[Greek1]

indeed i tried it yesterday!! when i first got registered here in these forums, a year ago, i read an interesting thread claiming that driving with the top down while raining can be fun and u should have no worry of having water inside your car or on your head. i was amazed! the thread was true! yesterday we had around 60F and decided to get rid of the roof[]. i was doing apprx. 60mph when suddenly started raining. my first thought was to pull over as soon as pos to have my roof up again. but then i remembered that thread and started accelerating. no water at all inside the cabin.

thanx forum!!!

 

[Julien]

I have done this several times in my S-2000 before. The only problem (other than not having to stop) was that some water would be pushed over the top of the side windows and run down the doors.

 

[JonnyBravo]

you guys got to be kidding right? won't the car spoil?

Jon

 

[ScottMarbella]

From Greek1

i read an interesting thread claiming that driving with the top down while raining can be fun and u should have no worry of having water inside your car or on your head. i was amazed! the thread was true! yesterday we had around 60F and decided to get rid of the roof. i was doing apprx. 60mph when suddenly started raining. my first thought was to pull over as soon as pos to have my roof up again. but then i remembered that thread and started accelerating. no water at all inside the cabin.

Maybe it's possible to prevent most rain from entering the car's interior, but there's no way I would deliberately take a chance on this not happening!

Rainwater isn't always as clean as we might imagine, and the thought of trying to remove hundreds of tiny, dirty spots from the leather upholstery, inside windows and dashboard (not to mention the passengers' clothing) just for the thrill of not stopping for 22 seconds doesn't even bear thinking about! [|)]

Not slowing down in order to prevent rain from entering the interior could also compromise your driving safety. Slowing down means you get wet!

I'll keep my top up thanks! []
(Maybe you could always keep an umbrella handy![)]

Scott

 

[Julien]

ScottMarbella - 2/27/2005 5:17 PM
...but there's no way I would deliberately take a chance on this not happening!...
I'll keep my top up thanks!...

Scott

You obviously have not owned a convertible for long or you don't go topless whenever possible. If so you would know that in driving a convertible over the years you WILL get caught in the rain with your top down from time to time. It is inevitable no matter how careful you are.

 

[malibuite]

Julien - 2/27/2005 2:44 PM

ScottMarbella - 2/27/2005 5:17 PM
...but there's no way I would deliberately take a chance on this not happening!...
I'll keep my top up thanks!...

Scott

You obviously have not owned a convertible for long or you don't go topless whenever possible. If so you would know that in driving a convertible over the years you WILL get caught in the rain with your top down from time to time. It is inevitable no matter how careful you are.

I have always owned a convertible and NEVER been caught in the rain with the top down (and no I have not always lived in SoCal)and probably have been driving quite a few more years than you[] I do go topless whenever possible but don't take needless chances with the interior. I have also owned many a convertible where you had to actually get out of the car and manually put the top up[:0]

 

[Julien]

malibuite - 2/27/2005 5:59 PM
...and probably have been driving quite a few more years than you...[:0]

You may be right but what info is that assumption based on?

You have been very lucky indeed. Everyone I know that has owned a convertible for years has be caught with the top down before. Once on a S2000 drive 11 of us hit an unexpected shower all top down and surprised.

 

[malibuite]

Julien - 2/27/2005 3:14 PM

malibuite - 2/27/2005 5:59 PM
...and probably have been driving quite a few more years than you...[:0]

You may be right but what info is that assumption based on?

You have been very lucky indeed. Everyone I know that has owned a convertible for years has be caught with the top down before. Once on a S2000 drive 11 of us hit an unexpected shower all top down and surprised.

No, you are right. I have been very lucky as I have come close to getting rained on but just never have.

As to your question, from some of your postings I would guess you are anywhere from late 20s to mid 30s and I am not[]

 

[ScottMarbella]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julien - 2/27/2005 2:44 PM


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ScottMarbella - 2/27/2005 5:17 PM
...but there's no way I would deliberately take a chance on this not happening!...
I'll keep my top up thanks!...

Scott
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


You obviously have not owned a convertible for long or you don't go topless whenever possible. If so you would know that in driving a convertible over the years you WILL get caught in the rain with your top down from time to time. It is inevitable no matter how careful you are.

My whole point was that if it started raining I would stop and put the roof up, instead of DELIBERATELY continuing to drive and hoping no rain would enter.

