I really like compact hatch backs. I found a good excuse to own one back in 2008 when I was out of work for 6 months waiting for my broken back to fully heal. I was on state disability, which barely covered the mortgage. My savings were being chiseled away from other monthly necessaries like medical bills, groceries, insurance, house utilities, and such. I was driving a Jeep Cherokee that was good for about 15 MPG. It was killing me in a time when I both had to be super frugal and also wanted to get out of the house as often as possible. I sold the Cherokee for $2200 and bought a beat little fuel sipper for $1200. I was up $1k for expenses, and had a vehicle that would go just as far as the Jeep on half the fuel. Score!
Mind you this was also during one of the times when fuel was selling for nearly $5 per gallon. So I had the 323. I also considered many other little hatch backs, but as fuel prices were rising, so were the prices of economy cars on the second hand market. This was the best I could do. It has a 1.8l ohc engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. The heater worked and it had a radio. It wasn't long before I laid into it to make it a little more personal...I found a set of Miata wheels and bolted them on (I know, there goes the savings). The car looked way better. I added some "futura" badges taken from my Falcon project. The best modification by far, though, was the sliding rag top.
I have always thought it would be really cool to own a Renault Le Car with the full sliding roof, or say, a 2CV, or an original fiat 500. Either way, I decided that there was no reason why Mazda shouldn't and couldn't have fitted a leaky, finicky sliding roof to this 323 back in 1990. Shame on them!
I wonder if I can drive like this?
Original hubcaps that were on the car. Note the futura badge I added.
Gen 1 Miata wheels made a major visual improvement and it handled better with a slightly wider stance.
The first step was to pull out the headliner. The next step was to carefully measure and mark off the exact location of where you want to completely destroy your vehicle. I used tape as a guide for cutting.
Since you've committed, you use some nippers. I used an air-powered set that did a really handy job. (also, keep the left over sheet metal panel around, you just may need it to make patch panels for your future Triumph TR3 restoration)
With the roof now completely compromised (though there were no structural beams in the way) drop in the frame work for the sliding rag top. Drill some pilot holes to secure the frame to the roof.
Frame work is sealed to the roof and bolted in place.
Looks like this is just a redundant photo. Pretty sure this car is rangoon red, just like my Falcon...maybe that's why I liked it so much???
Feed the rags into place.
Everything is all nice and folded up. At some point I cut the corresponding hole in the headliner and put it back in.
Nice tight fit.
And now I can ruminate on all sorts of esoteric automotive things from within the car, but also from without...
Sliding rag tops belong on compact hatch backs!
There were two front corner adjustments to snug it up when closed for weather-fastness. The center nub should have had a cool handle, but the crack company that sent me the kit included one that didn't work at all. The handle they included was so idiotic that I didn't bother even contacting them for a better option- I figured this was the best they could do. I used an allen wrench instead that fit into the nub.
I had to relocate the dome lamp forward. There was enough wiring to do so, and if I recall correctly, it just snapped into a hold cut into the head liner. Piece of cake.
Would I do it again you ask? Heck yeah! That sliding roof made the 323 a one of a kind. It was awesome good times with the roof wide open, running through the Sierras, out to the Ocean, or just bopping around town. That roof truely made that car. It was great day and night. And in the rain it wasn't too terribly bad. I just wouldn't do it to a really expensive, or nice car that had a lot of value, because I think it would ruin that car. Too bad Mazda didn't see that way back in the 90's.
