Convertibles.

Author
Discussion

daytona365

Original Poster:

1,773 posts

163 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Does there come an age where driving a totally cool convertible just makes you look a knob, or am I just suffering from knob paranoia ?

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Who cares what others think? Enjoy your car.

poing

8,743 posts

199 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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daytona365 said:
Does there come an age where driving a totally cool convertible just makes you look a knob, or am I just suffering from knob paranoia ?
Who cares what random strangers think, do what makes you happy providing it doesn't negatively impact anyone else. I see more people over 50 driving convertibles than under 50, I guess the kids have finally buggered off so now they can have a fun car again.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Jasandjules said:
Who cares what others think? Enjoy your car.
Wot 'e sed.

Reset your thinking: find a car that makes you cringe and drive it for a year. After a while you won't give a st what others think.

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Not an age, no. A gender. A girl driving a convertible is perfectly acceptable and often looks like a good fit between woman and machine. A bloke driving a convertible looks like a knob. Any convertible, at any price point.

Fantuzzi

3,297 posts

145 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Never liked convertibles. I have one. Keep the hard top on it. Tried the roof down thing once. Didn't like it. My next car will be a convertible hopefully, the hard top will stay on that as well.

No roofs at all however, are super cool. 50s LeMans racers are the sex.


Mave

8,208 posts

214 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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poing said:
daytona365 said:
Does there come an age where driving a totally cool convertible just makes you look a knob, or am I just suffering from knob paranoia ?
Who cares what random strangers think, do what makes you happy providing it doesn't negatively impact anyone else. I see more people over 50 driving convertibles than under 50, I guess the kids have finally buggered off so now they can have a fun car again.
Or they've realised life is too short to prioritise what other people (might) think over what makes them happy :-)

NerveAgent

3,293 posts

219 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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I often look at people in convertibles and think what I knob.

I drive a Porsche Boxster. Who cares.

Since owning a convertible I've noticed women are just as likely, if not more likely to have the roof down. Have a certain respect for the roof down ladies!

daytona365

Original Poster:

1,773 posts

163 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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One woman who bought a car off me, wanted to actually drive home with the roof down...... Some people are so shamelessly extrovert !!

TameRacingDriver

18,047 posts

271 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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I had no problem enjoying a convertible. It was fun, but in the end, I'm just as comfortable having the windows open. I wouldn't give a toss about what anyone thought of me though TBH.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Fantuzzi said:
Never liked convertibles. I have one. Keep the hard top on it. Tried the roof down thing once. Didn't like it. My next car will be a convertible hopefully, the hard top will stay on that as well.
Why the feck did you buy a convertible then? All the disadvantages of a convertible (extra cost, less speed etc) without the one advantage ( roof down!)

Convertibles with the roof up/hard top on, on a sunny day really makes the driver look a knob.

49 years old, and love my convertible: roof down all the time unless it's actually raining.

daytona365

Original Poster:

1,773 posts

163 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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Love that TVR.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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It's actually a nice feeling when it's warm. I drive everywhere with the sunroof open unless it's raining since I no longer have a convertible.

NerveAgent

3,293 posts

219 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
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One thing I never realised until owning a convertible...a long drive on a sunny day suddenly becomes a nice day out sitting in the sun getting a tan. Also the importance of sunglasses.

Al U

2,311 posts

130 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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It's quite an insecurity to be worried about driving in a car without a roof and caring what other people think. It adds a new dimension to the driving experience. That is all I have to say.

ocrx8

867 posts

195 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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Jasandjules said:
Who cares what others think? Enjoy your car.
Summed up perfectly.

heebeegeetee

28,591 posts

247 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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Al U said:
It's quite an insecurity to be worried about driving in a car without a roof and caring what other people think.
Possibly, but it's a whole other thing to be looking at other drivers and thinking about them.

Maybe there's an underlying theme though - looking at other men and thinking about knobs. scratchchin

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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I love convertibles. I always found it quite telling that there is a large group of people that think you only have it to pose or show off or be an extrovert, hence thinking people driving them are knobs. This says a lot more about them and the way they make their decisions than the convertible owner.

When I have the roof down I'm catching some extra sun, enjoying the various smells and sounds of the world and the car and making the journey a lot more enjoyable and engaging that it would otherwise be - what makes you think I'm going to make time in that to wonder what some random bloke in another car thinks about me??

Reminds me of my dhead of a father who used to laugh at anyone wearing sunglasses because they were obviously doing it just to look cool. Stupid sod has cataracts in his 50s now, can't think why...

73mark

774 posts

126 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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Impasse said:
Not an age, no. A gender. A girl driving a convertible is perfectly acceptable and often looks like a good fit between woman and machine. A bloke driving a convertible looks like a knob. Any convertible, at any price point.
^this^ all day long.

J4CKO

41,284 posts

199 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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I enjoy the sun, the noise and the wind and could not give a flying fk what anyone else thinks, I am enjoying myself whilst they are worrying about me being a tosser, sat either frozen by aircon or baking, I may be a tosser, but I am a tosser who is enjoying driving.

I thought I would never have a convertible, then I got offered a 944 S2, shock horror it turns out to be a convertible, but I tried it and enjoyed it, I thought I dont actually have to have the roof down, I left it a while and thought I should at least try it, and aged 39 I realised what all the tossers and poseurs had been enjoying and resolved never to be without a convertible car whilst I can still drive.

Are people in cars with proper roofs not tossers and poseurs ? is the exhaust not on a C63 not posing or tosserish ? is any super car not ? sorry but having a roof does not stop you being a tosser or a poseur, and if it isnt a C63, supercar or something else decent you can still be a tosser, but you also probably have a dull car as well !

The argument about being flexy, heavy and not sporty doesnt work for me either, most these days arent that flexy (944 was pretty bendy) and the extra weight, well, its a road car, get a version with more power, and extra 100 kilos is a chunk of weight but are we really that bothered as we arent in F1, my car will still go, stop and corner faster than I dare on the road and I am not a racing driver, the lack of a roof adds way more than it takes away from the drive.

I think jealousy comes into it, convertibles are perceived to be expensive or decadent by people, regardless of the fact you can get one for £500 up, also there seems to be a resentment towards those who arent self concious enough to be bothered what anyone thinks, they would love to but are too shy.