Why do people have cabs then NEVER put the roof down ?

[BruceM]

 Just speculation, but I would guess that it’s because you want your car to look good, and to be as good as it can.

On the broader issue, I get the top down as often as I can, even if it means two fleeces, a hat, a scarf and gloves in the depths of a Cornish summer. My MX-5 is my daily drive, and there are times when I need to arrive at my destination looking (as far as possible) smart and presentable. So sometimes I drive with the roof up on a dry, sunny day. Coming back is a different story. For similar reasons I have the hard top on during the winter months, but then it’s only the work of a few minutes to take it off and stow it.

I think that MX-5s look good with hard tops on, with soft tops up and soft tops down, but I also believe that the “natural state” for a Five is with its roof down. It makes sense to me to raise the roof when it’s parked, not least because of the morons who will damage other peoples’ property merely for the sake of doing so, and also because we have a lot of ill-mannered gulls in Cornwall.

As far as distressed hair is concerned, I have so little left that it’s not a personal issue, but looking at some of the earlier comments it is now quite clear that the MX-5 is not a hairdresser’s car. If it were, then the drivers could sort out their own hair at the end of windswept journeys.

[loadbang]

My roof is up most of the time. Leaving your car with the roof down while unattended in the West Midlands is asking for trouble. Too much car jacking on Birmingham and Wolverhampton ring roads lately too, happened to two people I know.

Anyone else find the tonneau cover a bitch to install too? Poppers sit under the windblocker and two large ones that attach inside and on to the roll bar are difficult. Always takes me 10 or so minute to get it right.

Seen many people who’s roof shot up eiher while braking or doing 50MPH because didn’t install the tonneau cover, damaging the roof in the process.

 

[quote user=“VO5Jo”]
However, the likes of A4s, Beetles, Golfs have non drop tops as standard - were never originally constructed as cabs. so where they’re concerned i have no idea why they[owners]
don’t bother.
Or, more to the point, why they bother spending the extra money on cabs.in the first place.

[/quote]

Cars that are not orginally designed to be a drop top usually suck. The Beetle being one of them. The cars have poor rigidity which makes for terrible performance.

Pug 206 has a wobbly chassis as standard. I have been in a 206 CC you can feel the whole body bend in corners and sometimes creeks. Good luck trying to it children in the back seats too.

MX5, S2000, Mercs etc are fine.

 

[Jojo_H]

I ask myself that question on a daily basis.  I see people driving MX5s round the New Forest on glorious sunny days with the roof up.  Why?  I’ve even seen them with the roof up and the windows down - what is that about?  Surely all the usual reasons of noise, warmth, messed up hair are much worse with the windows down?

I can’t bear having the roof up - it’s only there if it’s raining hard.  Or if my husband is in the car in winter - he says his bald head gets cold.  I’ve bought him a hat.  Or very occasionally in winter when it’s too frozen to fold down, though I’ll usually try to stop after a few miles to fold it down once it has thawed.  With the roof down and heater on it’s warmer in sub-zero temperatures than my old Ford Focus ever was.  And if the roof is up it’s just too stuffy.  On those 50-50 will it rain or won’t it days the roof is down.  Dodging the rain clouds adds to the excitement of the journey.  I’ve only been caught out once in a big downpour when I couldn’t pull over to put the roof back up.  It was kind of fun.

When I had an ordinary car I used to spend ages messing about with hair straighteners in the mornings. Now I just have a hairdo that suits my car. Windswept is a look that suits me. In fact my hair looks quite flat and lifeless if I have to have the roof up in the mornings. My car is an excellent hair stylist, second only to the boat. 

As for when it’s parked - I usually put the roof up, depending where I am and how long I’m going to be.  It only takes a few seconds to put it up or down so it’s not a issue.  I live in a fairly safe area but you just can’t predict random rain and birds, and the trees round here are constantly dropping pollen, leaves and other debris that makes a mess of the inside if I leave the roof down.

I don’t think I could ever go back to owning a car with a roof.  In fact the only negative of having the roof down is that people can hear me singing

[taff_eunos]

I ask myself that question on a daily basis.  I see people driving MX5s round the New Forest on glorious sunny days with the roof up.  Why?  I’ve even seen them with the roof up and the windows down - what is that about?  Surely all the usual reasons of noise, warmth, messed up hair are much worse with the windows down?

