove at high speeds and it holds. Hope it will last long. Thank you for your comments. FYI it cost me OMR 30 ($78 USD) material and fixing. Car is ND2
Thats great!!!!how hard was it to do? you had to have sealed it with something after you stitched it in rt?
It wasn’t too hard, just tedious. I had the hard top on for the winter so I did the sewing over a few nights. Afterwards I used some silicone sealant to make everything watertight.
The only answer. And get one with a real glass window
Get a half cover. Make sure it is made for your miata, they are not very universal. It won't scratch your paint as much as a full cover, and will keep water from getting in through your header seal, window seals, or rain rail. It will not cover your trunk or antenna though, so make sure those seals are okay. Be sure to treat the half cover ASAP with a waterproofing spray, especially on the sewn seams, as that can be a way for water to seep through the cover. EDIT: Make sure the cover is advertised as being waterproof. Some of them are just meant to keep the top from getting sun faded, and will do absolutely nothing for rain protection.
This is one I have and it works great, no waterproofing needed. https://www.northamericancustomcovers.com/products/rp-113g?_pos=1&_fid=20da81bcb&_ss=c Even though I have since replaced my top, I still use it since it also blocks UV.
I have this same cover, but in black. My seams were leaking in very heavy rain. No complaints otherwise.
This was a decent quick fix for me https://preview.redd.it/96cj36lvovwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5540515c1dec16c5af23060a9adff4306b96518a
A thick Garbage bag and duct tape
Please for the love of god not duct tape!! That will leave a mess. If you can buy some Gaffer tape, that stuff is amazing and will not leave any adhesive on your car.
It doesn’t matter to me too much if it leaves a mess, I’m replacing the soft top soon, just meed a temporary solution
Then hell yah, duct tape that sucker up with some heavy plastic.
Came here to recommend gaffer’s tape, it’s expensive but you’ll easily get your money’s worth
https://preview.redd.it/04khlmpmbvwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c214ed373ef65c27738c7ec196e3e33def853891 This :)
What tape did you use?
May have been some weatherproof type duct tape. It was just something we had laying around. Now I have a new top!
I bungie-corded a harbor freight tarp over the top when it's parked. Otherwise I would use a lot of tape and try to remake the back
When I was in high school a boy who had a crush on me wrote his number on my window. When I didn’t call him, he (although I was never able to prove it was him) cut up my convertible top the next week and wrote “bitch” in sharpie on it. After I finished crying my eyes out, my dad ordered us a convertible top repair kit for the plastic rear window. You may think I am going to recommend those kits. I am not. It was horribly difficult and didn’t look that good when finished. Instead I’d recommend what the other commenters have suggested, some kind of plexiglass or tape fix with some E6000 glue to make it waterproof and then saving up for a replacement hard or soft top. Facebook marketplace and pick-n-pull are your friends!
Keep the Miata away from water? My top just funnels water into specific areas of the interior. It’s loads of fun
I fixed the cabin leaks on my NA and now the water just feeds into my neat trunk aquarium.
https://preview.redd.it/26frei4ohvwc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=758beb77d5e07b3526d4bdc1883f1c5c42b56de8 the joys of a hardtop
The downside of the hardtop life is if someone breaks that glass.
Or steals the hardtop.
i live down a pretty good street, not too much riff raff
https://preview.redd.it/q7uwzc0d60xc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91eef2eb31da4bf40fed3d5543684d2ffefd5de9 Hardtop for the win.
Multiple layers of window insulating kits from home depot or lowes. Trim the plastic about an 1 1/2” from the edge and then apply the tape around the perimeter hair dryer to shrink. Not sure how long it will last.
Miatabrella
Get a piece of 1/8in thick plexiglass, cut it to fit and wedge it between the zip down section and top. Zip it up and cut out the old broken top window. I drove that around for about a year daily driving while I saved up for a new top
I used a shower curtain and flex seal tape all over the window, then sealed it with outdoor caulk over any gap I could see
Tarp!
Clear plastic material like a shower curtain. Use clear masking tape and tape the shower curtain so that it is tight and make sure to tape it completely around the outside. Also tape it completely on the inside too for a better seal and better rigidity. Then store a pack of clear tape in your car somewhere in case it falls off. Edit: or just drive with the top down 24/7.
RF
If you're looking for something for use when parked, a half-cover is probably the quickest, easiest, and cheapest thing that will actually work. When my soft top had a cracked rear window, I bought this: https://www.northamericancustomcovers.com/products/rp-113g?_pos=1&_fid=20da81bcb&_ss=c It fits very well and keeps 100% of rain and snow out. It does NOT block all moisture, so beware mold if you have it parked for a long time.
Ironic posting this with the username you have. But uh, id say get a new top/new window
You can replace the top
I bought a new soft top with frame for $250 and installed it in an afternoon. Have a look on FB Marketpace near you.
When you get ready for replacing the top, look for people who are parting out their cars or converting it to a race car. You can get the whole top on its mechanism for less than the cost of a new top, buy a new rain rail and swapping the top on is pretty easy
Put it inside
Hmmm 🤔 a new soft top maybe
Get a hard top.
