Convertibles

[fozzymandeus]

deltashad said:

We have a convertible and our next car shall be a 4 seater convertible. Six of us went to a celiedh last night (pronounced kayley). A couple met us earlier at the pub in a Micra convertible, I jamp into the Micra (drunk) and got the driver Gary to drop the roof, what a transformation from an ugly little car to a pretty thing. Its 1600cc engine was zippy and brisk. Lovely drive up the hill.
I did feel a bit gay when we arrived in the dark into a car park full of Range Rovers and Q7's....

I like the micra convertible. Wouldn't have one, but think they are a cheerful little way to tootle around. Bit like a modern day figaro.

Edit: going to expand on this. Motoring isn't just about going fast or "man vs machine" or all that. Sure, that's part of it, but my philosophy is that a car should give pleasure to its owner in some way beyond mere transport if it's going to be such a large investment. That might be about driving flat out on a track, or it might be about enjoying a panoramic country road with the roof down on a summer evening, or it might just be trundling to the shops/a restaurant with your pals. Doesn't all have to be testosterone fuelled machismo. (Unless you own a TVR, then it does.)

Edited by fozzymandeus on Sunday 4th March 08:30

[LuS1fer]

deltashad said:

...drop the roof, what a transformation from an ugly little car to a pretty thing. .

Have you considered you may still be drunk?

[Urban Sports]

deltashad said:

We have a convertible and our next car shall be a 4 seater convertible. Six of us went to a celiedh last night (pronounced kayley). A couple met us earlier at the pub in a Micra convertible, I jamp into the Micra (drunk) and got the driver Gary to drop the roof, what a transformation from an ugly little car to a pretty thing. Its 1600cc engine was zippy and brisk. Lovely drive up the hill.
I did feel a bit gay when we arrived in the dark into a car park full of Range Rovers and Q7's....

Hand your badge over, your time is finished here.

[deltashad]

I took that too far. I would never ever own one. Its was alright inside it. Can I get out of this untarnished?

[Urban Sports]

deltashad said:

I took that too far. I would never ever own one. Its was alright inside it. Can I get out of this untarnished?

Did somebody just say something?

[mikey k]

Urban Sports said:

mikey k said:

The S2000 is a great roadster

It is, especially supercharged

I still miss that car
I'm actually considering doing it to my current one

[mikey k]

Urban Sports said:

versus said:

@urbansports - how did you find the S2000 for comfort because it doesnt seem to have seat height or steering wheel adjustment?

Fine, I'm not the tallest of people either but I know people who own them that are tall, their biggest gripe is the steering wheel being a bit low. There are aftermarket kits to lower the seat which are good value and easy to fit, they seem to alleviate most problems.

It's not a problem until you get over 6' even that a seat lowering kit workes well.

[Captain Muppet]

Cotty said:

Captain Muppet said:

Find me an Exige for less money and I'll swap my Elise, find me something coupe that combines all the reliability, performance, running costs and handling of an MX5 for less money than I paid for mine and I'll swap. I bought my cars because they were excellent to drive, and I can't see how it matters to anyone else how I choose to use the roof, or the glove box.

Or just buy a hard top for the elise and don't take it off. I did.

Done. I love the car even more as a result.

[jimslops]

Captain Muppet said:

Done. I love the car even more as a result.

Good for you. Have you driven a car with the roof off?

[Captain Muppet]

jimslops said:

Good for you. Have you driven a car with the roof off?

Yes, I've done mid-night drives in summer roof-down in my MX5, track days roofless in my MX5, track drifting roofless in my MX5 (deperately horrible stench of melted rubber, but massive showboating to the crowd with a hand in the air), I've taken car loads of girls to beaches in my 2CV with the roof off, I've been in the back of a 645 convertible for a roof-down 8 hour round trip to the FoS (cramped, very cramped), I've tested the you-stay-dry-when-it's-raining-if-you-drive-fast-enough myth in a borrowed S2 Elise (and it works, unless you live in a country where your speed is limited by laws, traffic signals and other traffic), I've risked the horrific leaks and taken the T-bars off MR2s for thrashing around the countryside, I've left the roof down all day on perfect cloudless days just so I can get back in the car by stepping over the door, I've watched cars racing while sat on my roll cage with my feet on the dashboard and I've driven my Elise top down on glorious summer days on deserted B-roads.

