Morning everyone.
Seeing as how we have this lovely weather at the moment, lets have a summer theme topic.
On the drive home last night from work I spotted the following
4 x MGF
4 x MX5
2 x Escort convertables
1 x Astra convertable
1 x 206CC
3 x SAAB cabriolets
1 x C70 cabriolet
1 x Vitara convertable
2 x Megane cabriolet
Now I'm a firm believer in you spend your money how you like, you earned it, but of the above 19 cars only 5 actually had the roof down.
This is a pet hate of mine and I know fully well that in the great scheme of things it makes no difference to my life what so ever but AAAAAHHHHHHHH.
And don't give me all that "its more comfortable with the roof up and air con on" because most of thm had the windows down.
Time for a strong coffee.
Buy the way whats the difference between a convertable and a cabriolet ????
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>>>Buy the way whats the difference between a convertable and a cabriolet ????
15% on the price?
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I don't think I'd be too keen on having the top dpwn in weather like this. Did a long round trip in a Saab convertible a couple of years ago and found sitting fully exposed to the sun very uncomfortable indeed. I'd be much more likely to want to go 'topless' in dull/humid weather or on those wonderful crisp spring/autumn days when the sun's out, the sky's blue and I'm not gonna feel like a sardine on a griddle.
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But thats the reason you havent bought one !!
Get my piont ?
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Buy the way whats the difference between a convertable and a cabriolet ????
A convertible is based on an existing saloon design (i.e. Megane) and a cabriolet is designed from scratch to have a removable roof (i.e. MGF)
I think I've got it the right way round.
Reasons for not putting the roof down:
1) Can't be bothered
2) Journey too short to warrant it
3) Too sunny!
4) Don't know how to!!!!
5) Driving through rough area - I've driven roof down through some rough parts of the USA thinking I oughta put the roof up.
6) Might mess your hair up at high speed
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Bird poo, cigarette ends and other nasty stuff.
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Bird poo
I am obviously feeling a little nasty this morning. Streetka parked in our car park, top down - looks like an entire flock of geese decided to "drop anchor" over it. Put a large smile on my face.
Someone is not going to be a happy bunny tonight...
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Here comes Mr Arrested Development himself.
Most satisfying to pull up at the lights on a bright sunny day, adjust the Raybans, cast a nod and a friendly grin at the sour-faced commuters beside one, hold down that lever and send that '66 Mustang's power operated hood up and over with a gentle whirr.
Yee-haw!
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but a mustang is not a cabrio, nor a convertible...
its a MUSTANG, and that makes all the difference
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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CABRIOLET - generally this means a convertible car with windows. However, this term has changed meaning significantly over the years and can even mean different things in different countries. During the 1920's and 30's in Europe it meant an open car with a top, two doors and four seats, which was most often derived from a sedan. The equivalent in Great Britain was called a drop-head coupe while the English used the term Cabriolet to mean a four door open top car. Concurrently in the United States, the term used was Convertible coupe. Today Cabriolet describes open top cars derived from a sedan or coupe. It could also be understood to mean an open top car with two rows of seats with just two doors. Although in reality it can have any number of doors and windows.
CONVERTIBLE - In short, a car with a folding top and windows! In the US from 1927 on, the term was used to mean a car with a soft, retractable top was hooked permanently to the bodywork, and therefore not removable like a roadster's was. Other requisites were side windows that opened and the absence of any framework above the waist of the car apart from the windshield. The most common example of the was therefore called a convertible coupe these had two doors, whilst cars with four doors were called convertible sedans. In both cases four or five people could be seated.
Hope this helps.
With the proliferation of T-roofs (a la Corvette and Porsche), semi-roofed (the old BMW cabriolet, with a 2-part roof, one folding and one pull-outable) etc, the definition has got a bit vague.
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I have to say I think people that have Cabriolet/convertibles are a bit daft if they don't have the roof down in this weather with the only exception being security in iffy areas.
I have an SL500, which is admmitedly very easy to get the roof on and off, and I am running it with roof off and climate control blasting cold air on me. Absolute heaven although it's even better on the bike.
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I have an SL500, .....and I am running it with roof off and climate control blasting cold air
Cripes Denis - no wonder it's so hot, I think you must have put a couple of degrees on the whole planet! :-]
CF
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IMHO one of the most beautiful cars ever produced was the 1956 Ford Crown Victoria. This was a hard-top (not a convertible) which (wait for it) had a metal roof which folded up and back and stored itself in the trunk, which opened all by itself at the same time. Trying to find it in my library but can't put my hands on it just now.
