Any Convertible Car Owners?

[Kai]

I LOVE convertibles.

My first car was a convertible (1971 Dodge Challenger.)

I was hooked from the beginning. I love the feeling of driving with the top down.

I've also owned a Fiat Spyder and a Triumph Spitfire.

My current fun car is a Dodge Viper convertible.

For driving fun, very few things beat the feeling of top down motoring at speed up and down mountain canyons. The convertible top just amplifies the sensations of driving.

 

[amstokesdb9]

Very nice! Did you have a lot of trouble with the Fiat?

 

[turboman808]

Originally Posted by epb

Yep, it's amazing how little space is in the Solstice. We've gotten by for weekend trips, but I'd take the Z4 M Coupe for a serious road-trip.

Re. the convertible issue: some people would drive top down as long as it's not raining - dead of winter, blazing sun, whatever. I like convertibles (the Solstice is my 4th) but really I'm too finicky - during the day it's got to be overcast, otherwise I just use it at night, and then I prefer it to be above 60* and really I prefer to drive top-down outside of the city where you're sitting at lights on display. Those few times I actually use it, I really do enjoy it though. I think I'm a strong candidate for something with a folding hardtop. Now that the SLK350s are dipping in the low 20s...

We have a early model Z4 roadster as well. It's really starting to show it's age but it's still a fun car. It's the only one my fiance can drive, automatic, seats go up and down and it's really quite small and easy to maneuver. For weekend getaways it's a terrific car. For tearing down the road like and asshole it's not so great.

What I don't like about the Z4 is it's loaded with technology that is now out of date and is still confusing to use. I have to relearn it every time I drive it. For that reason I would prefer a Z3 Roadster. You can find a Z3 M Roadster now fairly cheap and that is a terrific car for anyone looking to get a convertible.

 

[Kai]

Originally Posted by amstokesdb9

Very nice! Did you have a lot of trouble with the Fiat?


The Fiat had one flaw: When I put the car in reverse, all of the fuses would blow. Driving it gave me an aversion to going in reverse that still is with me today.

The Triumph had many flaws, but it also taught me a lot about working on cars because I didn't have much money, I did all the work myself. (Pretty much rebuilt the entire engine, ******, and clutch.)

 

[tj100]

Originally Posted by cmrocks

Right now, I'm looking very strongly at a 2002 or 2003 Porsche Carrera. On the used market, the coupes are cabriolets are about the same price and found in about the same abundance. I've test drove both and don't really notice any difference in performance. The convertible certainly doesn't look as nice with the top up but that's to be expected.

I have a 2004 Carrera cab and after five years of owning it, am completely happy with the choice. I think you'll find that when it comes to price, the cabs have a small premium, in that for any given price level, the cabriolets available will be a little less desirable (more miles, odd color, etc.) than the coupes. Last time I looked, the 'convertible premium' was somewhere around $5,000 - but the used market is such a mess right now, there are deals to be had.

There are only two real issues with the cab vs. the coupe, in my opinion: (1) track days are sort of off limits (unless you want to put in a permanent roll bar); and (2) it's quite a bit noisier. The track days aren't a huge deal for me, and the noise, well, if you wanted a quiet car, you're probably better served with a Lexus.

Originally Posted by cmrocks

I'm still leaning towards the coupe just because I know what everyone will say if I buy a convertible. People just seem to have something against them and they portray a certain image that I'm not sure I want.

If you're driving a porsche, most of what they will say will be because of that, not because it's a convertible porsche.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by tj100

If you're driving a porsche, most of what they will say will be because of that, not because it's a convertible porsche.
I agree with this.

 

[cmrocks]

Originally Posted by tj100

I have a 2004 Carrera cab and after five years of owning it, am completely happy with the choice. I think you'll find that when it comes to price, the cabs have a small premium, in that for any given price level, the cabriolets available will be a little less desirable (more miles, odd color, etc.) than the coupes. Last time I looked, the 'convertible premium' was somewhere around $5,000 - but the used market is such a mess right now, there are deals to be had.

There are only two real issues with the cab vs. the coupe, in my opinion: (1) track days are sort of off limits (unless you want to put in a permanent roll bar); and (2) it's quite a bit noisier. The track days aren't a huge deal for me, and the noise, well, if you wanted a quiet car, you're probably better served with a Lexus.



If you're driving a porsche, most of what they will say will be because of that, not because it's a convertible porsche.

Thank you tj!

Where do you live if you don't mind me asking? I'm wondering what the weather is like where you are. Vancouver isn't really that bad weather wise.