I have hundreds of hours of top down driving experience. I like different driving experiences - I've tried convertibles, vans, trucks, off-roading, trials bikes, commuting by sports bike (which combines pretty much everything I don't like about convertibles and yet is something I can't stop doing), diesels, autos, yank tanks, Hummers, soap boxes, limos, hire cars, bargin barges, hot hatches and pretty much any fast car I can get my hands on. There has been something to enjoy about all of them, but given the choice I prefer my cars with a roof.

I'm not saying convertibles are wrong, or bad, or that people who like them are wrong, or bad (except the ones who tell other people that they are wrong to enjoy having a roof). Having tried the alternative I prefer having a roof over my head.

[/serious]
For me driving cars is like making love to a beautiful woman: cutting the top off limits how much I'm going to enjoy it, and for how long.

[SSBB]

deltashad said:

We have a convertible and our next car shall be a 4 seater convertible. Six of us went to a celiedh last night (pronounced kayley). A couple met us earlier at the pub in a Micra convertible, I jamp into the Micra (drunk) and got the driver Gary to drop the roof, what a transformation from an ugly little car to a pretty thing. Its 1600cc engine was zippy and brisk. Lovely drive up the hill.
I did feel a bit gay when we arrived in the dark into a car park full of Range Rovers and Q7's....

Ceilidh.

[LuS1fer]

SSBB said:

Ceilidh.

Is it too late to say I'm sorry and Ceilidh can we get it together again...

[SSBB]

I can't go on pretending.

[Riknos]

Digby said:

I love em'.The biggest problem is remembering you are in one with the roof down.You get reminded of this when you pull up next to someone and under your breath, suggest something like "Learn to drive you tosser" and through their open window, they reply "what did you say?" I find it even worse if you moan about pedestrians

I found this out last year, rather embarrassing.

Also, singing along to yourself, then wondering why people are looking at you. Not that I care. I can't sing at all.

I can't see the hatred for a convertible, is it jealously? I can understand coupés that have been hacked into a convertible, but a proper 2 seater roadster? You can't say it would be better not being a convertible. Even if I only have the roof down a dozen times a year, it's still nice to have the option. Most of my driving is motorway stuff, so the roof stays up when it's windy.

It's never 'too hot' in England for a convertible. It's not Spain. Although I would love to take it to a hotter climate.

But I would end up taking the bike, much more fun

[jimslops]

Captain Muppet said:

Yes, I've done mid-night drives in summer roof-down in my MX5, track days roofless in my MX5, track drifting roofless in my MX5 (deperately horrible stench of melted rubber, but massive showboating to the crowd with a hand in the air), I've taken car loads of girls to beaches in my 2CV with the roof off, I've been in the back of a 645 convertible for a roof-down 8 hour round trip to the FoS (cramped, very cramped), I've tested the you-stay-dry-when-it's-raining-if-you-drive-fast-enough myth in a borrowed S2 Elise (and it works, unless you live in a country where your speed is limited by laws, traffic signals and other traffic), I've risked the horrific leaks and taken the T-bars off MR2s for thrashing around the countryside, I've left the roof down all day on perfect cloudless days just so I can get back in the car by stepping over the door, I've watched cars racing while sat on my roll cage with my feet on the dashboard and I've driven my Elise top down on glorious summer days on deserted B-roads.

I have hundreds of hours of top down driving experience. I like different driving experiences - I've tried convertibles, vans, trucks, off-roading, trials bikes, commuting by sports bike (which combines pretty much everything I don't like about convertibles and yet is something I can't stop doing), diesels, autos, yank tanks, Hummers, soap boxes, limos, hire cars, bargin barges, hot hatches and pretty much any fast car I can get my hands on. There has been something to enjoy about all of them, but given the choice I prefer my cars with a roof.

