[Cmax]

Hey All.
I am in a quandary. My car is garaged, and is not a daily driver. For awhile, I would lower the top for a drive, and raise it for its weekly storage. My logic was to keep wrinkles out of the cloth and keep it stretched.
I have had a half dozen vinyl tops on past verts that had issues with both of the above issues.
Then for a test a left the top down for a week, and when I raised it, there were wrinkles above the rear quarter, but they evened out after a day or so.
My quandary is the wear on the hydraulic system with frequent use, versus dust in the interior, wrinkles in the cloth, and the outside chance of a small varmint munching my leather, if I just leave it down.
Thoughts?

[Mark114]

I believe the owner's manual suggests storing a convertible with the top up. If my wife opens the garage on a rainy day the garage door drips water on the car and sometimes the wind will blow water into the garage. I store mine with the top up to keep out dust, dirt, water, etc.

[Ox45]

I have left it down overnight or if I am cleaning the interior. Otherwise I try to keep it up.


I ALWAYS put it up outside. Even if I am just running in the store. I am too scared about bird bombs!


Ox.

[Drsagacity]

I usually put it up, but also leave it down. If I were leaving it in the carnage for too long, too would be up.

[Jerry's 2LT]

Since my car is always garaged when at home, and isn't a daily driver (i'm retired), once the weather turns nice, I vacuum the top and clean it if necessary, then I put it down.

It stays down as long as the weather is nice. Since I live in a windy area with a lot of dust, I drape an old bed sheet over the open cockpit to keep down the dust in the interior.

I have the top down for weeks at a time and upon raising it there are no wrinkles. Of course I will raise the top when parked anyplace other than my garage.

I have found that cloth tops are more resistant to wrinkling than vinyl.

[Cmax]

Originally Posted by Jerry's 2LT

Since my car is always garaged when at home, and isn't a daily driver (i'm retired), once the weather turns nice, I vacuum the top and clean it if necessary, then I put it down.

It stays down as long as the weather is nice. Since I live in a windy area with a lot of dust, I drape an old bed sheet over the open cockpit to keep down the dust in the interior.

I have the top down for weeks at a time and upon raising it there are no wrinkles. Of course I will raise the top when parked anyplace other than my garage.

I have found that cloth tops are more resistant to wrinkling than vinyl.

Thanks Jerry.... I get a couple minor wrinkles, but I can’t help thinking that all the moving parts will wear out if I open and close it so much... I get minor dust on the nightfall paint, so I might get a king size bed sheet to cover the flight deck.

[1CEBITN]

I do pretty much the same thing as Jerry, I leave the top down in the garage. Mine doesn't sit for a week this time of year without me driving it though and I do put the top up when I run into the store or go out to eat or whatever so the top still gets used. The black top parked in the sun seems to remove the wrinkles pretty quick. I close it when I go places just because of birds and the fact that the leather seats get so hot in the direct sunlight. That isn't good for the leather or my bum.

[Jerry's 2LT]

The few wrinkles mine gets are on the side behind the quarter windows and they go away pretty quick.

[Weege]

As previously stated, the owner's manual, without explanation, states: Only store the vehicle with
the top fully closed.

[nelsont]

owners manual recommends up for storage.

Tim

[Glen e]

It should be up at all times if you're not using it. The simple fact that it's plastic, vinyl , cotton or any other material, when the top is folded, it creates creases where the top can't breathe and even microscopically creates mold. If you're not driving, leave it up. Forget worrying about the actual mechanicals of the top, it'll last longer than you will, if it's assembled right.

And then there is the needless dust that ,even if it's in your garage, is getting into your leather, and electronics of the interior. No reason having dust in the car, that doesn't need to be there ;windows and top should be up when not driving.

[Jerry's 2LT]

Originally Posted by Glen e

It should be up at all times if you're not using it. The simple fact that it's plastic, vinyl , cotton or any other material, when the top is folded, it creates creases where the top can't breathe and even microscopically creates mold. If you're not driving, leave it up. Forget worrying about the actual mechanicals of the top, it'll last longer than you will, if it's assembled right.

And then there is the needless dust that ,even if it's in your garage, is getting into your leather, and electronics of the interior. No reason having dust in the car, that doesn't need to be there ;windows and top should be up when not driving.

I agree with everything you have said Glen, for your location and other locations with more than average rainfall and humidity. A top should never be lowered when wet or even moist with high humidity as mold forms within 24-48 hours.

I however have a different consideration. Where I live we are lucky to get more than 4 inches of rain in a year. Our humidity is very low. But the biggest problem is dust due to almost daily winds. We don't have normal dust. Las Vegas sits atop an ancient sea floor. Our dust consists of sand, which as you probably know is silica, which is basically glass. If I let my top sit up for a couple of days, even though garaged, I probably need to vacuum off the dust from the top. If not when it is folded it will have that sand abrading the fabric in the folds.

It's a real trip to do some gardening and turn up 300 million year old trilobite fossils and seashells.

[Weege]

Originally Posted by Jerry's 2LT

I agree with everything you have said Glen, for your location and other locations with more than average rainfall and humidity. A top should never be lowered when wet or even moist with high humidity as mold forms within 24-48 hours.

I however have a different consideration. Where I live we are lucky to get more than 4 inches of rain in a year. Our humidity is very low. But the biggest problem is dust due to almost daily winds. We don't have normal dust. Las Vegas sits atop an ancient sea floor. Our dust consists of sand, which as you probably know is silica, which is basically glass. If I let my top sit up for a couple of days, even though garaged, I probably need to vacuum off the dust from the top. If not when it is folded it will have that sand abrading the fabric in the folds.

It's a real trip to do some gardening and turn up 300 million year old trilobite fossils and seashells.

Seems like it would be much less of an issue cleaning dust/ancient sand from the top vs having to deal with it in all the interior surfaces and nooks and crannies. I remember once having a very strong gust of wind blow sand into a hatchback I drove the moment I opened the door. I had sand on top of the dash and into the recesses of the window switches on the door among many other places. From what you describe, your environment sounds like it gives more reason to leave top up, not less. What am I missing?

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by Weege

From what you describe, your environment sounds like it gives more reason to leave top up, not less. What am I missing?

Agreed....huh?

It doesn't have to do where are you live , with humidity or whatever, it has to do with dust settling on the interior of your car which could lead to leather abrasion, and all sorts of electrical/mechanical mishaps....Keep the top up , … No matter where you live. You can take a hose to your top, you can't take a hose to the interior.....

That is unless you have a car like Ferris Bueller's ferrari , and it's stored in somebody's den....…