Greetings all. I've got a dream car going in my head and now about the only thing left is to figure out if I want to go with T-tops or convertible. It's gonna be a daily driver, but I might like to take it on a couple road trips every now and then, so my biggest question is how noisy the convertibles are at highway speed.

Edit - I just thought of something else right as I posted that. Will the majority of tracks let you run a convertible now that a lot of them are starting to go with that 'must have a roll cage over the top of your helmet' rule?

 

I've had several of both, and they do both have compromises. For a daily driver, road trip or drag race car, you would be better off with a hardtop. I would say an open car of any sort would be best cast in the role of Sunday afternoon toy.

 

Is that because of the noise a convertible has?

I'll have good subframes under there, so having a roof wouldn't really add a whole lot more rigidity than a vert or t-top.

 

ive had a ttop for 5 years now and its has its pros and cons. the biggest one being the leaks. they take a little ingenuity to figure out but i was able to fix mine with black rtv sealant. overall id rather have it then a hardtop or convertible I think. I think of it as like an old school hardtop convertible lol. I would say sub frame connectors are a must also even though i have to admit i dont have mine on yet, I just ordered a set and if you do a search on SFC's on this site youll see what im talking about. Good luck with your decision!

 

Thanks man. I've heard of the horror stories of leaky t-tops, but it seems that if you take your time on the seals and such, they should be alright for a couple years. I think what I really need to do is go sit in one and perhaps do a little test drive.

 

not the noise of a convertible, hell ttops have more noises probably due to air being forced ina small area instead of no roof at all. if you look at an older hardtop car it may have cracks in front of the sail panel in the corner, regardless of if it has good structure it needs more, and take of some roof needs a bit more and a convertible needs even more and there are some provisions from factory but probably not nearly enough. i have a friend with a mint and built 87 iroc vert and he regrets the decision to buy and build it everytime he touches the car because of all the flex and extra support it needs.

and needing more support isnt ideal for autocrossing or that stuff that you would need lighter weigh and you keep adding heavy beams for structure to make the car behave on the track. even for a daily driver i could feel my old hardtop car twisting and contorting, thirdgens for the most part have lots of rattles and noises and such.

not trying to steer you away from a thirdgen im just saying you'll have some odd noises that might drive you crazy, weird leaks and some twisting and contorting if you plan to beat on it a little. but that doesnt mean its nothing patience, time, sfc;s, sound deadener and the like cant handle.

 

I've had both T-tops and convertible cars. There are pros and cons to both. I currently have a convertible and wouldn't trade it for t-tops for anything. I'd go to shows and gatherings and talk to owners and find out their likes and dislikes. But at the end of the day, only you can decide which one best suits your style.

 

i have a couple of hardtops, t-tops, and verts... they stay in the garage and i only drive mine in the summer and other than one of the hardtops i never drive in the rain and even the hardtop hardly ever in the rain so i don't need to worry about weather conditions for storage / driving which can also be a major issue to think about

- the hardtop obviously has the least amount of worry in driving in rain or potential for rain

- i love the t-top as i just really like the way the car looks with the t-tops out and it is very fun to drive. also it has less wind in the car which allows pretty much it to be driven open top all the time with my family other than going to Church on Sunday morning... downside is taking the tops off and stowing them takes some time, i usually don't take the tops with me and just leave them at home

- the vert is very nice as i like the top completely open but my wife does not if we are going anywhere and the kids in the back do get quite a bit of wind, but you can put the top up / down real fast so even to Church and back on Sundays top up going / top down coming back home

all the cars as other people noted could use subframe connectors, my '89 vert is going to get them this summer as it is pretty twisty to be sure

so it is your personal preference, i probably wouldn't think of a vert for serious track, etc as i would not like the look of having a roll bar with top down, but i am not limited to having just one so anyways my opinion is based on my experience

 

If you want a quiet car, buy a Buick or Cadillac

T-top or Convertible...
Personally I prefer my convertible... I personally dislike taking off the t-tops and stuffing them in the trunk, I have owned my T-top since 1997, and my convertible since 2006, T-tops are far more cumbersome and it takes longer to put them in the trunk than putting a top down..

Then there is the added benefit of having no blind spots with the Convertible top down...

John

 

Do what I did, and get both

Then sell the one you dont like.

Verts are nice but have disadvantages, easy to break into, more leaky than Ttops, more flexible ... depend how you plan on using it.

I like my ttops too, I keep the ttop car and the vert in the garage usually w/ both tops off for the entire summer. Much easier to get in and out of being 6-3.

 

I found that the ttop and hardtop cars I've owned were louder on the highway than my convertibles that I've had.

Tracks let you run a convertible, you just have to have the proper safety equipment. I've run my convertible at the track a couple of times.

 

Track car = Hardtop

daily driver = hard top or t top

weekend crusier = convert


A convert with a cage looks silly IMHO, there aren't Jeeps.

 

I have had multiple t-top cars in the past. I currently have a 92 coupe and a 92 vert. I honestly like the vert better than t-tops since it's so easy to put the top down, nothing to store in bags in the trunk and they are a rare breed. Only reason I have a coupe is that it's a heritage edition with a 350.

I would go with a convertible.

 

i dont like convertibles period, to girly, yet i have a t top z28, and love it, just something about the "roof" line and how the car looks with them off

some examples of my own hard tops and t tops, if it helps at all




no i didnt do the gay yellow paint was like that when i got it

 

Yeah, I'm thinking to go t-tops because of security, potential roll-cage, and the ability to take it to the track. I know some tracks are fine with convertible, but my dad had a run-around with getting his Honda s2000 convertible on a track and it has pretty beefy windshield supports for that reason.

 

you could just get one of each

once you get them sitting the way you want and stiffened up, they'll behave the same. The weight of the vert will be noticeable once you get in to the turns.
My vert gets more attention from the girls but t-top gets more attention from the cops ....if that counts for anything lol

 

i think the convertible has better lines and will always have a better resale value.also t-top cars have a ******* illusion.converts downside is occationally a thunderstorm will soak your carpet and they are very easy to break into.

 

I agree I've always prefered the body of the convertible over the hardtop.

I've driven my convertible in rain before, no leaking in 4 years, though in the 4th year I started getting SLIGHT water dripping... bleh! :/

Very easy to break into. I parked my convertible in a mall lot and some ******* took a knife to the rear window and sliced it open. Didn't steal anything, just ruined the top!

 

For any kind of performance I would vote for a hard top but if you like open air there is no substitute for a vert. I had been looking for the right one sice the late 80s and finally found a triple black 92 in 2007 and it is all I drive now. All original with the very potent 305 tpi but I never drive the 430RWHP cars anymore. T-Tops are nice and I own two of them but they are a substitute for a vert as far as open air goes. Actually if you own any of them you are having a good day.

 

I like the convertable, reasons:

not alot of them around anymore

clean lines and lots of attention

I get 2 to 3 people a month at a minimum who run me down to try and buy mine.