Cabriolets / soft top cars

[levemircento]

Who likes soft top cars then?

Here, we love them!! and the weather is getting better!!

Years ago, I had a Strada Bertone Cabriolet, bodily it was fine, it was a 1500cc engine and it had an abarth exhaust on it, the thing howled! for 1500cc I thought it very quick, unfortunatly it leaked like a sieve, and many a morning I was met with dripping wet seats, but all that was soon overcome with a spot of nice weather!!

"I" became a "we", and bought a showroom condition Escort MK3 1600i Cabrio B438BFM [long gone, I think], metallic blue, this car was ace, we did many miles in that, it had a new roof [still leaked!] was lowered slightly, it had to go though cos "we" wanted a caravan.

and now, obtained last year, "she" has an MX5 MK1, we had some good sunshine days out of it last year and have already had its top down a couple of times this year, we had a new roof put onto it by somebody local, its a belter of a car, and quick!

 

[AppleSei]

They suck.

In this country anyway, you dont get the weather here to appreciate them fully

 

[Big Black Stilo]

last rag top i was in was a bmw 330. was ok but nowt special. quite bland.

however, i enjoyed an MGB a lot better, but i do like driving older cars.....

 

[rallycinq]

I still have my Opel Manta Centaur convertible. I don't need the sun out to take my top off, so to speak, as long as its not actually raining, the roof will be down.

I don't drive it when there is salt about, at 31 years old, I'd rather not put more floors in it next year.

Cheers

SPD

 

[JFL]

skyroof FTMFW

 

[Big Black Stilo]

skyroof FTMFW

not quite the same

 

[Chas Uno]

I still have my Opel Manta Centaur convertible.

Nice car :yum:

Any pics?

 

[jug]

its a completely different experience, and a lot of fun even when you arent going that fast, but i wouldnt want a cabby for a daily driver unless it had a hard top.

 

[The Beard]

We buy more soft top cars (at least we did before the present financial situation) than any other country in Europe. In places like Spain, Italy and Portugal they consider it's too hot in Summer. Never had one, but persoanally
I think I would prefer a proper convertible than a Cabrio.

I think one of the problems is that they always used to be considered as "Sports Cars" and generally speaking their performance was better than saloon cars, at least with the exception of the Triumph Vitesse as was their handling. I have driven a few including a Triumph Spitfire and MX5. In fact the Mazda reminds me of the Trigrumph in its handling.

The problem since the '70s is that with the advent of the Dolomite Sprint, Chevette 2300HS, Escort RS1600, Sunbeam Lotus and their like, their performance and roadholding has slipped further and further behind. By the time the Delta Integrale, Impreza, EVO and now cars like the focus ST/RS they didn't really stand a chance. Having said that, some of the older rag tops
like FIAT Dino, 124 Spider, Alfa Duetto and virtually all Alfa convertibles since look gorgeous and still handle well although on a fast road most modern cars like the Golf GTI would make mincemeat of them.

Maybe the way to treat convertibles now is to take them for a leisurely drive in the country.

 

[Lima]

UK may not have the best weather, but it doesn't have to be scorching to put the hood down. As JUG says, it's a different experience. I had never considered a soft top until I was taken for a spin in an mx5, and it's a nice sensation. Before then I was a coupe man, but I now have a Barchetta. The best time to drive topless for me is at night in the summer - perfect. I have seen a Barchetta with it's hood down one winter when the roads were covered in snow, but I think that's just wierd - perhaps someone had stolen his roof that morning?!).
I am temporarily in Portugal working, and the only people with roofs down are tourists and uberposers (the standard posers just cruise with mirrored aviators, a cigarette magically stuck to their bottom lip and awful euroPop blaring from ICE that cost more than the battered old corsa is worth).
In conclusion, the perfect weather for convertibles is 'mild', and in the UK we get 'mild' a lot. I cannot wait till I get back

 

[3140tipo]

not to keen on cabriolets, the only 1's ive had are kit cars,