Anyone not enjoy a convertible ?
Discussion
I had a bit of a moment (a good, non scary one) this morning, roof down, weather perfect, bit of Daft Punk/Pharell on the radio (relatively quiet) and some perfect rev matching going on through the Cheshire Countryside, not going massively fast but just enjoying the simple pleasure of driving and arrived at work in a great mood, part of it down to it being Spring and it not pissing down but it was fantastic, I am sure someone in a Golf GTD could keep up but I don't care, I was having so much fun where they perhaps where they would be enjoying driving decent diesel hatch, not quite the same.
Anyone not enjoyed a convertible ?
The weight and comparative wobbliness thing isn't really an issue on the road, the compromise is worth it, everything is heightened and I cant imagine going back to a fixed roof.
I got over the poseur aspect as well, it isn't for hot days in town centres unless you are, warm nights and cold mornings in the country are the best, dont delay, go and buy one.
Anyone not enjoyed a convertible ?
The weight and comparative wobbliness thing isn't really an issue on the road, the compromise is worth it, everything is heightened and I cant imagine going back to a fixed roof.
I got over the poseur aspect as well, it isn't for hot days in town centres unless you are, warm nights and cold mornings in the country are the best, dont delay, go and buy one.
Aye , bought the dragon an XR3i cab in 1990 , went to the Lake District in May when it was very warm , took the roof down at Grange in Borrowdale drove to Keswick which is no more than 5 miles , stopped and got the roof up , looked at each other as if to say what was the joy in that.
Sold in the June , never again.
Sold in the June , never again.
I have big issues with scuttle shake, I really cant abide it! So some convertibles I cannot stand. So that pretty much rules out any saloon/hatch based convertible built before torsional rigidity really became a buzz word in the early Noughties and Z3s, as some were along the line BMW forgot basic engineering principals!
grumpy said:
I only have the roof on if it's raining, but then it's not my everyday car.
Same here. Although we have been out with the roof down at -2c the other winter. We failed the other week though - drove 170 miles down to Crufts setting off at 6.30am. When it came to the return journey and it was 18c we had to put the roof back up as we had bought something which didn't fit it the cabin (and nearly didn't fit in the boot - a huge folding indoor kennel) - arrgh
vikingaero said:
I like convertibles for 30 minutes max. Then the noise gets irritating, the buffeting, the vandal attraction of the soft top and sitting and sweating whilst the sun bakes you crisp isn't my cuppa.
Exactly this, although I prefer to have the option to open it up even it I don't use it. I've had a mk1 MX-5 for a few weeks now & the novelty of having a soft top wore off after a few days. It's a bit tiresome after a while & a faff to protect the plastic rear window from creases & scratches so I just leave it up. Windows down is enough for me, and I can close it up at will.Similar experience with the 944's roof panel. It's nice to have the choice but I find I leave the roof on 95% of the time.
To be fair both my cars require more than a button press to reconfigure; maybe I'm just lazy
Riverside said:
Exactly this, although I prefer to have the option to open it up even it I don't use it. I've had a mk1 MX-5 for a few weeks now & the novelty of having a soft top wore off after a few days. It's a bit tiresome after a while & a faff to protect the plastic rear window from creases & scratches so I just leave it up. Windows down is enough for me, and I can close it up at will.
Similar experience with the 944's roof panel. It's nice to have the choice but I find I leave the roof on 95% of the time.
To be fair both my cars require more than a button press to reconfigure; maybe I'm just lazy
You have a 944 Turbo cab, that is one rare beast !Similar experience with the 944's roof panel. It's nice to have the choice but I find I leave the roof on 95% of the time.
To be fair both my cars require more than a button press to reconfigure; maybe I'm just lazy
Add a little power to the mix and its great fun. My TT 225 roadster hasn't massive power but its good fun letting the engine go to the red line, the tight 6 speed short shift gearbox with roof down is great fun. I don't like the show off nature of cabrios but I honestly wonder why cars even have fixed roofs.
