Soft-top always parked outside?

[ali_kat]

Never had any problems with any of my MX5s (mk1 or 2.5) or the Z4 or Z3

All drive at 30 in the rain, roof down & not getting wet

[TheJimi]

What everyone else said.

*definitely* proof the roof, as mentioned, you want to see loads of lovely beading of water on the roof.

Clean the drain holes & ensure the water rails / channels are all clear and clean.

Feed all the seals with something like AutoGlym Rubber & Vunyl Cleaner.

I fell into the mould trap because I didn't drive it in winter (too much salt on the road) and in the spring, I usually had to give it a serious going over to get rid of the mould.

I also had a fitted and "breathable" cover for mine.

Oh and it sounds obvious, but if the roof material is clearly frozen, do not put the roof down - you'll damage it.

Edited by TheJimi on Wednesday 4th March 10:54

[RobM77]

No problem at all. My S2 Elise lived outside for several years with no mould and only a little water getting inside in the heaviest of rain, and they're nowhere near as well sealed as an NC MX5. The MX5 will be thoroughly designed for it I'm sure

[mrfunex]

Treat the roof fabric and seals when you can be bothered, or at least once every 2 years or so.

My biggest tip - put the roof down regularly. Not only does it make driving much more fun, it'll help the roof mechanisms not to seize up, make the seals last longer etc.

[T1berious]

My Z4MR is out all the time and as long as I'm on top of the cleaning its not an issue.

[TNurburgring]

Thanks for all the reactions!
Now I won't have to splash my money on a hardtop for the winter.

[Ari]

ali_kat said:

Never had any problems with any of my MX5s (mk1 or 2.5) or the Z4 or Z3

All drive at 30 in the rain, roof down & not getting wet

So where did the water go? It has to go somewhere.

At speeds fast enough for the windsreen to keep you dry whilst sat behind it, it either piles up and flicks over the top of the screen onto you or it makes its way onto the side window and aerodynamics push it up till it flicks over the top of that onto you.

[Eleven]

Ari said:

So where did the water go? It has to go somewhere.

Either it piles up and flicks over the top of the screen onto you or it makes its way onto the side window and aerodynamics push it up till it flicks over the top of that onto you.

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

[Eddh]

Shove a water collecter thing in the passenger footwell. One of those things you get for houses when they get damp with the crystals. I used one in my s2000 and it kept the damp away.

[Ari]

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

[Eleven]

Ari said:

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

Well, all I can tell you is that my Boxster used to remain dry unless I slowed down (below about 40 as I recall). I am sure if it was properly pissing down it may have been different, but I don't recall ever getting wet.

[Claudia Skies]

andy-xr said:

They're fine to be outside, just dont leave it under trees all the time and clean it regularly. Sometimes people get funny about cleaning soft tops because they think they need special soaps or treatments that they dont have or forgot to buy, so they never get washed.

Soft-top kept in garage - usually no need to wash at all. Perhaps a gentle "once over" with sponge and water when required.

Soft-top parked outside - wash off serious crud regularly. Each Spring, scrub the roof using a VERY soft car washing brush and warm soapy water. If necessary, apply one of the more expensive re-proofing solutions.

Above all, look after your soft-top! Keep it clean but don't go scrubbing at it all the time. They are always awkward and/or expensive to replace!

[RobM77]

Eleven said:

Ari said:

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

Well, all I can tell you is that my Boxster used to remain dry unless I slowed down (below about 40 as I recall). I am sure if it was properly pissing down it may have been different, but I don't recall ever getting wet.

With the Elise I always found that above 30 or 40mph the top 15cm or so of the seats got wet, but everything below that remained dry. So if I slipped forward and down in the seat I would stay dry.

[ali_kat]

Ari said:

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

I just know I only get wet in the rain when stopped, slowing down

[Shaw Tarse]

ali_kat said:

Ari said:

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

I just know I only get wet in the rain when stopped, slowing down

Adds to the fun of driving topless, approaching traffic lights, willing them to change...

[ali_kat]

have large umbrella in the footwell just in case

[Shaw Tarse]

One wouldn't want to get their hair wet!

[poing]

Ari said:

Eleven said:

It gets carried away by the slipstream passing over the screen and over the top of the car.

Trust me it doesn't! (well, maybe it does at over 100mph!)

It's too big a mass by the time it has been piled up by the wipers.

A tiny bit of light drizzle you could probably get away with, anything approaching proper rain and you're going to get wet, not from the rain necessarily but from the wiper residue.

Sorry but I'm with the others. Below 30mph I would get wet in the MX5 but above it I had no more than the odd drip, I could happily wear a blue shirt through the rain with the top down and arrive at the other end without spots all over the shirt.

Only twice did I fail with this. Once I could see the storm I was driving towards but risked it, I think that particular storm had a name and I got a quite wet. The second time was on the Isle of Skye where I got caught in a hail storm, that seriously hurts at 60mph.

[Rower]

Slightly off topic , I am thinking of getting a soft top ( and encouraged by this thread ) and it will be parked outside but on my driveway , will I get hit on insurance? I am thinking of a convertible Merc CLK and currently run a tin top version.

[8bit]

My wife had a NC MX-5 for about three years, always parked outside, held up just fine. Clean and protect regularly with these:

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/303-conver...
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/303-high-t...

Give it a brush with a medium-soft brush first, then hoover using an upholstery attachment, wash with the cleaner then treat with the fabric guard according to the instructions. Her car was looking a bit green around the edges of the roof but came up nice and black after using that, and the fabric guard makes water just bead off the roof nicely.

Only other thing to add - if you get snow then I'd brush any serious accumulations off regularly, don't let a lot of it collect on the roof.

Eddh said:

Shove a water collecter thing in the passenger footwell. One of those things you get for houses when they get damp with the crystals. I used one in my s2000 and it kept the damp away.

That's probably not a bad plan too, we never did and we got away with it but in winter we would find a wee bit of condensation on the inside of the roof, which would fall on our heads when closing the doors...