Classic Convertibles - Hood up noise!

[Andrew-6kjqi]

Hello all - new to this forum, signed up years ago but never posted... however, now that I'm the owner of an old Fiat Spider I have reason to pick the brains of all the experienced and knowledgeable folk here because I don't have a clue really! At least, not about classic convertibles, I just always wanted one, finally got one during lockdown as a bit of a project, importing it from Canada. Been running it and enjoying it this summer.

Now that the good weather is done for this year I'm turning my attention to the main job that needs doing on the Spider which is a new hood. It's still on its original one from 1979 and is in remarkable condition given that age, but is still well overdue for replacing.

One thing that struck me straight away, or rather struck my ears, was the noise driving a convertible with the hood UP - this one anyway. I actually think it's noisier than with it down! I'm not sure how much this is down to the fact the hood is very old now and isn't well sealed around the rear quarter glass, or if this is just the way it is with this age of convertible car. Will a high quality replacement improve things? I'm probably getting the new one from Germany (Eurotop) which has been highly recommended and certainly looks superb. I'd be interested to hear anyone's experience of replacing hoods on classics of this or similar age.

Thanks!

[Bob CD]

I haven't replaced the hood on my convertible recently but I have one word of warning from a friend with a similar car to mine who did so. He actually took the car to the supplier, somewhere near Newcastle, I think, and they fitted the hood. All was fine, I think, but he left the hood down for quite some time - as you might, in the summer - and when he came to put it up, the hood had shrunk. Not sure what happened next... Certainly, when I put up my old hood, it's a tight fit and closing the doors makes a different noise to when I close them with the hood down...

[Uscita Vietata]

As Bob said ,never leave the hood down for long periods , the plastic window gets all scrunched up too .
On the subject of noise with hood up , the noise will still be there , a convertible will always be a noisy place even a new , well
fitting one , just try to adjust everything for as little wind noise as possible .

You'll be driving it with the hood down most of the time anyway .

[LamprediAndy]

Yes, good points. I always put it back up after having driven it down. The old ones definitely suffer if left down for long periods. I've been sure to source a good quality supplier and a fitter with experience of both the car and the hood BEFORE ordering!

What I'm particularly interested to know is the difference when driving - if any - after having fitted a new one.

[LamprediAndy]

Uscita Vietata said:

As Bob said ,never leave the hood down for long periods , the plastic window gets all scrunched up too .
On the subject of noise with hood up , the noise will still be there , a convertible will always be a noisy place even a new , well
fitting one , just try to adjust everything for as little wind noise as possible .

You'll be driving it with the hood down most of the time anyway .

Best not to expect much improvement then! There is a velcro piece on each side that holds the hood against the little rear 3/4 panes on the Spider and that's completely come away. So the wind comes in there as a result, maybe that will be improved. Maybe!

[SAS Tom]

My MX5 sounds a lot louder inside with the roof up. I hate it, not sure if a better roof would help or not though.

[williamp]

I had an MG midget with an ill-fitting roof (shrunk). The small gaps over the windows makes a whistling noise. The loose top made a drumming noise. Meh: if you drive quick enough in the wet you wont get wet anyhow...

I have driven an Aston with a very good convertable hood. It was still noisier then the saloon, but not as bad.

[TarquinMX5]

New models with multi-layered sound-proofed hoods are good, older cars with simple single-layer hoods, often vinyl or similar, are generally noiser with the hood up (in my experience).

[Turbobanana]

My Saab lives with the roof down and it only comes up when it's really bad outside: like, very heavy rain. It's quieter and drier with the roof down. Learn at what speed the rain / snow gets pushed over the header rail and above your head, then drive at that speed. Wind deflectors help with his, too.

[Red9zero]

TarquinMX5 said:

New models with multi-layered sound-proofed hoods are good, older cars with simple single-layer hoods, often vinyl or similar, are generally noiser with the hood up (in my experience).

My last hobby car was a New Beetle convertible with a triple layered electric hood that was lovely and quiet and warm. My new one is a 1987 Land Rover 90 with a single layer of canvas that takes 15 minutes to remove and is noisy and draughty with it up or down. Guess which one I like best though

[williamp]

Red9zero said:

My last hobby car was a New Beetle convertible with a triple layered electric hood that was lovely and quiet and warm. My new one is a 1987 Land Rover 90 with a single layer of canvas that takes 15 minutes to remove and is noisy and draughty with it up or down. Guess which one I like best though

...well the Beetle has carpets which wont like getting wet!!!

[ClaphamGT3]

May be worth looking for a hardtop?

[Red9zero]

williamp said:

Red9zero said:

My last hobby car was a New Beetle convertible with a triple layered electric hood that was lovely and quiet and warm. My new one is a 1987 Land Rover 90 with a single layer of canvas that takes 15 minutes to remove and is noisy and draughty with it up or down. Guess which one I like best though

...well the Beetle has carpets which wont like getting wet!!!

