[freedomgli]

Keeping with my 1960's club racer theme, I'm thinking of adding a roof vent to my hard top. This would provide occupants with fresh air and aid in cooling the cockpit. The Austin-Healey 3000 "Works" rally cars had vents that opened at the rear and vented hot air from the cockpit. Most of the hard tops are white, although I have seen red hard tops with white vents. Back in the day they probably just used a storm hatch from a boat or something.

Meanwhile, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi Spec C Type RA come equipped with a roof vent that opens at the front and forces cooling air into the cockpit. This vent comes with a nice latch and interior trim, although I'm not sure how well it'd work with the oem Miata hard top. Plus it's rather expensive @ $400 for the parts alone. Here are some install instructions. Here are some pics:

Which do you think would do a better job keeping the interior cool and which one looks cooler? Front opening vent positioned at front of hard top or rear opening vent positioned at rear of hard top?

Front vent?

Rear vent?

 

[firedog25]

Since the RA Spec C doesn't have aircon they throw the roof vent in for better ventilation. I've seen them come in on the used market for a bit cheaper than $400, but not much more.

Anyways, I was toying with the idea of a roof vent for a hard top, but one that was removable and could be replaced with a solid piece. I don't have a hardtop though. Anyways, I'd rather have the vent forcing air onto my stank, sweaty back instead of letting the vacuum suck hot air out. Or a combination wouldn't be bad, eh?

 

[MiataRoadster]

Mazdaspeed vented hardtop

A little something I'm working on

Source:

http://tinyurl.com/sx9fd

 

[retrorocket]

mazdaspeed item will vent USA passengers well :wink:

roof vents look wicked but I aint cutting my M2-1028 roof :?

 

[freedomgli]

The Mazdaspeed vented hard top looks cool. C's Speed uses that top on their race car. I imagine you could make a replica using a Speedster style top.

It takes balls to actually cut open your hard top not knowing how well the final results will turn out. I'd be less hesitant to do so with an aftermarket top than my oem unit but I've got to work with what I've got. However, I think I prefer the pop-up hatch style vents. Any ideas on where to get them besides from Subaru Type RA? I guess I should check out West Marine or similar boating store.

I was reading that one benefit of a forward openeing roof vent is that it pressurizes the cockpit helping to keep dust out on rally stages. Why dust doesn't just funnel into the vent I don't know.

 

[retrorocket]

that Nopro wide body kit rocks ... :lol:

 

[boogie van]

perhaps an RV supply place would have similar vents to the first one you posted.

only thing is I think a standard size is 14x14, a little bigger than you're looking for.

an interesting concept is the venturi style vent, it has the benefits of a forward facing scoop but also can open up backwards. you would have to do a little searching to find one that isnt too darn big for a miata though.

 

[Boily]

Whats a "Hard top " ????????

 

[MiataRoadster]

Whats a "Hard top " ????????

You forgot to say, "Youse"!

 

[Agent935]

Whats a "Hard top " ????????

You forgot to say, "Youse"!

or "snot"

 

[Boily]

Yooooooooo Pop pop I'll say youse when I wanna say youse and snot when youse guys say I should , OK Pop pop !

 

[ultimateforce]

I saw a link to a snorkle you can put under the soft/hard top that clips to the top of the windshield. Too bad I have no idea where I found it.

 

[MiataRoadster]

http://www.coolbreezescoop.com/

 

[retrorocket]

http://www.coolbreezescoop.com/

you know what if that thing had dual cup holders and some chrome trim rings I think I would just pass out with excitement ... :wink:

 

[freedomgli]

No thanks.

 

[PYTHON]

ok i know what you need. since my last car was a RS i have looked at a lot of parts like this. you need to get this.... the vent is 7x3

scoop is 109
vent is 89
combo is 180

http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/body.htm < buy here.

i am not affliated with the guy in anyway but i did order parts from him before and he is a great guy to deal with

 

[Caldera]

After driving the Miata home from Packwood this weekend where it never got under 115 in the car, this is first on my list of things to do to the Miata.... (of course i would realise this AFTER i finally striped the damned top, huh?).

The problem lies in finding a reasonable size vent. 14x14 seems to be the de facto standard, but i want something more in line with what's on that car at the top of this post.

I've got one of 2 plans i'm going to investigate here, and I could really use your help Freedom (if you took pics of your old hardtop with no window).

Plan A: Something akin to that one above, but removable, not hinged, and covered with a small scoop facing rearward. This'll be centered on the rear of the top, and simply riveted in place. The inner cover will be the waterproofing, the outerscoop should prevent wind noise.

Plan B: (and I'd love to see this happen!)
Freedom, Did you by chance get pics of the HT with the rear window out? I need to see if it just glues in place, or if it's tabbed/clipped in any fashion. In my Neon I added popout windows, using Caravan parts. I'd like to do the same to the Miata, only instead of this: ( http://forums.neons.org/viewtopic.php?t=254999 ) I want to 'glass 2 hinges into the top of the window, and use 2 of the caravan actuators to pop the entire window out 2 inches at the bottom.

Of course, the 2nd one is probably more headache than it's worth, and while i'm certainly not worried about it being weatherproof it's just a pain, and might negatively impact the strength of the HT.

This means that I need to find a vent akin to that top car, but I can't find anything like it searching marine vents or RV vents. Anyone have any ideas for me? Once I find that, then I can start looking for small unobtrusive scoops to cover it with rearward. Hopefully I'll never have to deal with last weekend's hell again.

 

[Mr.Woolery]

Maybe you might consider replacing the rear window with an acrylic window with vents cut in it instead? You can always cover the vents or replace the window with the OEM glass one should you want to "undo" the mod later. You'd also get the side benefit of removing a lot of weight from the top.

 

[MiataRoadster]

Maybe you might consider replacing the rear window with an acrylic window...get the side benefit of removing a lot of weight from the top.

"A lot" is relative.

Has anyone seen a weight mentioned for an OEM glass rear window?

YMMV based on the the relative thicknesses, but according to Wiki...

Acrylic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymethyl_methacrylate
1190 kg/m³ (about 50% of glass)

Polycarbonate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarbonate
1200-1220 kg/m³ (a little heavier than acrylic)

 

[Caldera]

I'd love that idea, if I didn't park the car outside and have to keep it dry inside.