OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Raindrop DropTop
It's spring, when young folks' fancy turns to top-down cruising.
Unfortunately, convertible sales are tanking, and have been for a decade. http://www.npr.org/2015/08/20/433010969/sales-of-convertibles-are-decelerating-blame-the-fuel-economy
What's your best convertible experience? Story? Have one? Miss one? Want to buy a new one?
I used to not only go topless, but doorless! (not mine pictured) Being essentially outside was awesome, if somewhat terrifying on the highway. But, I guess the YJ was always terrifying on the highway....
March 21st, 2017 at 10:03 AM ^
Rented one while on vacation in Hawaii. Best decision I've ever made.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:15 AM ^
We had the new mustang (2005) on our honeymoon in Hawaii and it was great to drive around the islands on. So much to see and such great weather, no need to be all couped up (see what I did there?)
March 21st, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
I have a V6 '07 (non-convertible) and I love it to pieces.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
looks good and may be fun
but no doors means any mva is life and limb threatnening
might be better if off road
on road- keep your doors on
March 21st, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
That disclaimer is in no way disconcerting...
March 21st, 2017 at 11:50 AM ^
Everyone always wore their seatbelt!
March 21st, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
if you're buying a Wrangler you know what you're getting. One just has to pick up the doors to know that they aren't doing much other than keeping out the weather.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Best experince so far is a three jeep father son camping trip in Maine with my cousin and his sons, and a freind and his sons. It's really cool to wake up next to a lake where no one else is.
And that YJ is not muddy enough!
March 21st, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^
The TJ got muddy too...
March 21st, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
I'm also guessing you also got muddy!
My brother had an employee with "Mud Slut" painted on his truck.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
on weekends, and on a particular three mile stretch I have never failed to see a jeep getting towed or pulled out of some muck. The good news is that everyone still has smiles on their faces.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
I wandered onto an ATV trail accidentally. My then-girlfriend now-wife put on a brave face. She only freaked out at me when I said I wasn't going to get worried until it started getting dark. I think I got stuck around noon.
This is my favorite OT thread series, BTW - thanks very much for doing these.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
the TJ get out of that hole?
March 21st, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
3 hours later.... yes!
Thanks to the kind gentleman in an older J20 on 5.13 axles and 38" tires.
They say always go wheeling with at least 3 vehicles total. Because if you get stuck, the other 2 can get you out. The one other jeep I was with wasn't going to move me.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
March 21st, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
"Do you want to replace your Miata if you're in an accident?"
"I want to make sure my family isn't impoverished and my estate is intact. In an accident I'm not worried about me or the car..."
March 21st, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
Never been a fan of verts. Something about taking away structural rigidity and adding odd weight all while throwing off the center of gravity just makes me say meh.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
I've posted before that I had a '55 Tbird convertible. Putting the top up and down was a bit of a chore and with the top down I always felt I need to be close to the car to prevent stuff from being pried off.
I also had a Porsche 914 with a Targa top, I thought it was a great compromise. Like a convertible but with a light hard top that stored in the trunk. Was easily taken on and off. Loved that car with the top off.
I like the idea of a HT convertible
I almost purchased one of these used. Won the auction on eBay but the car had some undisclosed issues and ended up with a HT Mini Cooper. The Mini convertibles do not look good IMHO.
I thought about one of these as well - but could not get past the cost and complete uselessness of the truck.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
My old boss had one and got it for a decent price. There was a reason for that. They are super heavy and can't carry anything. When he wanted to take a fake plant to his house he asked me if I could take it in my Mazdaspeed 3 because his truck couldn't fit it.
I love porches (356, 911, 944, cayman, boxter) but could never get into the 914 for some reason. I've heard they are a blast to drive though.
I also keep picturing your avatar riding around in al lthese little cars.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
I am not far off my avatar. Don't think I would fit into a 914 anymore. Modern cars like the Mercedes SLK and Mini Cooper have plenty of room, Thanks for the note on the SSR truck - it does seem really useless.
I kind of like the Plymouth Prowler but it is the same level of cost and uselessness.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
He had some awesome designs. The Prowler, however, was always the car that 'coudl have been' to me.
The 3.5 liter V6 was a good mid tech engine for Chrysler. But having it in the Prowler with 'autostick' was too 'almost' for me. The engine had nice power for the era. But the Prowler with a mildely hopped up 4.7 and a stick would have been amazing.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
4.3L V6 and a 4-speed auto? By the time GM dropped the 5.7 (or 5.3?) and a manual in it it was too late.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
Miata Is Always The Answer.