At some point ill probably grow up and move on to an E Class convertible or SL but that probably wont be as much fun.
At some point ill probably grow up and move on to an E Class convertible or SL but that probably wont be as much fun.
The first Z4s were pretty horrific. The whole dash became a blur when driving on a bumpy road owing to it shaking so much. You could also see daylight with the roof up at the back of the doors at the bottom of the window. Ride quality was crap. My brother rejected one because it started to fall apart.
Truly s
tty cars.
Truly s
tty cars.Serious buffeting = you bought the wrong convertible.
Too hot = you bought the wrong convertible, try one with decent air con next time.
Too cold = you bought the wrong convertible, try heated seats next time.
Too noisy = you're too old, buy a Lexus saloon, I hear they are whisper quiet. Mind you, would you want to listen to your indigestion all journey long?
Have to stop to put it up / down / it takes a lot of faffing around = you bought the wrong convertible.
Convertible top that thin it's noisy / cold / hot = you bought the wrong convertible.
Comparing a modern convertible to an XR3i is like comparing a Ford Model T to a Ford Mondeo, there is no comparison. The rest of the car has come on that far, engine, basic build quality, handling, optional extras that are now standard, etc, etc, convertible tops have come on in just the same way.
I don't use mine that much, but last year on 2 weeks holiday the only time it was up was at night parked up or the few times it was raining. (987 Boxster S)
Too hot = you bought the wrong convertible, try one with decent air con next time.
Too cold = you bought the wrong convertible, try heated seats next time.
Too noisy = you're too old, buy a Lexus saloon, I hear they are whisper quiet. Mind you, would you want to listen to your indigestion all journey long?
Have to stop to put it up / down / it takes a lot of faffing around = you bought the wrong convertible.
Convertible top that thin it's noisy / cold / hot = you bought the wrong convertible.
Comparing a modern convertible to an XR3i is like comparing a Ford Model T to a Ford Mondeo, there is no comparison. The rest of the car has come on that far, engine, basic build quality, handling, optional extras that are now standard, etc, etc, convertible tops have come on in just the same way.
I don't use mine that much, but last year on 2 weeks holiday the only time it was up was at night parked up or the few times it was raining. (987 Boxster S)
I always enjoy mine no matter what the weather! Drove to work a few times last week at 5.45am, hood down, heater on... I got to work in such a good mood! As said already, the best drives have been late evening ones.
The only time I've not enjoyed a convertible is when I and a mate had to drop a friends Focus off at a garage in Halifax.
I jumped into the friends Focus, I said to my mate 'You might as well take mine' ....had a nice drive over from Huddersfield to Halifax, following the sat nav to this garage neither of us knew. It took us into a less desirable part of Halifax shall we say and the sat nav started going around in circles. Not a problem normally but I noticed the hazard lights flashing on my car, the windows going up and down then a mate swing down a side road and flag me down.
'How the hell do you get this roof up, I feel like I'm gonna get stabbed or something round here!' said a wild eyed friend Hah!
He then ran and jumped into the Focus and slammed the door! Chicken!!
....i might have put the roof up before we continued though
The only time I've not enjoyed a convertible is when I and a mate had to drop a friends Focus off at a garage in Halifax.
I jumped into the friends Focus, I said to my mate 'You might as well take mine' ....had a nice drive over from Huddersfield to Halifax, following the sat nav to this garage neither of us knew. It took us into a less desirable part of Halifax shall we say and the sat nav started going around in circles. Not a problem normally but I noticed the hazard lights flashing on my car, the windows going up and down then a mate swing down a side road and flag me down.
'How the hell do you get this roof up, I feel like I'm gonna get stabbed or something round here!' said a wild eyed friend Hah!
He then ran and jumped into the Focus and slammed the door! Chicken!!
....i might have put the roof up before we continued though
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff