Driving Topless

[Evans, Marv]

P.S. Motion, that's a great pic.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I can remember being young , wild and free, and having just broke up with my gf of 5 years, I conned a buddy to go on a 2 week surfing / skirt chasing expedition to the beach. We took the roof off my ratty old 85 corvette, strapped the surfboards across the top , and headed for the Carlolinas. We were so studly, that we did not need no stinkin' roof panel, the vette was beat up and ratty, I was pissed off at life, and I really did not care if it got rained in. I have never been sunburned so badly before in my entire life. Mostly just our faces and arms, but holy cow. We ended up doing our return drive home at night just to avoid cooking ourselves.

Summer before last I had to run up to Pittsburgh, it was late july. I dropped the top on the Boxster and off I went. My forehead was so sun and wind burnt it actually make crinkeling noises if I tried to raise my eyebrows.

[fred cook]

My wife actually likes riding in a convetible with the (car's) top down. Shortly after we were married, I bought her a 1971 Torino GT convetible that she really liked. Later on we had a Corvair Corsa Convertible that was great for riding around in with the (car's) top down looking at Christmas lights. As far as the hair getting mussed up, she simply kept a scarf in the cars. No problem.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

P.S. Motion, that's a great pic.

yup, actually keep a scarf and the cloth covered, giant rubber bands for pony tails like that in the car, always, spare baseball cap and high number sunscreen too

If the top was up on any convertible I have had since we got married, and my wife was going, she would start putting the top down before she would get in it. I don't believe she has even ridden in my miata with the top up, and I have had it a year.

The guy in the original article makes two mistakes. He should stay away from Mustangs, and start dating less high maintenance women.

[MarkRobinson]

great pic, she's a stunner as well: good job!

[kaisen]

It's one thing to take a leisurely cruise. It's another to be headed somewhere where you need to look good when you get there.

I've owned several convertibles that sit in the garage with the top down, all the time. If the weather is nice, with no chance of rain, I'll take it that day. If not, it sits.

My girlfriend has very long blonde hair. She rides motorcycles. She likes fast boats (worse on your hair than any car). She likes convertibles. She just ties it all up tight and lets it down when she gets where she's going. It actually looks better with the kinks and curls it gets that way. She's a keeper.

[intakexhaust]

Funny opening thread and great posts. Well in my single years, the old Mustang always had the top down from early Spring to November in Chicago. New car and 'hell yes' its just another POS Ford but one of the most could care less fun to own. Kept it down but often with the windows up and the heat on during those crispy 40 degree temps and loved it. It also got its share of rain.

But my goodness that car was a chick magnet... crazy girls... fun, fun, fun. Nobody worried about their do. With the top down, it was ridiculous. I recall once being at an intersection having a fine looking gal (out of the select gene pool) asking...more like demanding a ride as she said called for a Taxi and my first thoughts were, it might be a prostitute sting. Although she wasn't primped like a hooker I gave her an attitude and replied, do I look like the typical cabbie in Chicago? She said I looked safe and just jumped in! And yes, her top came down too. So you west coasters have the twisty scenery but Chicago has a windy Sheridan and Lake Shore drive and those summer nights with the top down does something to the ladies. No need to explain further and I plead all my mis-behavin' on that car.

Also in downtown Chicago and during the summer, I'd leave the top down parked outside even during the nights and nobody ever messed with that car. I figured if their going to slice the top, you might as well leave it all open. These days and with hardtop vehicles, I've been keyed, doors dented from @ssholes kicking, etc. go figure...

[daepp]

Originally Posted by kaisen

It's one thing to take a leisurely cruise. It's another to be headed somewhere where you need to look good when you get there.

I think that's the point right there. If they have long hair and want to look "just right" at the destination, then the (my) top stays on.

[kach22i]

Some truth to the article, but as pointed out a lot depends on the individuals involved.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by motion

Being the luckiest guy in the world, my wife loves riding topless, nat. To wit, the top has only been up with her in it a couple times in 8 years. Even less with just me. It's practically a crime to have the top up on a cab

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul....and those eyes are sayin what is that fool up to now?

[MRM]

Convertibles are only fun with the top down, so that's the way I drive mine. Being this far north, I don't get to drive it often.

There are two types of people: those who love the wind in their hair and those who seriously evaluate death as an alternative to driving with the top down. I love the wind in my hair. In my experience, about half of the male population are like me and about one in ten women.

