My new "motorcycle"

[Stichill_imp]

I have to admit, having never owned one before, I am not looking forward to the upkeep on this ragtop. I know people typically say to avoid automated carwashes, even for normal cars with metal roofs. Well, I've used my local automated car wash for years, on a half dozen cars, with no problems. With this top, however, I'm not so sure. Will there be leakage? Is the top susceptible to damage from cleansing chemicals?

I really don't know, and hate this feeling of cluelessness.

Stichill, yep, your white LED foglights look much better than the yellow-ish halogens. I've always been told that halogens work better than LEDs as foglights, which is why automakers still pair them with LED headlights.

Love the DRLs on your Fiata.

I only put mine through a Mr. Mike’s one time because I had been forced to drive the car on salty roads for a warranty repair. I wanted the bottom blasted clean from the underside. It was pretty terrifying being inside the little car while the brushes beat at it. Probably would never do it again.

There are some car washes where workers still hand-wash. I think that would be a better option.

Re: fog lights. One time I used them in fog and they were totally ineffective. I decided they were more for show so I’ll take the improved look of the LEDs.
Regarding top maintenance, I second Guth's recommendation of 303 products. I'm not familiar with Shin-Etsu but now I'm going to try it!

Some Fiata owners who park their rides outside have complained about water soaking the area behind the seats. Turns out there's some kind of foam filter in the rain drainage system on each side that gets clogged with rotting leaves, etc. There's a procedure to access them and clean them out. That seems like a Mazda thing so you might want to look into it on your car if you plan to park outside.