I can’t bear having the roof up - it’s only there if it’s raining hard.  Or if my husband is in the car in winter - he says his bald head gets cold.  I’ve bought him a hat.  Or very occasionally in winter when it’s too frozen to fold down, though I’ll usually try to stop after a few miles to fold it down once it has thawed.  With the roof down and heater on it’s warmer in sub-zero temperatures than my old Ford Focus ever was.  And if the roof is up it’s just too stuffy.  On those 50-50 will it rain or won’t it days the roof is down.  Dodging the rain clouds adds to the excitement of the journey.  I’ve only been caught out once in a big downpour when I couldn’t pull over to put the roof back up.  It was kind of fun.

When I had an ordinary car I used to spend ages messing about with hair straighteners in the mornings. Now I just have a hairdo that suits my car. Windswept is a look that suits me. In fact my hair looks quite flat and lifeless if I have to have the roof up in the mornings. My car is an excellent hair stylist, second only to the boat. 

As for when it’s parked - I usually put the roof up, depending where I am and how long I’m going to be.  It only takes a few seconds to put it up or down so it’s not a issue.  I live in a fairly safe area but you just can’t predict random rain and birds, and the trees round here are constantly dropping pollen, leaves and other debris that makes a mess of the inside if I leave the roof down.

I don’t think I could ever go back to owning a car with a roof.  In fact the only negative of having the roof down is that people can hear me singing

 

Now THATS the spirit!

Dr. Eunos

[marpar]

On Monday, a glorious day, I parked in a private carpark away from trees with the top down. I was on the second floor when I noticed the rain. By the time I got to the car and raised the roof both the car and I were soaked, it was raining so hard. As I finished securing the roof the rain stopped and the sun shoe brilliantly.

   Luckily the following good weather quickly dried the car.

[vriley]

I can’t bear having the roof up - it’s only there if it’s raining hard.   With the roof down and heater on it’s warmer in sub-zero temperatures than my old Ford Focus ever was.  And if the roof is up it’s just too stuffy.  On those 50-50 will it rain or won’t it days the roof is down.Now I just have a hairdo that suits my car. Windswept is a look that suits me. In fact my hair looks quite flat and lifeless if I have to have the roof up in the mornings.

 

I’m the same  I’ve been car sharing this year and I’ve HATED it as my passenger doesn’t like the roof down  there’s a few cabs at work including 5s but I’m the ONLY one who goes topless on the way in. I stick a headband on to keep it off my face then try and calm mine down before registration. My form tell me if it’s TOO bad and needs a brushing If I AM bothered about hair then I have a rather posh Alexander McQueen silk scarf that goes on - Audry Hepburn style with a BIG pair of Raybans

I’ve left the roof down twice this week at work … only to have to run out to put it up when it’s started to rain …

It’s ALL good fun

[max_hall]

It is a great point that will probably never have the correct answer.

I have an estate car for work, i look manage property and a rag top cannot be the permanent solution but i have a 5 for the rest of the time, i am heading onto sites at 6.45 in the morning with the hood down, it is why we own rag tops!

Monday as Marpar put it was an ‘extreme’ day, i was driving from washington (tyne and wear) down the A1 with the hood down, 5 miles away on the west side of newcastle lightning was flashing away, the hood stayed down until i could get off the road to put it up, the back window stayed down until i got to Heaton where the hail stones were so big they were boucing in throught he open back window, time to stop and zip that up, 15 minutes later the whole lot was back down again, brilliant sunshine and steam comiong off the tarmac.

Feel sorry for those that don’t get it, they have a rag top that they’ll drop half a dozen times a year, their choice, they bought it!

They probably don’t get out into the countryside on foot or a bicycle to see this green and pleasant land we live in.

We are the enlightened ones!

[60Rod]

 Great write up and sums it all up really well. Just on the last point I still can’t get used to listening to the birds sing as I drive through the local lanes (but then I have yet to fit a decent exhaust!)