Tended to be troublesome because I believe about 6 electric motors were required to achieve this. When I was a kid in Stanmore our USAF Colonel neighbour across the street had one. All this and Elvis, too much for a 16 year old when all the Brits could manage was Lonnie Donegan and Morris Minors.
312 cu inches I think. An odd in-between size for the Ford V-8's of the era. It came in two tone (of course -- BTW why don't you see 2-tone cars anymore?)and I think one offering was Fiesta Red (OK that goes with Ford) and Colonial White. What a superb non-PC name for a colour!
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Growler - wasn't that the Skyliner Retractable?
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Hi Growler! I do agree with you about the Crown Victoria! I have just dug out Quentin Wilson's book of 'Cool Cars' (Yuck!) and it includes the Ford Fairlane Skyliner, 4 different V8s on offer but less than 50,000 sold in 3 years. The roof basically retracted on it's rear pillars and in one piece and went into the boot which had to be the same length as the roof ie BIG and then no space for luggage in it! Then there was the Galaxie Sunliner, $3,350 in 1962 and engines up to 406 cu ins! The '62 Thunderbird by Ford was also avaliable as a convertible and didn't they all look great in 2 tone??!!
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Memory fails, yes it was the Skyliner I was thinking of. Why are cars so boring looking now compared with those?
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Saw a Porsche 911 with the roof up last night and a Peugeot 206cc (although the latter one probably didn't work!). I think the ease of lowering the roof is paramount, lots of clips and messing around would put me off - have you seen the one on the Elise? There's no doubt the ability to open and close the roof to its full extent even when moving, then the rear portion when stopped at lights etc makes the smarts roof one of the easiest on the market to operate.
Premium for a smart cab over a coupe is £1800.
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The Z4's hood goes up or down in 7 seconds. We tend to have it down whenever possible including when the sun is starting to set 'cos it's still nice and warm.
Except yesterday an unexpected rain shower (in the middle of a fantastic sunny day) happened, a bus queue where my dad had pulled in were treated to a demo of how quickly the hood can go up!
Blue
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"I think the ease of lowering the roof is paramount, lots of clips and messing around would put me off - have you seen the one on the Elise?"
Have you driven one? The smile it puts on your face would leave you not minding if you had to stitch the roof on!
Best plan is to take it out dry days only and never bother with the roof.
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Maybe the tops of these cars were up to prevent sunburn of balding middle-aged pates........... :-)
One of my more embarrassing moments was to clear the screen on my Citroen CX of deceased flies during a hot summer's day whilst queuing next to a 'top-down' sporty vehicle (can't remember the model). On the CX, the washer nozzle is attached to the single wiper arm, and sprays liberally sideways as the wiper does its stuff. The guy in the other car was not best pleased, to say the least! Fortunately, I was in the left-hand turn lane at the lights, and we started moving before he could vent his spleen........
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"Now I'm a firm believer in you spend your money how you like, you earned it, but of the above 19 cars only 5 actually had the roof down."
Not at all surprising. It's far too hot at the moment. Why do you think they sell best in the UK? It's because the usually cooler climate here suits them (when it's not raining).
They don't sell nearly as well on the continent.
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It's never too hot to have the roof down as long as you're moving. And as long as you're moving there's no need to put it up just for a bit of rain.
I agree that roof up on a sunny day is annoying, but there are also people who hate anyone wearing any kind of hat whilst driving, so getting comfortable and pleasing everyone just won't happen.
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What puts me off so many convertibles is the non-total stowage of the gear makes them look like motorised prams.
The driving of same often reinforces the effect.
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THe 6o's Mustangs had a simple cover with poppers that you just pressed down over the unsightly hood. So much for progress.
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a 'tonneau cover', I believe?
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No, a tonneau cover was spread over the entire passenger compartment, leaving just a space for the driver when he (oh alright then 'she' as well) was driving alone. What I am talking about was a shaped cover designed just to go over the collapsed hood and it attached to poppers round the edge of of the rear hood area. Made it look tidy.
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Like the cover on the new Beetle cab which looks like a real finger breaker.
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Or the one on the old MG Midgets..........which was!!!!
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Coincidently, there is an article in today's local paper (unfortunately not on the web yet) which warns of the dangers of convertible driving in hot weather. Apparently Austrian authorities are seeing plenty of cases of ragtop drivers dehydrated, badly burnt, or suffereing sunstroke because they don't apply sunscreen and/or don't keep hydrated.
The airflow whips the sweat away at such a rate that the driver doesn't realise he's sweating cobs - or being burnt crispy - apparently!
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