On a Florida fishing trip, my buddy rented a Mustang convertible. The next day, while cruising, a Pelican crapped on him.
Convertibles are fun!

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
How come there are very few these days? In my youth they were all over the place. Did they go out of fashion?

Safety standards and the expense of chassis construction on small cars forced them into a niche. As said, unibody has a lot to do with it. You can't cut the roof on a 66 Mustang expecting any semblance of rigidity. They added plates across the wheel wells in the trunk reducing capacity and under the floorboards to stiffen the connection between the front and rear subframes. It still rattled like an old pickup truck.

On later unibodies they added more tunnel reinforcement making it look like a long console but no storage. The added weight of door protection is no help either. Cutting off the roof but adding more structure tends to make them heavier overall resulting in differing mileage standards, which have an impact on the corporate fleet rating. If its marginal the penalties may not make it worth while.

FWD did help with allowing for more floorboard structure but until the buying public was prepared to accept an econocar as sporty it didn't sell well. Losing market share meant less demand from future generations. Moving to off road capable vehicles added another type of "convertible." Topless Jeeps were another solution in the 80s/90s which drew off market share, now with the big full sized 4 doors that has died off. The annual "topless Jeep weekend" on the Texas coast is now mostly 4WD trucks, drunks, and shootings - kiss it goodbye as all the wrong rowdies ruin that.

Basically, converts are throw back lifestyle choices, not a viable option any more from the days of no AC and roadsters were an affordable option. Show me a stripper canvas jeepster/VW Thing, or fendered car with curtains on a dealer lot. The internet forums all say they would sell, the manufacturers only sell them in third world countries. They are prohibited from importing them.

Dang Monkey, that is beautiful!!

I had a Mustang rag top back in the 60's but traded it in about a year and a half later. Figured out convertibles were not very practical living in the Chicago area. We did rent one (Mustang) when we took our trip to Maui several years back, and the top stayed down nearly the entire time, except when parked and during a trip to my wife's cousin's
house which is high in the mountain where it rains daily. That was a blast. Prefect weather for a convertible.



Now living in North Texas, I'd like to have one, and I'm keeping my eye out for a gently used Mazda MX-5 Miata. They come around now and then, but I've not seem one with a manual trans which is a deal breaker for me. Sigh, maybe at my age, I should stick with a 4 door sedan.

Life is too short to miss the small pleasures the good lord provides. Top down and 600 foot/pounds of torque.

#RagtopLifeForeva

Ford is introducing a new car. It's called a Pervertable.
The top stays up but the driver goes down.

I had a 72 Mustang that I bought in the BX in Vietnam in 71. I picked it up at a dealer in Chicago when I got back to the States. That was the best car I ever owned but I had to trade it on something bigger when I started getting kids.

quote:

Originally posted by BOATTRASH1:
Dang Monkey, that is beautiful!!

Thanks! It's a hoot!

I had a 94 Mustang GT convertible for 15 years. I enjoyed putting the top down whenever possible. The Mustang was my second car so in winter and bad weather it stayed in the garage. I purchased a plexiglass wind baffle that went across behind the front seats. The baffle made a night and day difference in the turbulent air. My wife could sit in the front seat without her hair blowing forward.

Over all I enjoyed the convertible (spring arrived when the car came out and top went down) but when I replaced the Mustang I purchased a coupe.

Monkey, I was tempted to comment in an earlier thread about carb'd engines when you posted pictures of your engine. Seeing the car the engine is in, well I just can't let that pass without congratulating you on such beautiful work.