Harry P. Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 I'm also a convertible owner ('67 Impala). And there's nothing "cooler" than cruising around with the top down on a nice clear, warm summer evening/night. No, they aren't "sensible." But they are cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 yes harry you describe like 1/10th of the daylight hours in a place that has a breeze. try it in Indianapolis middle of july 2pm sometime...oh and don't forget to follow that dairy cattle truck about 2 carlengths back! jb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 yes harry you describe like 1/10th of the daylight hours in a place that has a breeze. try it in Indianapolis middle of july 2pm sometime...oh and don't forget to follow that dairy cattle truck about 2 carlengths back! jb Well, duh! I don't drive around in a convertible at high noon on a 90 degree day. And it's not my daily driver, it's my weekend toy. So I decide when and where I drive it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 and evidently you don't park it anywhere either! jb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 and evidently you don't park it anywhere either! jb Not in a Target lot for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 A convertible would be a good winter/spring car here (too warm in the summer). I like the metal roof hardtop/convertibles, more secure than a ragtop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I am also a convertible owner (1991 Geo Tracker, 1995 Celica GT) and agree that there's nothing like a convertible! I am determined to enjoy a top down summer, so I pulled the roof off the Tracker and put it away for the summer. I only take it out of the garage when I want to drive it for fun. I only pull it out when I want, so I'm not dealing with the "too hot for a convertible" days. So when I go to local stores the top is off. Anyone who has owned one of these knows it's a pain in the ass to take off / put back on that top. So this is my summer solution! As an aside, it gets noticed with the roof off. I never felt that way driving it around with the roof on. People wave, and compliment it, even though it is a medocre condition car. I came out of the grocery store on Saturday and found someone left a card on the wiper asking if it was for sale. Interesting! And the security of a soft top issue.. 100% no sense locking it. In fact with the Tracker, the rear window unzips, so anyone could unzip it, and crawl in without slitting the top. A year or so ago I had it in a Philadelphia parking garage and someone did enter the car and stole the stereo. The funny part? That stereo hadn't worked in years. They saved me the trouble of pulling it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I do want a convertible sooner or later when I have extra garage space. I've rented them for years when I go to Cali, Ohio, or Florida...closest I get now is driving a hardtop w/ all the windows down and the sunroof open--love those huge metal sunroofs on old Benzes. I like the Cadillac XLR--it was short lived, but sharply styled and a folding hardtop convertible...maybe get one of those eventually..I like the Lexus SC and Merc SL also, same niche. Edited July 10, 2014 by Rob Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I would prefer the hiding hard top convertibles too, a solid, knife proof, well sealing, folding metal roof just seems like a wise choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 I would prefer the hiding hard top convertibles too, a solid, knife proof, well sealing, folding metal roof just seems like a wise choice. If that's your everyday car. If a convertible is your "toy," then security isn't an issue. You just don't leave it unattended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddyfink Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Wow, its kinda funny seeing what you guys are getting excited about. I guess living in Southern California makes one almost oblivious to these cars anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Wow, its kinda funny seeing what you guys are getting excited about. I guess living in Southern California makes one almost oblivious to these cars anymore. Similar around here..I see pretty much anything and everything in Scottsdale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Wow, its kinda funny seeing what you guys are getting excited about. I guess living in Southern California makes one almost oblivious to these cars anymore. Remember... the whole rest of the country isn't nearly as "car-centric" as southern California. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bunyan Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 The new BMW Z4 has the hard top convertible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 There is a version of the Miata available w/ a folding hardtop also, but the Miata may be too small for me...they handle great, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Wow, its kinda funny seeing what you guys are getting excited about. I guess living in Southern California makes one almost oblivious to these cars anymore. On my annual visits to So Cal Buena Park area I find that day to day we are in the only cool car around. Now go to a show and that's a different story.....but daily drivers are econo boxes and wanabe low end BMW's etc. We ride in.......and these are daily drivers...... I did see a cool item on the road today.......a 350 pound black bear.....running down route 28 while I was out today..