But congratulations on your observation - I've been driving convertibles now for no less than three whole weeks! [][][]

Scott

 

[jono_m]

I got caught in the rain last week, but only got wet BECAUSE I stopped to put the roof up! If it's a light shower I will try to outrun it in future!

 

[gdewitt]

jono_m - 2/27/2005 5:51 PM

I got caught in the rain last week, but only got wet BECAUSE I stopped to put the roof up! If it's a light shower I will try to outrun it in future!

I'm with you. Often on summer evenings we'll get caught in a brief shower from a thunderstorm. I never get wet until I slow down or stop. True with every roadster I know of.

Of course if it starts to pour I'll stop and put up the top.

 

[ScottMarbella]

From jono_m

I got caught in the rain last week, but only got wet BECAUSE I stopped to put the roof up! If it's a light shower I will try to outrun it in future!

Don't forget to stop at the red lights...lol! []

Scott

 

[100R]

Johnny...Car spolit what??
Frankly, if is a drizzle (light shower or rain) is ok. However there will be slight drops which i think it wont hurt the leather much. The very most once reach home take a damp cloth and clean over. Simple.

Sometime is not that one wants to drive in the wet! Is that happen it rains. And u are just few miles or km away from ur house. For me i would just dash home. Probably it may happened to some over here. hahaha...
Frankly, i think some are able to avoid cause people say convertible drivers are able to predict weather better than the people working in the meterological! hahaha....

Peace guys....
Make LOVE not war....kekeke

 

[malibuite]

I am nor so concerned about the leather as the electronics. Since cars today are so dependent on them I would not want to take a chance of water getting into something it shoudn't.

 

[owen]

Yes, as a long time roadster driver, it is remarkable how little rain gets in the car, and as long as you have a wipe around afterwards, your car will suffer no real harm. The advice is to watch that the leather does not get wet from the other side. The previous slk had perforations that could mean the padding and inside of the leather getting wet and stating to decay. Best to avoid this. Also I remember a posting where [perhaps dues to a spilled drink], a forum member had to fork out nearly £600 when the switching beneath the gear change got soaked. Serious amounts of water in the wrong places could mean a huge bill.

 

[Marty171]

I guess this varies a little between vehicles. With my Z3, I could certainly get away with keeping going in light rain, but if it gets heavy, the wipers start to push the water over the top of the windscreen![]

 

[Woolly]

When I was a poor impoverished student, I used to have a 1968 MGB roadster. It had no roof (neither hardtop or soft top). I drove that car for 3 years totally open - ok - I used to keep it in a garage or undercover at night, but at no time during that 3 years, did I ever get wet whilst driving it. Above 40mph, the rain just blew over it - as a biker, you don't feel the cold (long before 'Airscarfs'). I even drove down to the South of France once in it and slept under a windsurfer sail over the cockpit when I felt the need to sleep. Ocaisionally in winter I had to scrape the snow off the seat and out of the footwell. As I keep on saying - enjoy your wheels. We are lucky enough to have bought these cars for ourselves. You have not bought them for the next owner. Do what you like in them, and enjoy it - think how lucky we are, and don't get precious over a few rainspots on the dash or a few stone chips on the hood or the screen.

Here endeth this evenings lesson[}]

 

[garycourtland]

Very well said, Wooly. Cars will always get chipped, scratched and even dinged. Keeping your car under a bell jar to protect it from everything will just protect you from having any fun.

Gary

 

[Motzkoman]

garycourtland - 2/28/2005 9:54 PM

Very well said, Wooly. Cars will always get chipped, scratched and even dinged. Keeping your car under a bell jar to protect it from everything will just protect you from having any fun.

Gary

Agreed...6500 miles and driving to enjoy...[][][]'

 

[two dogs]

garycourtland - 3/2/2005 4:54 PM

Very well said, Wooly. Cars will always get chipped, scratched and even dinged. Keeping your car under a bell jar to protect it from everything will just protect you from having any fun.

Gary

Indeed, very well put yourself, Gary! I've recently completed a 4,800km tour of the south-eastern states of Oz, in a week, and some of that comprised a few sections of "gravel" roads, in order to be able to enjoy a drive on some or our best "mountain" roads (I dunno if you can really call them mountains; the highest point in Oz is just over 2200 metres). Sure, I got a few stone chips, but I'll have them touched up sometime (nobody notices them except me, when I wash/polish the car). Although the appearance of the car was a major factor in purchasing it, I intend mainly to drive it, not to look at it.

Cheers,
....Julian