One concern I have about getting a coupe is our new speeding laws make it pretty much pointless to own. If you're caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h, your vehicle automatically gets impounded for 7 days. I have a feeling that just cruising with the top down would make a person drive slower and probably get into less trouble.

Also, can you clarify what you mean with your last statement? You find that people give you a hard time just for driving a Porsche? What kind of stuff do they say?

 

[amstokesdb9]

Originally Posted by Kai

The Fiat had one flaw: When I put the car in reverse, all of the fuses would blow. Driving it gave me an aversion to going in reverse that still is with me today.


That is so classic and enough of a reason to go out and buy an old European car today as far as Im concerned.

 

[tj100]

Originally Posted by cmrocks

Where do you live if you don't mind me asking? I'm wondering what the weather is like where you are. Vancouver isn't really that bad weather wise.

Boston. The weather sucks at least 50% of the time. I have a hard top that I usually put on in November and take off in May - it came with the car, so I use it, but it's not essential equipment.

Originally Posted by cmrocks

One concern I have about getting a coupe is our new speeding laws make it pretty much pointless to own. If you're caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h, your vehicle automatically gets impounded for 7 days. I have a feeling that just cruising with the top down would make a person drive slower and probably get into less trouble.

If that's your approach, you might as well just buy a Hyundai Accent and call it a day. Any nice car is going to put you at the same risk for speeding. Actually, I might argue that the Porsche is less of a risk because of the noise and the fact that it's so low to the ground, you feel like you're going fast even when you're not. I've driven some land yachts (Bentley, BMW 7, etc.) that are so refined that you find yourself going 95 miles an hour on the highway and not even noticing that your speed crept up. In the Porsche, you know when you're going 95 (and, if you need to pass somebody, you can just push the gas a little more to kick it up to 110...).

Originally Posted by cmrocks

Also, can you clarify what you mean with your last statement? You find that people give you a hard time just for driving a Porsche? What kind of stuff do they say?

I'd say you just get the run-of-the-mill expensive car flak. Porsche has a bit of a stigma for having asshole drivers; like BMW, only more expensive...

It's also sort of a mid-life-crisis car (albeit, I bought mine when I was in my mid 20s); I think the first comment (from a colleague/friend) when I got it was: "trying to get over a tough divorce, huh?".

 

[epb]

Originally Posted by tj100

It's also sort of a mid-life-crisis car (albeit, I bought mine when I was in my mid 20s); I think the first comment (from a colleague/friend) when I got it was: "trying to get over a tough divorce, huh?".

That's any sports car. I've driven almost nothing but sports cars since I my 20s, and 30s years on strangers always assume I'm having a mid-life crisis.

 

[epb]

Originally Posted by turboman808

What I don't like about the Z4 is it's loaded with technology that is now out of date and is still confusing to use. I have to relearn it every time I drive it. For that reason I would prefer a Z3 Roadster. You can find a Z3 M Roadster now fairly cheap and that is a terrific car for anyone looking to get a convertible.

That's odd - my first Z4 was a 2003 2.5i with 5-speed and I found it pretty basic. I was driving a 2003 325i at the time and even that didn't seem all that crammed with tech. One of the things I like about the Z4Ms is they're among the simplest of modern sports cars - compared to the SLK or Boxster, for example.

 

[VaderDave]

I have a 2004 BMW 330Ci ZHP convertible. I really like it. Before this car I had a 1989 MBZ 560SL. I liked that as well, but needed a back seat. I expect I'll always have a convertible. I plan on keeping this one until the wheels fall off.

 

[Decahedron]

Sometimes a ten minute drive with the top down is all that you need to destress the entire day. It's wonderful.


Also, be aware the convertibles=hearing loss, period. From a Geo drop top to a Bentley, its bad. I keep 2 pairs of earplugs in my car, and use them on the highway. Besides, good ear plugs just drown out stuff you dont want to hear. I can still carry on a conversation at the same level/listen to music.

'94 (the best year

) miata owner checking in!

 

[longskate88]

Open question:

Whats the cheapest hardtop convertible out there? I know the current Miata is available with one, what else is out there? Maybe an old used SLK320?

 

[tj100]

Originally Posted by longskate88

Open question:

Whats the cheapest hardtop convertible out there? I know the current Miata is available with one, what else is out there? Maybe an old used SLK320?

Based on age alone, the SLK230 and the Mitsubishi 3000GT are going to be the cheapest - but they're a solid five years older than anything else on the market, and 10+ years earlier than the when the hardtop really became popular.