Photo: bubbletop.biz
A company called Bubbletop has begun to offer a transparent acrylic conversion for the legendary Miata soft-top roadsters, which makes them look like they're from the 1950s. The first-gen Mazda MX-5 is already a vintage car, but not that vintage!
Miatas are pretty common, and the first-gen, with its pop-up headlights, is a collector's item. There are a few hardtop conversions out there, but most of them try to replicate a rallycross race car look by using carbon.
However, the Bubbletop goes the complete opposite direction by letting the driver feel like he's in a convertible with the top down and yet still protecting him from the elements. Somehow, this feels even less practical, but we know every Miata fan will get a kick out of this.
The technology is pretty simple; some guy made a nice, round fiberglass mold into which he pours the acrylic. After the bubbles are pulled and it's hardened, you're left with a big bubble that mounts to the Miata's existing points. It works with the NA first-gen, as well as the much cheaper NB.
Bubble tops used to be a thing back in the 1950s, when it was seen as a futuristic feature. You saw it on Ed Roth's famous 'Big Daddy', this cool Ford or even a Corvette GM never got round to putting into production. Obviously, with short wheelbases and a tight cabin, the MX-5 looks nothing like those classics, but maybe you can add some fiberglass wings and a big Buick grille.
Anyway, the advantages are about as big as the disadvantages here. Yes, the top only weighs 20 lbs, which is nothing, but the installation requires extra care. Yes, visibility is much better than with the canvas top up, but you shouldn't drive over 80mph or else the acrylic might crack. Yes, there's UV light protection here, but it will still get hotter than normal, which is especially bad when many MX-5 don't have air-conditioning. The way we figure, it's best for up North, where it's cold and depressing for most of the year.
However, the Bubbletop goes the complete opposite direction by letting the driver feel like he's in a convertible with the top down and yet still protecting him from the elements. Somehow, this feels even less practical, but we know every Miata fan will get a kick out of this.
The technology is pretty simple; some guy made a nice, round fiberglass mold into which he pours the acrylic. After the bubbles are pulled and it's hardened, you're left with a big bubble that mounts to the Miata's existing points. It works with the NA first-gen, as well as the much cheaper NB.
Bubble tops used to be a thing back in the 1950s, when it was seen as a futuristic feature. You saw it on Ed Roth's famous 'Big Daddy', this cool Ford or even a Corvette GM never got round to putting into production. Obviously, with short wheelbases and a tight cabin, the MX-5 looks nothing like those classics, but maybe you can add some fiberglass wings and a big Buick grille.
Anyway, the advantages are about as big as the disadvantages here. Yes, the top only weighs 20 lbs, which is nothing, but the installation requires extra care. Yes, visibility is much better than with the canvas top up, but you shouldn't drive over 80mph or else the acrylic might crack. Yes, there's UV light protection here, but it will still get hotter than normal, which is especially bad when many MX-5 don't have air-conditioning. The way we figure, it's best for up North, where it's cold and depressing for most of the year.
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