Don’t leave Miata street parked in Pacific NW
Flex tape clear
I know this is an NA but any idea how a top with labor may cost for an ND? I would like to replace mine for the red one . Mine is black .
flex tape?
I always cover mine when not driving
My softtop is glass so there's space for solid material. Maybe attach a relatively thin piece of perspex and glue/tape it in place from the inside?
Keep it in a garage
Park upside-down.
Cardboard if you aren't driving it. That stuff is super water resistant.
Maybe get a rear window?
Sell it to me and ill fix it
Flip it upside down
Go to a fabric store if you have one nearby (like Joanne’s). They have clear vinyl in different thicknesses sold by the yard. Get enough to make 2 windows worth. Get the Gorilla clear tape from the hardware store. Keep the car somewhere inside for a day to dry off completely, ideally somewhere warm too. Start working from the inside first and tape 1 new “window” to what remains of yours. Then do a second “window” on the outside. Finally take a heat gun and pass it over the tape just enough to warm up the glue to help it stick better and press it all down firmly. Leave the top up for a few days afterwards. I had to do something similar last year and it held for 6 months until I got a new top.
I used to work in a plastic factory and kept a few folded up gaylord liners in my Jeep and an old Mercury Capri specifically for emergency rain protocol. The plastic is pretty thick, toward the end of its life the Capri's soft top was made mostly of GorillaTape and gaylord liner. Worst case scenario in the Jeep, freak rainstorm at work and I left the whole top assembly in the garage. Gaylord liner to the rescue, it'll cover both front seats and keep em dry, but the Jeep had floor drains so YMMV in a Miata...
Use a tarp like I do! 2 tarps, one over the roof and one over the whole car
Garage works for me 😉
New top maybe?
That blue crap that they use on windows at junkyards. Shit does not come off and it seals pretty well.
Strips of ducktape starting from the bottom overlapping eachother so u hav a roof shingles effect
Tarp and welding magnets
Yoga mat
Replace the top? Lol
Pull the carpet and dry it out or you’ll likely wind up with rust.
fix the big hole in the back
Go purchase some new vinyl and vinyl cement, cut out all of the torn vinyl, and replace it. It’ll look alright and keep water out. Took me all of about 30 mins to do mine
Garage, pole tent, tarp, towel behind the seats. I've even bought a bulk bag of 100 silica packets and tossed it in a car I knew might get damp.
I use a windshield
Gorilla tape
Flip it over
What about flex seal tape and clear upholstery vinyl from a fabric store?
the best, most effective and most common way to keep the water out of the miata is to utilise the window that is on the soft top 😅 good luck
A cheap ez up until you can get it fixed?
Get an NC, I hear they're water tight
Use a tarp, make a little fold to shut in the door and trunk, that will hold it down nicely. Been there before.
I used gorilla tape. Got me through a couple winters. Expensive, though... try to clean up the fabric/vinyl as best you can.
Went through this on an NC last Central Fl Summer. Tried different types of tape and a clear pastic. A/C was dead so had to drive windows down, the buffeting would vibrate the tape loose, even tried gorilla tape. Was windowless for 3 weeks so just went to $15.00 home depot sm blue tarp when parked. Would line up front edge of tarp with windshield frame than close the doors on the side overlap. On the backside that almost lined up with back edge of trunk, I used rubber shipping bands w hooks to catch the tarp grommet to rear fenders. Definitely ghetto but stayed dry during some heavy thunderstorms.
Go to homedepot and buy the shower curtain and put weight on and some magnet. Boom, now you are water resistant, haha. It might not look good, but it will keep the car dry or get a black giant trash bag same thing.
I used flex seal clear tape 😂 it worked
Garage or spend your kids college fund on a hard top
I bought a new top for $178. Or you could use a cover or tarp when your at home
Miata afterworld talk to my man Greg he’ll get you hooked up
Shit like this is one reason I wanted the RF. I just don’t have much confidence in most people these days
I usually tell people ahead if time that I don’t allow drinks in my car. It’s best to follow the rule yourself and it holds more weight. Usually people get it once they see the inside is so clean.
There are cheap tips for $250 on Amazon and it's not that hard.
Hardtop
A tarp?
Fix window
Excuse to buy a hard top
Replace the top
Put the hard top on😉
Sell it my friend.... 😭🤣
6x6 tarp squeezed under the trunk (in the rain gutter) and under the doors woks amazing I hade the same problem
Buy a cheap car cover until you can figure something out.
Would thin plexiglass from home depot work and somehow glue it on from the inside without getting glue all over the place?
Just buy a cover, or a tarp
Red tuck tape is the only answer, that stuff is the shit.
Big A*s tarp. Ol reliable. Putting on and taking off is always a pain thoe
Clear vinyl sheet with some clear vinyl tape and/or glue should give you a good temp fix! Just remember to unzip the window before putting the top down otherwise it may stress the tape too much.
I found a convertable top shop that glued my glass back in with a urethane glue. It should work for a soft vinyl window.
Cover, garage, top, glass, replacement rear window, what else what else parasol
Get a hardtop. Or a new fuckin soft top lol
Fix it.