OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Raindrop DropTop

I've never owned a convertible, but my first two cars were an '89 Firebird Formula and a '91 Trans-Am.  Both had t-tops.  While not quite the same, I absolutely loved driving those cars in the summer.

I had to keep the tops in the back seat because it was the mid-90's so of course I had two 12" subs in the "trunk" where the tops were supposed to go.  Having that huge glass panel less than a foot above two subs made for an extremely loud car.  At least it covered up the sound of squeaking and rattling from the crap build quality.

I drive a Triumph TR6 on nice days in the summer and my wife's daily driver is an Audi TT convertible.

British Racing Green with tan leather interior.  Ran for a grand total of 500 miles before the engine seized without warning.  So fun while it lasted.

Also, I've had a 20+ year love/hate affair with a 1972 Beetle Convertible - now totally dolled up, new color (Gulf Blue - really a 1960s color, but so nice), new seats, new top.  It's a glorified riding lawnmower, but only a smidge more glory than a John Deere.

People are schmucks. Don't like sticks. Don't like convertibles. Schmucks. 

 

Second:

1) I took a trip with my brother in his YJ from Detroit to Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania early in college for a family reunion. Top off, Doors off, listening to the radio. We got burned to hell and gone and had an absolute blast. 

2) A trip up north in his Geo Tracker, up 75 in the fall while the sun was setting. Gorgeous. 

3) Driving the Miata back from LA; we took a trip through Zion. Amazing. Also had the top down in Summit county, but at its highest peak the 1.8 liter was a little (alot) breathless. Still fun.

 

Honorable mention: My Dad had an '87 Dodge 600 Convertible. This was, IIRC, one of the first convertibles back on the market. The industry had gone almost completely away from them but Iaccoca drove a conversion vehicle and loved it so much he approved more widespread conversions. I think they were shipped to cars and concepts. 

His was a Turbo. 146hp of fury. My dad went away for a week and allowed my brother to use it. He would drive me around to different HS events (I was in middle school) and to football practice. It was awesome. 

 

I have an Audi TT roadster that is a blast to drive with the top down.  Can't wait for warmer weather.  The heated seats do help extend the season.

When I first began my career, I was an engineer on the SAAB 900 Cabriolet.  Jerry had one in the Seinfeld show.  Ugly, but they handled well. 

but before i met my wonderful mgowife, there was this one 'friend' who had the coolest jeep scrambler when i lived in socal.  actually used in some movies and series shoots.  looked like this one, and had a 4 speed manual.  met or exceeded minimum jeep standards:

that was a very fun ride. 

A really good friend of mine from high school had a 1985 or 96 Nissan 300ZX, T-top.  Just like this:

We pulled the top and went for a celebratory drive when he got into UVA, and did it again a week later when I did.  This is one of the few Japanese cars I'll confess to really liking.

Never owned a convertible. Motorcycles were more my thing. Today, I could fooks with a convertible Stingray but that's not likely in my plans anytime soon.

S2000. High reving inline 4 cylinder Vtec engine in a PURE sports car. Honda's only rear wheel drive vehicle. Smooth and short throw shifter. It was a blast to drive. Many a skeptic who scoffed at the vehicle quickly changed their tune once they actually drove it. Too bad Honda stopped making it. 

with top removed to we could see planes, and windshield dropped and covered to eradicate glare.  Never fun in Germany in February.

Drove a convertible Mustang through Bryce Canyon in the middle of the night.  No clouds, no moon, a million stars.  There are parts where you drive through tunnels... no other traffic around so we'd turn the headlights off and go slow on running lights to keep the road.  Above is all black, then drive out of the tunnel and the stars just jumped out... looked almost close enough to touch.  Next day went through it during the day, and while it was beautiful I think maybe I liked the night drive better.

Have a Jaguar XK convertible. This is my third convertible. I had Mustang Conv, and 911 Conv. Jaguar is easily the prettiest and most pleasurable convertible so far and is my daily driver even here in rainy NW. Summer weather here is gorgeous and nothing enhances it more than driving with the top down. PS. There isn't a better sound than my car growling with the top down.

1st convertible I ever rode in was my uncles Saab 900. 

Also, rode in a drop top S10.

Note:  These aren't the actual vehicles, just look a lot like the ones I rode in.

I had a 05 Crossfire Convertible for about 3 years from 05-08.  Put a magnaflow exhaust on it to give it a bit more growl and it was a blast to drive.  Really needed another 50-60hp but still fun.  Really overpriced, but she gave me a lot of fun memories.

 

I always thought it was the coolest car on the planet as a wee 10 year old. If I were to buy my own muscle car I would probably go T-top instead of convertible. 

The Wrangler Unlimiteds are horrible.  I had one over a weekend at it scared the hell out of me.  Lousy handling, terrifying in a crosswind, and barely got up to 75 MPH.  I like the idea of a spacious Jeep.  But it's a horrible implementation.

A few years after we got married, late Feb. 1987 featured a week of temps in the 60s and 70s.  Crazy spring fever weather.  The wife was due for a new car and with no kids at the time, she decided she wanted her dream car:  a Mustang convertible.  So, we ordered one and it took forever to arrive, but we did eventually get it in mid-June.  As fate would have it, she got pregnant and we had our first child in the spring of 1988.  The Mustang convertible was gone about a year after that.  She wasn't happy moving to an SUV..

Many years later in the fall of 2003, I had an awesome year in sales (love that sales comp) and I had some cash on hand.  The wife had hinted that she really liked the BMW Z3, so I found a Z3 that had just been returned from a lease and was in great shape.  I surprised her by taking her out to dinner and then driving her over to the BMW dealer.  I think it took all of one minute into the test drive that she said she wanted the car and that it was a "make up" for having to give up her Mustang.  We still have that car.  I can't get her to part with it.  The car has the 2.5L inline 6, makes wonderful noises, and drives like a go-cart.  Love driving it on a nice Fall day.  But...I'd still like to find a nice used Boxster or get a new Miata to replace it.

 

Like a Cadillac Allante convertible and an enormous cigar.

I've never owned one and there really isn't much out there that interests me, being very tall kinda limits the options.

 

That said, if a major automaker ever put together a modern-ish verion of some of the big old convertibles of the 50s and 60s I'd probably buy one just because.  Like a 1961-1963 Lincoln Continental or a 1969 Cadillac DeVille.  Enormous, bench seats, built to cruise, not for speed.

Regrettably there are hundreds of perfectly understandable reasons why it'll never happen. 

The Wife and I have a ragtop fund.  $20 a week and I throw a little other cash in there sometimes.  I'm at about 3k.  When I get to 5k I'll start thinking what I want. I'm near retirement so I need something cheapish.