Do You Prefer To Go Topless?

"Joe6pack" (joe6pack) 03/24/2015 at 21:00 • Filed to: convertible, coupe, cabriolet, porsche, fiat, 911, 124, spider

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And now, my shallow insecurities. I currently have two convertibles and I wish they were coupes. I have a 1978 Fiat Spider that I wish were a 124 Sport Coupe or a Brava and a 1987 Porsche 911 Cabriolet that I wish were a 911 coupe. Yeah, I know, first world problems, right.

I didn't exactly choose these cars because they were convertibles. The Fiat was free as I have documented before and the Porsche was a really good deal that I couldn't pass up during the height of the recession.

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I really like everything about these cars except that I wish they were coupes. The spider was designed and built by Pininfarina and the 124 Sport Coupe and Brava were designed in house and built by Fiat. Nonetheless, I still think they are some of the best looking coupes of all time and I would take one in a heartbeat.

And no matter how much I might try to rationalize it, a 911 cabriolet will always be a lesser performer than an equivalent coupe or targa due to the torsional rigidity. You just can't make a convertible handle like the equivalent coupe without adding weight. Also, most convertibles aren't allowed on a track without some sort of rollover protection which just adds more weight.

Honestly, there are days I just don't want to put the top down, but I feel like a putz driving around on a nice sunny day with it up. So, inevitably, I put it down. If I had a coupe, I could just go about my business. Plus, I have always, for whatever reason, seen convertibles as chick cars or a rolling mid-life crisis. Ok, I'm 44, so technically, that makes me mid-life. But I'm still hoping they figure out that head in a jar thing from Futurama in the next 40 years.

So you are probably saying: 'If it bothers you that much, why not get rid of them and get a coupe for chrissake". Well I know the condition of these cars as I have put a lot of work into them and I just don't see being able to come out on the winning end of any deal. That, and I'm lazy.

So what is the Oppo consensus when it comes to going topless? All things being equal do you choose coupe or convertible?

jkm7680 > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:04

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Why not both? I find convertibles enjoyable, but I just don't like the lines of them as much.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:04

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Coupe.. No doubt. But some cars are better as a convertible though, MGB is one..

Rainbow > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:07

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Convertible, almost always. They're fun and they usually look better.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:07

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Hm...

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/what-does-oppo…

wafflesnfalafel > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:10

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nah... give me a tin top. (Maybe t-tops on a Firebird, or 300z.)

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:16

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A 911 MUST always be a Coupe or Targa in my eyes. NO exceptions.

Obligatory pic to drive point home. Also, hello fellow 911 oppo! Please tell me 'bout yer car! :D

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:29

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Coupe always. If I want some air, I'll roll down the window.

Bonus: Why are my A pillars a foot thick for rollover support, yet I can still buy a cloth top convertible.

Joe6pack > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 03/24/2015 at 21:30

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Sigh. I fear you are right. It's a 1987 Carrera. Venetian Blue with Linen interior, BBS RS wheels and power top. 163,000 miles.

StoneCold > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:31

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I love convertibles and do not believe they should be judged on their appearance when the top is up. My first car was a convertible, and was wonderful. Everything felt freer and faster, even when it wasn't that fast.

misfitmascots > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:32

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I'll go with a coupe every time, I don't like how soft tops look.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:41

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I have not yet seen Venetian Blue in person yet, but now it is a life goal. Was the power top stock, I could have sworn it was originally a manual top? How do you like yours?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 21:59

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I hate convertibles, heavier car, less rigid and I hate having the sun beating down on me all the time.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 22:00

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I could go either way, depending on the car. I wouldn't want to DD a convertible unless it was a hardtop but I'd love to get the one I have working for a weekend summer toy.

Joe6pack > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 03/24/2015 at 22:05

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No, power top was an option. I don't know how many had it and when it was available. I should probably research that. However, I have spent more time on the power top than anything else I have done including changing the clutch. It uses a stepper motor and a couple of long sheathed cables that eventually fail. They are $300 each. They usually fail one at a time and when they do, one side keeps going and shears the solid rivets in the gear mechanism. I have managed to keep mine going without buying new cables by shortening the sheaths to get new life. However, I have also had to have a machine shop replace the solid rivets in the gear mechanisms twice. That's probably more than you wanted to know about the power top on a 911.

Obligatory engine out pic.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 22:12

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Oh gosh no! I love this kind of info! :D

It's this stuff I very seldom here about ever. But goodness does that sound very unfortunate and quite flawed. Exactly how long is it supposed to last? But it also sounds like a good reason to go coupe. :p

Do you enjoy the car? :)

E92M3 > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 22:19

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I owned an S2000 for 2 years and put the top down MAYBE 5 times. I always felt like everyone was staring at me when it was down. Another downside was the road noise when it was upor down. If it was a coupe I might of kept it.

Joe6pack > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 03/24/2015 at 22:23

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I should probably have documented the repair procedure for future generations as I do not see a lot of info. about the power tops on the web. Maybe they are rare or else people have just given up. I don't know how long the cables are supposed to last. The first time I shortened the sheath, I used duct tape to put the two pieces back together. That's probably why it didn't last. The second time round, I shortened both cables and used rubber tubing where the id was just larger than the od of the sheath. Then I used hose clamps to hold everything together. It's all hidden, so.....