Rod

[Captain_Muppet]

I’m one of the majority of drivers who choose not to drive with the roof down. Most cars have a metal roof, despite the cheap availablility of convertable options, so wanting a metal roof on your car is normal.

However, having decided you like metal roofs why would you buy a convertable? For me the MX5 is a near perfect car, and as has been discussed on here before, if you ignore the roof it’s impossible to replace an early mk1 MX5 with a car that is as good for the same money. So viewed as a driving tool (or if you really like pop-up lights, or really hate back seats) you can end up with an MX5 and never bother with the roof. The same applies to S2000, MR2s, MGFs (although they should either buy an MR2/MX5 depending on where they like their engine), Z4 and Boxsters (the coupe version of the last two are much newer and therefore more expensive).

What I can’t understand is buying any convertable like a Beetle/Audi/BMW saloon and not using the roof. It’s cost you more to buy, it drives worse, it cost more to insure, it has more weight, uses more fuel and it less practical. Why buy one if you aren’t ever going to use the one feature that made it worse for everything else? Insane. For some it’s because they must have the “best” version of everything, which is why they drive slowly in their convertable M3s. It’s a waste, but it’s their loss, not mine.

Moving on, there are reasons for normal MX5 drivers (thats the majority of MX5 owners who like having the roof down) to drive with the roof up. Sun burn, diesel fumes in traffic, abuse from pedestrians, wanting to hear the radio/music (either to hear it at speed, or to listen to it without annoying others), not being bothered because it’s a short journey, having papers in the car, having a passenger who isn’t fun, hair style, or just because they can drive with the roof any way they like and they want to have a roof up. None of those reasons entirely prohibit having the roof down, but if someone wants to use their freedom in a different way to you then let them get on with it.

I wonder if there is a forum for people who like to drive a hatchback with their boot open, and if they have threads about why other people don’t do it. We all assume our behaviour is normal and that everyone else is weird.

[Captain_Muppet]

They probably don’t get out into the countryside on foot or a bicycle to see this green and pleasant land we live in.

Try driving five people and their bicycles in to the countryside from a town centre in a convertable car. I can’t think of a car that would do it, but I’m not going to label all convertable drivers as bicycle-hating countryside-ignorers who can’t have children, because that would be an insane conclusion to draw from one tiny peice of data.

We are the enlightened ones!

An opinion shared with everyone in the world.

[bluescog]

Sympathetic to most of these comments.

I drive my Mk 1 in most weathers and all months and cannot see the point of a hard top as there are just as many opportunities for dry driving in Winter as in Summer and once the thing is on it would stay on for weeks, defeating the original attraction of open top driving.

Mrs Bluescog hates the wind whipping her hair in her face and eyes, so we fitted a deflector behind the headrests. I noticed no difference but was allowed to drop the roof more often, though not on motorways. However, at Silverstone Classic last year I bought her a fleece lined cotton flying helmet. She looks ridiculous but claims her hair is fine, her ears are warm and will even tollerate short motorway journeys. I’m tempted to buy her the matching goggles, but that would just be silly.

 

 

 

[Jojo_H]

 I must admit, though I don’t really care too much what my hair looks like at the end of the journey (I usually look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards at the start of the journey so it makes no difference to me) it is annoying when it whips in my eyes, especially when I’m driving!  During the day I wear sunglasses when I’m driving so that’s OK but at night it can be a pain.  I keep a hat in the car for night time driving.

Since I first posted on here I’ve been thinking about what it is I really like about roof-down driving and what I don’t like about the roof up.

It boils down to one thing really - I feel much more connected with the road with the roof down.  When I’m approaching a junction I can hear cars coming along the road before I can see them.  On the motorway I can hear a car in my blind spot.  And that blind spot is so much more blind with the roof up - it blocks a lot of visibility.  Reversing out of a car park space is next to impossible when you can’t see a thing over your shoulder.  You just have to go and hope any cars coming along will stop before you hit them.  I feel a lot safer when I’m part of the environment I’m driving in than when I’m shut away inside a dark little box.  But then some people seem quite happy to drive around only aware of what they can see out of the front windscreen so maybe it’s just me that’s weird in wanting to know what else is going on on the road around me.