I'm not saying convertibles are wrong, or bad, or that people who like them are wrong, or bad (except the ones who tell other people that they are wrong to enjoy having a roof). Having tried the alternative I prefer having a roof over my head.

[/serious]
For me driving cars is like making love to a beautiful woman: cutting the top off limits how much I'm going to enjoy it, and for how long.

Thanks for the sensible bit, each to their own.
Question on the silly bit, why does cutting the top off a woman, limit how much you enjoy her?

[Cledus Snow]

Nothing beats hooning about on a warm summer evening in a convertible with a lazy V8. And i don't think being convertible made the handling worse on my old Chevelle

[Captain Muppet]

jimslops said:

Captain Muppet said:

Yes, I've done mid-night drives in summer roof-down in my MX5, track days roofless in my MX5, track drifting roofless in my MX5 (deperately horrible stench of melted rubber, but massive showboating to the crowd with a hand in the air), I've taken car loads of girls to beaches in my 2CV with the roof off, I've been in the back of a 645 convertible for a roof-down 8 hour round trip to the FoS (cramped, very cramped), I've tested the you-stay-dry-when-it's-raining-if-you-drive-fast-enough myth in a borrowed S2 Elise (and it works, unless you live in a country where your speed is limited by laws, traffic signals and other traffic), I've risked the horrific leaks and taken the T-bars off MR2s for thrashing around the countryside, I've left the roof down all day on perfect cloudless days just so I can get back in the car by stepping over the door, I've watched cars racing while sat on my roll cage with my feet on the dashboard and I've driven my Elise top down on glorious summer days on deserted B-roads.

I have hundreds of hours of top down driving experience. I like different driving experiences - I've tried convertibles, vans, trucks, off-roading, trials bikes, commuting by sports bike (which combines pretty much everything I don't like about convertibles and yet is something I can't stop doing), diesels, autos, yank tanks, Hummers, soap boxes, limos, hire cars, bargin barges, hot hatches and pretty much any fast car I can get my hands on. There has been something to enjoy about all of them, but given the choice I prefer my cars with a roof.

I'm not saying convertibles are wrong, or bad, or that people who like them are wrong, or bad (except the ones who tell other people that they are wrong to enjoy having a roof). Having tried the alternative I prefer having a roof over my head.

[/serious]
For me driving cars is like making love to a beautiful woman: cutting the top off limits how much I'm going to enjoy it, and for how long.

Thanks for the sensible bit, each to their own.
Question on the silly bit, why does cutting the top off a woman, limit how much you enjoy her?

I like the look of shame on their faces.

[jonno990]

They should call the roofs on convertible cars 'foreskins', because when you pull it back it reveals the bell end underneath.

Picked this up last weekend.

Though the clouds with the roof down. by stujonno, on Flickr

[Tyson1980]

DaveH23 said:

I will probably get shot down and burned at the stake for this but I really don’t like convertibles.

Never driven one myself but have been a passenger in a MGTF, Z4 and a Tuscan and the only good thing is to hear the noise which you can do with the window down anyway.

They have absolute no appeal to me at all.

That is all.

I was the same. Until i bought my Z4.....great car..

Novelty does wear off though sometimes... But i prefer the "Open top" experience. Its great in the summer.

If i do get abuse. I tend to give it back whilst waving my middle finger as i drive by

Edited by Tyson1980 on Monday 5th March 12:54

[Hasbeen]

Tried that through cloud, or at least fog, early one morning, just after first light, in the TR8.

Had to give up, & put the roof up after about 80Km, as I could not control the heavy condensation on the inside of the windscreen. The T shirt I was using to wipe it got so wet it was useless.

Had a hell of a job getting the hood up in the cold air, as it was at least a couple of years since it had been up, & it had shrunk.