I do enjoy the car. I drive it about once a week to work and have put close to 20,000 miles on it in 5+ years.

Tell me about your car. From the pics it looks like a mid-year ('74-'77). If so, are you still running the 2.7?

Joe6pack > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 03/24/2015 at 22:26

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Here is a long boring driving video I made a couple of weeks ago. I had to do it with the top up because wind. Still, that sound.

Don't make fun of my driving. I have a wife and four kids and these are public roads.

Joe6pack > E92M3 03/24/2015 at 22:33

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Agreed. That's where I am coming from. I'd rather be incognito. I actually put the top down a lot, but I sort of feel obligated to do so.

A guy at work has an S2000 and by all accounts they are a future classic. His is an early model. I have already told him that if he decides to sell it to let me know.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 22:35

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That's fantastic!

Our car is indeed a '74. It's my dad's actually, original owner since 1975 with 86,000 miles or somewhere abouts; the odometer broke some time ago. We are still running the original 2.7, it was rebuilt about 20 years ago, and it sounds awesome when it's actually running.. -_-

Exterior has been repainted but it was and still is Guards Red. The interior is all original as well (save for the radio but it's impossible to find a 911 that does have it's original radio (it's probably lost somewhere in our house if he never got rid of it). The interior as a whole needs to be reupholstered badly, the drivers seat is torn and gouged to hell and the passenger seat is starting to wear a bit thin. The rear seats are perfect (naturally).

We're currently dealing with some fuel-related issues with ours, but we both chalked it down to the fuel injection. CIS is something I don't understand. Praying that we get it fixed this summer. When it is running, it is an absolute joy to cruise around town in. :)

Joe6pack > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 03/24/2015 at 22:43

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That's great. I hear the 2.7s were trouble out of the gate, but once properly rebuilt they are just as reliable as any other 911. The mid-years used to be the bargains, but not anymore. Everything has moved up and all of the accordion bumpered 911s are within a couple of thousand of each other based on condition.

I don't know much about CIS, so I can't help there. The best way to keep a 911 running is to drive it. They really don't like to sit.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 22:43

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I've had a few ragtops and they all eventually annoyed me. Moved up to a SL600 with the removable hardtop... and that became a nuisance.

So I decided, "Why not both." The only piece of tin on the car is the hardtop. I actually think it looks meaner with the top up, but I do appreciate the option to drop the top at any time and enjoy the breeze through my hair. Luckily, it is already stiffened and has all the roll-over protection so I race top down sometimes (I actually have better lap times with the top down).

Joe6pack > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 03/24/2015 at 22:49

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I had 450 SL with the hardtop, but seldom used it as it required two people to put in place. Most modern convertibles - 911s, boxters, etc. are allowed on tracks in factory configuration because they have the rollover protection built in. And since you don't have to add a roll bar, they aren't getting any heavier than they already are.

Love the color.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 23:06

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Yep. They were well known for pulling head studs and other such things; and it's still a bargain chip to get a mid-year for a good price if it hasn't been rebuilt. I'm very fortunate to have a dad who bought one, that way I don't have to wait until I have the money for one when prices will have inevitably skyrocketed. I think '74 is the best and most sought after of the mid-years due to the fact that they didn't come with the emissions crap and thermal reactors, they have the smaller "Euro" bumperettes on the rear unlike the '75-up cars, and my dad could and they are in my opinion the closest thing to a traditional 911 in the 1st gen sense without selling your house right now. :)

I keep telling my dad it has to be driven, but he sees it as more of an investment than a toy. It wasn't always that way when prices weren't what they are now and he couldn't say no to the small child that wanted to go for rides all the time (me). My uncle has a '79 911SC that he drives every single day he can and is always telling me that my dad has to drive that car every chance he gets. It's kinda turned into "my" car to an extent, I'm the only one that regularly drives it now when it's running, but I bought a 944 last summer so that there's always a Porsche to drive on a good day. :)

stuttgartobsessed > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 23:11

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I think that a 911 should not be a convertible, but I would love the Fiat 124 Spider. I love top-down driving. It's more exciting for some reason. Plus, you can get a tan at the same time. Back to the Porsche front, while I'd rather have a 911 couple, I switch my point of view for the 356. I always think 356s look much, much better as convertibles.

E92M3 > Joe6pack 03/24/2015 at 23:39

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Yeah I sold mine 5 years ago, and a similar one today is worth more than what I sold mine for.

Local Miata Bro > Joe6pack 03/25/2015 at 00:08

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I chose this as I wanted a sports car convertible after driving my grandparents MGB. I drove it during the winter on sunny days with the top down, nothing like driving in 20° weather with the top down.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Joe6pack 03/25/2015 at 00:40

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I'm thinking of doing the 32/36 conversion with a single plane intake and an Abarth exhaust (headers back for $800...!)

Might even spring for upgraded camshafts!

Axial > Joe6pack 03/25/2015 at 02:22

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Targas are best. All the benefits of a convertible with the top off, and the rigidity and water-proofness of a coupe with the top on.

Never suffer anxiety over your top again!