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartman Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I saw a 32 ford highboy with tall skinny tires and steel wheels and hubcaps Dident get a pic but it was light tan with red wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaymcminn Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 2015 Mustang GT convertible on manufacturer plates. This is not unusual in Naples- Chrysler and Ford both do vehicle testing here. I wish I'd gotten a picture- the color looked to be an updated version of the old Calypso Coral red/orange and was HOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 2015 Mustang GT convertible on manufacturer plates. This is not unusual in Naples- Chrysler and Ford both do vehicle testing here. I wish I'd gotten a picture- the color looked to be an updated version of the old Calypso Coral red/orange and was HOT! Ford and Chrysler do a lot of testing along rural WV I-64 corridor. I see cars all the time 2-4 in a row, with the wild black and white tape designs or thin foam taped over areas. I followed what looked like a Challenger but I think it was a test Cuda as it had the greenhouse but front and tail were all new. hard to tell what they are at speed. I think they like it as there is no major citys after Charleston, little traffic at all and lots of different elevations with one HUGE up hill/down hill section that will test anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I used to work in Pearl River, New York. It's the border town with New Jersey so I drove through Montvale, NJ on my way to work. Somehow this sleepy suburb is home to Mercedes, BMW, Saab and Mini. In fact the Montvale PD had a Mercedes SUV with "Courtesy of MB" on the back of it. So we'd see all kinds of interesting stuff wearing NJ Manufacturers plates on the local roads. Future Mercedes and BMW models, some wearing the black masking. Other times they had competitors cars, like Euro spec Renaults and Peugeots. My favorite was the fleet of Smart cars. Complete set of all the Euro models on the road and eventually all the promotional and car show ones were assembled in one lot. It was right on the road and nobody stopped you from looking. Four door version Sports car -- I'd want one of these. This one would wake you up when you saw it on the local roads. One of the execs had it checked out of the motor pool for a long while because we'd see it often. NY Marathon official vehicles. I was told that these were originally lettered for the Boston Marathon, then later in the year for New York. There were a bunch of them in different job categories. Another Marathon car. This was a pace car. Note that these photos were taken in 2005 so it predates the release of the Smart in the US market. These were all Euro models in the US for promotional purposes. I believe they all got crushed. Complete Album: http://public.fotki.com/modelcitizen/11_car_reference_library/smart_cars/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Other than the four-door, those Smart cars do not look good to me. The worst is the "sports car". I'm sorry, but I'm a big car guy. And I like chrome bumpers and grilles. I'm pretty much stuck in the 50's and 60's when it comes to cars. As far as driving and parking convertibles. I never worry about leaving a convertible unattended most places. I leave nothing of value that can be easily stolen. Lock stuff in the trunk and glove box, even in my "solid roof" vehicles. I'm top down crazy. I've driven with the top down in below zero weather, and the heater on full blast. I driven with the top down in a rain storm. Which was fine as long as you were moving at highway speeds. On '85 Riviera convertibles at speed, the moving air pushes the rain up over the driver's compartment. Still not something I'd do on a regular basis. If it's too hot, the top is up, and air conditioning running. But, in general I've driven some very long distances on warmer days with the top down. Getting either a nice tan, or a really good sun burn. Friends will tell you I'm nuts. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Late yesterday , I heard some-thing with a menacing sound ; it ended up being a 1971 GMC Sprint ! Wish that I could've snapped a couple of cell phone pics of it ; however , I was talking on said cell phone to a friend , so I missed out ... It sure was a beauty ! It was painted that typical early 70's GM light-medium gold metallic , and it had those c.1970 Z-28 wheels (dark argent centre with bright argent ring). I wonder if it had the Invader 454 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I used to work in Pearl River, New York. It's the border town with New Jersey so I drove through Montvale, NJ on my way to work. Somehow this sleepy suburb is home to Mercedes, BMW, Saab and Mini. In fact the Montvale PD had a Mercedes SUV with "Courtesy of MB" on the back of it. So we'd see all kinds of interesting stuff wearing NJ Manufacturers plates on the local roads. Future Mercedes and BMW models, some wearing the black masking. Other times they had competitors cars, like Euro spec Renaults and Peugeots. My favorite was the fleet of Smart cars. Complete set of all the Euro models on the road and eventually all the promotional and car show ones were assembled in one lot. It was right on the road and nobody stopped you from looking. I've seens the 4dr (shared a platform with a Mitsubishi model) and sports car version in Europe..they were very short lived, only out 2-3 years each. The sports car version is very tiny. Edited July 10, 2014 by Rob Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Since this thread got me looking out for interesting things on the road... I took the Pennsylvania Turnpike to work today. In this morning's traffic there was an early 1950s Chevy street rod going the opposite direction so I saw it quick. There are many truck / bus body companies in this area and west of us, so the traffic going west was truck loads of bodyless and cut away trucks and going East there were finished truck loads of trucks. This morning I saw a truck carrying two new big Ford stake beds done in the familiar brown and beige of Brickman Landscaping Company. There was another truck with two Ford vans bucket trucks. On my way home mid afternoon, there was a convoy of three pickups with trailers going west with me. The first one had an enclosed trailer lettered for some racing team. The next truck had a car trailer with a 1980s Malibu race car on it. The first truck had a two car trailer. On it was a nice 1980s Firebird and a '55 Chevy. Otherwise the commuter hours on the turnpike are Camry hell! There are a lot of nice cars hiding in garages in my area. They all come out to play on weekends for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Saw a dark metalflake gray Fisker Karma this morning at Starbucks. It's too bad the company failed, beautiful car IMO... Also discovered they are putting in a new Dunkin Donuts across the street from one of my local Starbucks...woo hoo!!... means I'll have 4 different coffee shops/breakfast spots (and 1/2 dozen more restaurants) at one intersection less than a mile from home. Edited July 10, 2014 by Rob Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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