The Landie doesn't have that problem

[LamprediAndy]

TarquinMX5 said:

New models with multi-layered sound-proofed hoods are good, older cars with simple single-layer hoods, often vinyl or similar, are generally noiser with the hood up (in my experience).

Now this is the experience I was hoping for! The original hood is vinyl, thin, single layer - the one from Eurotop uses the material and manufacturing process for the OEM products they supply for the likes of Porsche and Mercedes... so you'd hope these are of sufficient quality that they would make a difference.

[LamprediAndy]

Turbobanana said:

My Saab lives with the roof down and it only comes up when it's really bad outside: like, very heavy rain. It's quieter and drier with the roof down. Learn at what speed the rain / snow gets pushed over the header rail and above your head, then drive at that speed. Wind deflectors help with his, too.

This won't be an issue - it's a 1970s Fiat, it's not allowed to see water. Like a Gremlin.

[Turbobanana]

LamprediAndy said:

Turbobanana said:

My Saab lives with the roof down and it only comes up when it's really bad outside: like, very heavy rain. It's quieter and drier with the roof down. Learn at what speed the rain / snow gets pushed over the header rail and above your head, then drive at that speed. Wind deflectors help with his, too.

This won't be an issue - it's a 1970s Fiat, it's not allowed to see water. Like a Gremlin.

Good point, well made.

That said, the Saab is in for a brake rebuild at the moment. I called in yesterday to check on progress and discovered that the appropriately-named hood well has about 3 inches of water in it: a sure sign it's been left outside in the recent dodgy weather.

At least it should have brakes when it gets back.

[david.h]

My wife has had a Fiat Punto Cabrio from new (1997) now with about 67000 miles on it.. It is usually garaged, but not exclusively. The electric hood is usually put up when parked, but is down at every opportunity and shows little sign of wear apart from a discoloured strip across the rear screen- which does polish almost out The (Vinyl woven?) hood has a single lining. It is remarkably quiet up, or down, and only has one small dribble from the top r/h corner in very heavy rain (been there since the turn of the century!). I do worry that the rubber (?) seals will eventually start to perish, but all good so far. As far as canvas/mohair hoods go our 1947 Rover tourer has canvas hood & tonneau and they are a real b####r to fit if left unfitted for more than about a month. Noise levels are similar up or down, but lost in the general cacophony of general road noise...particularly from other road users tyres.

[//j17]

You need to remember you're driving a reasonably cheap 1970's convertible and what is considered acceptable these days from a modern one is very different to what was considered acceptable in those days - and the attitude was very much "It's an open car with a temporary tent on top, why would you expect it to be quiet?". You'll get a bit of wind noise, usually a little leakage, but a lot of druming noise where the usually single skin hood material ripples and flaps (put your hand on it at speed and you'll feel it even if you can't see it).

ClaphamGT3 said:

May be worth looking for a hardtop?

Not is Fiat hard tops are anything like Triumph ones from the 70's. While quieter than the soft top the Triumph ones were steel...but it's still a 70's car with 70's levels of weather sealing so moisture WILL get inside and in the winter sets up a cycle of: blower clears moisture from screen, moisture condenses on cold inside of hard top, moisture freezes over-night, blower next morning clears windscreen but also melts ice frozen on inside of hard top, which drips on your head.

Plus you miss out on some of the very best days to own a convertable. Screw hot summer days it's those sudden crisp, clear, sunny winter days that are the most fun to drive with the roof down (coat on and heater blowing in the footwells).

Just learn to love your car for what it is.

[LamprediAndy]

Certainly not expecting them to be quiet but intrigued about other people's experiences with convertibles, especially given impending hood upgrade! But do admit to being surprised that, at the moment at least, it's noisier up than down!

But here's me enjoying it for what it is https://www.instagram.com/p/CU8PTVMoocB/?hl=en

[Yertis]

//j17 said:

Not is Fiat hard tops are anything like Triumph ones from the 70's. While quieter than the soft top the Triumph ones were steel...but it's still a 70's car with 70's levels of weather sealing so moisture WILL get inside and in the winter sets up a cycle of: blower clears moisture from screen, moisture condenses on cold inside of hard top, moisture freezes over-night, blower next morning clears windscreen but also melts ice frozen on inside of hard top, which drips on your head.

Plus you miss out on some of the very best days to own a convertable. Screw hot summer days it's those sudden crisp, clear, sunny winter days that are the most fun to drive with the roof down (coat on and heater blowing in the footwells).

Just learn to love your car for what it is.

I spent a fortune restoring a hardtop for my TR. It completely changes the character of the car and I therefore agree completely. Convertibles should stay convertible.