I picked up a '91 a little over a month ago with ~170k on the odo and a service history of "probably not".
Since then, I've spent my weekends getting her ready for track days. New belts, new alternator, new battery, new spark plugs and wires, new wheels and tires, new roof, new mirrors, a quick-release steering wheel, shift lights, and a racing seat. Up next is new brakes and stainless steel lines, and some thermostat work.
BEFORE
http://i.imgur.com/VefDelJ.jpg
AFTER
http://imgur.com/rvJiXBi
March 21st, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
Looks very nice. White is not my favorite color - it remonds me of every base work pickup.
I wonder if wraps will every come down in price as I am looking at work trucks and it seems like half are white.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
Wrapping is too expensive for my tastes right now, to get it properly/professionally done.
I do hope to install some go-faster stripes like...within the next 24 hours, though.
She doesn't need to look perfect -- that's what my Mustang is for. She just needs to look fun.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:03 AM ^
What is wrapping?
March 21st, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
You can buy special sheets of vinyl and literally wrap it around your body panels to get a whole new look while preserving the original paint (theoretically).
When you're "done" with it, it just peels off. Or if it's damaged and you need to replace it.
Here's a really cool "rusted" wrap on a Porsche.
http://www.musclecarszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Wrapped-Porsche-911-GT3-RS-1.jpg
Here's a chrome-wrapped Lambo.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/eb/fc/15/ebfc15ed1a78d7eb22e06c899b2a9748.jpg
March 21st, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
looks heavy and hard to do well.
that said, the vehicles look cool.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
It's vinyl, it's not all that heavy. Hard to do well, very, Especially if you want to apply it without silly things like "bubbles".
March 21st, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
that Wrapping is waaaaaaay beyond my MgoSkillLevel.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^
and it has had pretty much no problems. I drove it a year or so ago, and forgot how different and fun you should drive them. My cars have so much more power, so I was not used to keeping the revs up and pedal down as I drove around. Such a great track car as you get to drive it at the limit.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
because not only are they well balanced and fun, they are built ruggedly in their way.
The mechanicals are simple. The transmission can easily handle the torque and is pretty bullet proof. The engine is off of the 323, IIRC. And I've read on Miata.net that it has internals (connecting rods, crank I think) that were intended for the turbo. It is a very durable motor.
The two biggest complaints I've read are its a b*tch to improve air intake and the electrical system can get a bit wonky.
The breathing isn't an issue for me, I'm all stock and happy with it. The electrical system hasn't hit me yet, other than having to replace wires more often.
If it was just an economy car, it would be a good car that was economical to run and easy to maintain.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Yup, I specifically got the NA because they have a great reputation and who doesn't love pop-up highlights?
I'm not touching the air intake. IMHO the only benefits to a new air intake are if you also tune you car. Not gonna bother with that.
And yeah, I've been dealing with electrical system wonkiness for the last week. Hence, new alternator.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
I always thought these looked sweet
March 21st, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
See, I have the opposite opinion. To each their own, but to me, those do not look good.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
Yup, my hope is that having finally performed what amounts to "maintenance that should have been done almost 100k ago but god only knows what the previous owner did", she'll outlive a Civic.
We'll see about that one...
March 21st, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
The saying goes: It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. My (or rather, my brother's) first rag top was a '67 MG Midget. It had the 'slow' part down pat.
March 21st, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
I have a 250cc Ninja, and no desire to upgrade. She goes plenty fast, fastly, for my tastes.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
March 21st, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
Very cool look. I liked them alot.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^
I think I've talked about this car here before, but I used to drive an Alfa Romeo Graduate. It was the cheapest version of the Spider, with a vinyl top and seats and no door locks (didn't even realize it until long after I bought the car). It was incredibly awesome. I've gone looking to replace it, and I've found a few used ones for reasonable money, but I can't seem to pull the trigger. I don't know if I can ever really recreate my late 20's driving an Italian sports car.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^
My car talks. It say's "phone not found" when I press the button with the squigly.
March 21st, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^
and gave me his Jeep Wrangler leased car as a high school idiot. It was a hard shell roof, not the cloth alternative, so it was a bitch to take on and off. First nice day of Spring, I popped that bad boy off and drove to school. Within 3 hours, it started to pour. I drove home from school getting soaked and with water up to my knees in the car.
I am an idiot at heart.
March 21st, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
NOW you tell him!
March 21st, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
facepalm.gif
When I got home I was hauling that water out with buckets lamo
March 21st, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
Me too, drove my '55 TBird in a pouring storm because I would bet less water in the car driving home than messing with the top.