Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Robbins Sunfast Canvas Tonneau, black for a 2003 LS with black canvas cloth top.
Installation was fairly easy. However no instructions were included. Thanks to previous reviews I was able to get it installed. The hardest part was the removal of the mirrors. Make sure after you rotate the mirror; to remove the phillips head screws; not to accidentally snap the mirror back into its normal position. Very hard to re-rotate it. Please be careful, it happened to me. To place to tonneau in its place I found it easier to snap the fasteners first by the widndshield and then pull the cover back to its position in the rails by the trunk. I love the cover, it is well made and the fit is good.
I have now had it for 3 days on the car. The car is parked in the driveway. We have had heavy dew, no rain but I feel it will be OK in normal rain. To open the drivers side I just undo the snap by the mirror, unzip the 2 zippers and undo the fastener by the windshield. I only use the fastener on the left side of the cowling. I can see no reason to fasten the middle fastener as long as the main zipper is closed. I place the tonneau behind the drivers seat and readjust the seat. Here in Florida it gets pretty warm and it's great to have the A/C on and really get the benefit of the cooling air.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Cockpit tonneau cover with headrest pockets.
When I bought my used '90, it already had the hardware for the cover installed, but did not come with the actual cover (for whatever reason). I was going to purchase the Mazda cover which does NOT have the pockets for the headrests, but after careful consideration and the fact that I use this car as my daily driver, I decided on the Robbins tonneau instead. With the Mazda cover, the seats have to be folded down every time you zip it up, and I think this would become somewhat of a hassle.
I bought a used one from a gentleman who installed a roll bar and could no longer use the cover w/o substantial modification. And I'm glad I did! It's easy to put on and take off, and can fold into a shape that's just a little larger than the folded soft top boot. The material is VERY sturdy, as are the zippers and the snaps. This thing looks like it'll last forever. Overall, I'm very impressed with the product. I no longer have to put the top up everytime I make short trips to the store, etc. The only thing to keep in mind is that I don't think this cover is designed for 80mph+ driving, as it tends to flap around a bit. However, at no time does it feel like it'll fly off or anything, and I gotta admit, it looks real cool, both half-covered when I'm driving, and fully-zipped when the car is parked. If I replace my soft top, I'll get a Robbins. I'm that sold on the quality of their products.
Not an installed item
This model has pockets for the seats. It uses the existing boot rail and side snaps in the back. You replace the pads under the side mirrors with the enclosed ones - they have a small extension with a snap. You also pop up the four black plastic plugs on the dash and replace them with enclosed studs. The vinyl is substantial and the zippers look like they'll hold up for years. (There's a center zipper - slightly off center giving the driver more open space - and short zippers on the outside behind each seat.)
I checked the archives before I bought it, and the results were "right on." (Wow, you can learn a lot from that source - you don't need to post, yet again, a question that has been answered many times.) The kit has detailed instructions, and it includes mirror pads for both standard and power mirrors. A helper is great during the install to hold a power mirror. The silver studs look a little funny on the black dash - perhaps they should be black. Then, should the snaps they attach to be black, also? I'd say yes for a black cover. (My tonneau is tan for my 97M, so it's not gonna match the dash anyway. I'd prefer black studs - I'm sure they are, or will be, available at some point..) Fit is very good - not perfect - and it's still tough to stretch the sucker to the snaps, especially in cooler weather. Vivace lives in the garage with her top down waiting for nice days, so the cover is great for keeping dust from the interior. (Yeah, I know I should keep all of her covered - I'll check the archives and
I saved the black plastic plugs and the old mirror pads, but I'd probably get new ones if I were to stop using the tonneau. But why should I? It makes fall, winter and spring roadstering more comfortable with minimal hassle. Yeah, you've gotta unzip and fold the sucker. But I can't remember the last time I unzipped the rear window, and I went riding every month but one through the winter.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
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