hey guys, just registered for this website. So bear with my nooby questions. After 5 years of searching finally found me the perfect ap2. 08' 30K miles. Only bad part is the softop was looking a bit faded and has potential tears coming along. I honestly love both the hardtop and softop look. However money's a bit tight right now so what would be the best suggestion besides patching the softop. Is it cheaper to replace it with a softop or a hardtop ? if so can you guys recommend me a good brand for either or.

PS----> I've seen the OEM hardtops and not really my style. It sort of makes the s2k look like a Miata.

 

Check out S2KI if you haven't already, it's a dedicated S2000 forum. Still fairly active, and a wealth of information there and a lot of very knowledgeable and helpful people.

Hardtops for the S2K, either OEM or aftermarket, cost a pretty penny to get a good one.

This would be my recommendation for you: ROBBINS AUTO TOP COMPANY | CONVERTIBLE TOPS

Robbins is a reputable aftermarket manufacture for replacement soft tops for the S2000 and other vehicles. They're a solid company with a lot of good reviews and backing, I've never heard anything bad or negative about them. I'd highly recommend giving them a call or ordering from them (their prices are also pretty hard to beat). They've been vouched for on S2KI many times, you can search their forums for pictures and reviews of their tops.

If you have any other questions, like I said I'd recommend checking out S2KI.

 

hardtops IMO, I have one from forbidden and it was about 1200 shipped to me. VERY good quality, color matched, and they can even wrap the whole thing in CF or just the sides if you like. take a look at them

 

Hardtop

 

Hardtop turns the S2000 into just another coupe. Zillions of those around. Get a BRZ is that's all you want.

-- Chuck

 

I'd recommend a hardtop as well. Overall less maintenance compared to rag tops. IMHO.

 

Firmly disagree, still a tonne of features unique to the S2000. Plus they're from different periods of mindset on development, they're very similar platforms but very different execution.

 

I have an OEM hardtop and love it. I prefer the look over the soft top during winter months, but remove it when it’s warmer.
and I agree; looks like an entirely different car.

 

I have both. If I could only have one I would choose soft top. Top down is the way I drive this car 90% of the time and I would never give it up. Too much joy.

 

 

Yeah baby!
So noob here, but just wanted to give you another side of the coin..

I had a NA Miata for a long time (I know not S2K), but when I first bought it I swear I would get a hardtop. I thought it just looked so good! (and I thought convertibles were for old people and girls hehe).

After awhile, I realized I loved just popping the top down and driving. I used to ride on sports bikes until I got into a nasty accident. I haven't ridden since, but I enjoy convertibles as it's that same kind of feeling. Not exactly, but just very "freeing" lol.

I live in Florida, so it's obviously drop-top weather. If you live, say, in Seattle, in might not be. I can't tell from the OP if you actually bought it, but just drive it for awhile and see how you like it. Once you go hardtop, it becomes annoying to drop the top, especially if you're already out at the beach.

If this is just a dedicated track car, I'd say screw it and go hardtop. But, I only like the million dollar Spoon hardtop so.. lol.

 

The reality for me is that although I have a hardtop, and I do like it, I almost never use it. When I do put it on, its almost out of a sense of obligation. I think about selling it all the time. But, I keep it. I'm really not sure why. I store it in my garage overhead with a hoist so its out of the way.

 

Well, I feel like it's not so much a necessity as it was for an NA MX5. That thing was so loud, and the gearing for overdrive was terrible. I'd probably be at like 4k ~70 m.p.h, and the softop, combined with older frameless window, was terrible!

In the S2K, it's less of a disposable chassis and it's designed with more creature comfort in mind. It seems to me like you don't really need it, I would just sell it and cash it in for other parts. A decent roll-bar comes to mind .

 

Or, at the rate these OEM tops are appreciating, maybe hang on to it and think of it as part of my retirement planning.

 

 

Lol, really? I thought they were in the 1-2k range.. Gives me more of a solid foundation for reasoning about buying Spoon top lol.

But I've noticed parts like hardtops change price from region to region. One state you can't find them under xxxx, and in another they'd be almost free.

 

 

I'll second the Robbins soft top if you go that route. The previous owner of my car had recently installed one. Very nice looking, OEM fitment.

 

 

 

Looks awesome. Nice job.

 

Nice! That's solid craftsmanship.