We experienced the nightmare, worse case scenario yesterday. On the motorway, a long stretch between junctions, no services, top down, and a freak black cloud looming. I was hoping the road would curve left or right to avoid it but we headed straight into it. The oncoming cars had their wipers on so I knew it was inevitable. It was one of those very heavy, torrential downpours that started of really heavy, and then got heavier.
I thought we were going to get drenched, but no. Hardly a drop came into the car. Just got a little water on the arm rests which was blown in off of the top of the side windows.
It only lasted a couple of minutes, and I was fortunate that the traffic was light and I could maintain 60-70mph. I’m not sure that we would have stayed so dry if we had to slow to 30 or 40.
I’m glad it happened as I will no longer be so cautious about putting the top down on an overcast day again.
Try it when it’s snowing…and imagine you’re going into warp drive!
I have very fond memories of one particular drive along the M6 from Kendal to Manchester - a lot of light snow (if that makes sense!) and the roof down…
Same happened to me yesterday, was fine up until I hit slow moving traffic (passenger window up, drivers window down)
Held out for 5 minutes in the hope traffic would speed up, but in the end had to do a 5 second ; handbrake on, belt off, stand up and reach back… done. I like to think that everyone around me was super impressed with my speed and agility… but more likely they were thinking what a div!
I’ve found that if you are on the motorway and keep to a reasonable speed the rain (unless it’s stair-rods) will naturally flow over the car.
We witnessed that on the way home from the Brooklands rally when a sudden squall hit the M25 when lots of top-down MX5’s including us were on their way home!
I have found that if the car is well polished the rain drops straight in to the cabin, where as if its dirty it flows round nicely. Clean and polished i get wet.
As mentioned, its not a big problem, unless the traffic slows, then it can be. But if we have made the choice we have to stick with it, I will never stop on a motorway to put the top up.
It’s a long story but a few years ago my accountant asked if me and my mate would bring his car back from Ibiza, all expenses paid plus a week in his villa. Sounds good, but it was October and work was quiet so I said " yes, what car is it?". 1974 Mustang convertible was the reply. Needless to say it pissed it down all the way from Barcelona to Santander and with the top up we got soaked with constant drips, but with the top down at fast motorway speeds stayed dry. My accountant did wonder why we only managed 10 mpg when he got 18mpg on the trip there.??