Once soon after I first got my car we had some people over and I took three of the wives for a run with the top down. I took them around the block (so far so good) and then to the on-ramp to a local highway to give them the full experience. I stopped at the bottom of the ramp, waited for traffic to clear, and sarted a spirited run up the ramp. I hit about 60 (the speed limit) by the time we hit the top of the ramp, merged into traffic, took the next exit and pottered back to the house.

The reactions of the three women were interesting and relevant to our discussion here. Two of the women immediately began screaming and pleading to stop, practically crying that they were terrified. If they weren't strapped in i would have worried that they were in danger of jumping out of the car from fear.

The third was leaning back in her seat, letting the G forces push her back as she went "Hummmmm......."

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by tweezers74

Balderdash!!!!! This is backwards thinking. If anything, I would be MORE likely to ride with the top down after I got married or with a gentleman for a long time. At the beginning, I would want to look good, pristine, hot. By the time we're married, he's seen me after a romp in the hay, my hair all mussed up, makeup all askew so what if I care if the top down messes up my hair?

Besides, forget him. I will get my own Targa. . Then he'll be the one that has to decide whether or not he wants to ride with me because I WILL have the top down.

Yay!!!!!

[Ozzydog]

Sometimes choosing is half the fun...

[Bobbi66]

When I had my mustang convertible I collected quite a few baseball caps Always the top down! Now I'm looking forward to the completion of our 911 targa. Ponytail or more caps? Hmmm!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

It is a personal preference. Even without the wife I would keep the top up. Why? Even with the windblocker there is buffeting which is annoying especially with hiway driving. Only when it is really hot would I consider putting the top down.

Maybe your definition of really hot and mine are different. Having the top down here in Houston when it's "really hot" is a miserable experience. I mostly put the top down at night or early morning, and the rare, perfect fall/spring day.

Originally Posted by look 171

My 930 or S2000's top never come down. They both ended right on my lap. The bikini top was always there on my old Jeep. I can deal with no doors, but no top will fry my fat azz. Bicycle riding is another story, but sitting in traffic is no fun during the summer months. My wife will drive the S2000 once in a while during Winter, Spring, or Fall but never in the summer.

yeah, I don't want to broil, so my top is mostly up.

I'm not a topless diehard. Actually, I'd be just as happy with a coupe, but I do enjoy it on the rare occasions when the weather is right. I'm on my thirteenth year of top-down cars, '88 targa, '97 miata, '04 mazdaspeed miata.

[speeder]

I can't stand convertibles, other than on a perfect evening with no freeway driving involved. Living in SoCal and having pale, Irish skin, the sun is ever-present and I'm always ducking out of it. Don't get me wrong; the sun is beautiful and I appreciate the great light here, but my skin can't handle it. End of story. I get WAY too much of it just living my life here.

When I was young, I worshipped the sun and roasted quite a bit. Skiing in Colorado in the spring, sailing and windsurfing or waterskiing all summer, or just laying out. A big part of that was growing up in a place where the warm sun is a very finite resource and people chase it when they can. In Los Angeles, it's the most infinite thing there is and it will kill you if you're stupid with it. I have a 35 y.o. friend who had a melanoma removed last year. He is as pale as they come and grew up on a farm in the central valley with his shirt off.

I love the climate and the light but I'm usually looking at it from under cover, either the roof of a car or an outdoor table in the shade. I went to a pool party/BBQ last weekend and everyone was quietly complaining about the lack of shady area that most people have around a pool, (canopy or the like).

Different strokes for different folks, it really depends on where you live.

[masraum]

^ and there you have it.

[Zeke]

In L.A. if you drive around with the top down during the day you will be filthy in an hour. Not too bad at 6am in the warm part of the year and you don't have to worry much about the sun. I refuse to wear any kind of hat, so I'm a bit like Denis with regard to the sun. And I have Gaelic skin according to the dermie.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Zeke

In L.A. if you drive around with the top down during the day you will be filthy in an hour. Not too bad at 6am in the warm part of the year and you don't have to worry much about the sun. I refuse to wear any kind of hat, so I'm a bit like Denis with regard to the sun. And I have Gaelic skin according to the dermie.

Filthy within an hour?

Haven't experienced that driving around with the windows down everyday. Even in downtown L.A., where these pics were taken last weekend:

[tweezers74]

The third was leaning back in her seat, letting the G forces push her back as she went "Hummmmm......."

and this gentlemen, is how you weed out women, being the car enthusiasts you are. The one left standing and actually enjoying the ride is the one to keep.