Not to mention that on a hot day just being in the car with the roof up for the few seconds it takes to put it down and pull it back up again makes me want to pass out - it’s so hot in there!  I really don’t know how anyone can stand it.  I know people say they don’t like arriving somewhere with their hair dishevelled but really - turning up soaked in sweat and sitting there stinking all day has got to be worse! Just use a comb.  Or bring a complete change of clothes and some deodourant.  The comb seems easier to me but I’m probably just being weird again.  The world would be a far duller place if we were all the same.

The final decider for me is that my roof rattles.  A lot.  And it’s really annoying.  I spend half my journey bashing and prodding it in different places to stop the rattling but that just makes it rattle somewhere else.  And while I’m bashing and prodding my roof I’m not concentrating on driving as much as I should be.  So I think it’s better for everyone if I just keep the roof down.

 

 

[snurfen]

My hair usually looks better after a drive in the 5 than it does most of the rest of the time. I surf a lot - so most days have hair like Wurzel Gummidge. “Hair by Mazda” quickly cures it.

There’s a girl I pass most days on the M4 - hard top on. Bonkers! Yes, the lines look good with the hard top on etc etc, but it’s poor consolation for not smiling with the wind in your hair. Top off at every opportunity - theres always laybys, tuck ins, pull offs (dare I say it even the hard shoulder) etc for admitting defeat - like at the onset of yesterday’s monsoon that came across the channel from Lynmouth.

When I ask SWMBO if she wants the top up or down, she says we’d take her Picasso if we wanted a roof over our heads. How could I not marry a girl with an attitude like that, eh?

[lizhosken]

 I must admit, though I don’t really care too much what my hair looks like at the end of the journey (I usually look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards at the start of the journey so it makes no difference to me) it is annoying when it whips in my eyes, especially when I’m driving!  During the day I wear sunglasses when I’m driving so that’s OK but at night it can be a pain.  I keep a hat in the car for night time driving.

 

Same here, although I know I won’t win any ‘style awards’ for my appearence in a hat but if it means I can see then so be it. I blame the parents, making me ride a bike

Since I first posted on here I’ve been thinking about what it is I really like about roof-down driving and what I don’t like about the roof up.

It boils down to one thing really - I feel much more connected with the road with the roof down.  When I’m approaching a junction I can hear cars coming along the road before I can see them.  On the motorway I can hear a car in my blind spot.  And that blind spot is so much more blind with the roof up - it blocks a lot of visibility.  Reversing out of a car park space is next to impossible when you can’t see a thing over your shoulder.  You just have to go and hope any cars coming along will stop before you hit them.  I feel a lot safer when I’m part of the environment I’m driving in than when I’m shut away inside a dark little box. 

Glad I’m not the only one who feels this, think it might also be connected to living my youth on a push bike (hence the hair) & being use to all this, I can certainly get a better feel of whats going on around me. I’m another one who hates the heat when I get in the car & driving with roof up & A/C on just seems daft when I can drop the roof ( any excuse). At the same time I would hate it now if I was told I couldn’t put my roof down having experienced topless driving, it’s good that one car can give several choices, my bike isn’t as versatile
.

Anyway sun peeping through, off to get the car & collect a packet from the post office…now which way shall I go 

[safetymatch]

 Two weeks out of the year i WILL drive with the lid up and no amount of critisism will stop me, one word HAYFEVER, sorry!

The other 50 weeks of the year, weather permiting, down, down, down.
Dave.

[zpat]

Is it necessary to use the tonneau cover?

I never have and I don’t think the previous owner did. I’ve driven at 70 mph plus (ahem…) without problems.

[baftacat]

Is it possible to drive with the roof up?

I always thought it was just a cover to put up when the car is parked!

(if it rains when driving, just go a bit quicker and the water goes straight over the car)

[Jojo_H]

 Mine’s a Mk3 and I’ve never used a tonneau - I don’t even have one!

[Jojo_H]

Is it possible to drive with the roof up?

I always thought it was just a cover to put up when the car is parked!

(if it rains when driving, just go a bit quicker and the water goes straight over the car)

 

 

Yes it does, but I find that when it starts raining everyone else slows down and gets in the way.  Not fair.

[AndyMk2]

Permanent Hardtop