Going Topless

[tdevince]

The Tesla is my first convertible. I ordered the car with the hardtop (received the car last November). With the weather warming up, I went ahead and put on the soft top. Generally, when I park the car for an extended period of time (several hours) I'll put the soft top on. If I'm just pulling into a restaurant for lunch (maybe 1/2 hr or so), I leave the top off rather than take the 60 seconds required to put the top back on. On a different thread I've read where some bozo's like to trash a convertible parked with the top off.

So what do you do, always park with the top on or leave it off for stops of less than 1 hr?

Of course its always on if there's a chance of rain, etc.

 

[dwegmull]

I'm paranoiac: I always put the top on when parked. The only exception is if the car is in a friend's garage or other well controlled private location. Beware of parking under trees with the roof off (hint: leaves are the least of your problems)!

I can understand the dilemma with the Roadster considering the amount of effort involved in putting the roof on. What baffles me is why the owners of convertibles with electric tops leave them open when parked, even over night in some cases!

 

[NigelM]

.....On a different thread I've read where some bozo's like to trash a convertible parked with the top off.

So what do you do, always park with the top on or leave it off for stops of less than 1 hr?

It was 3 days before I put the top on my Roadster, but I will follow the pattern I use on my other convertible. I leave it off if the stop is less than 30-40 minutes, but it also depends where I am parked. At my yacht club I can leave the top off all day without a worry; at the municipal car park by the beach maybe not at all.

Always check you don't park under overhead cables; birds like to sit up there and, well, I shudder to think......

 

[dsm363]

I've never owned a convertible before the Roadster so this is all new to me. I basically don't trust anyone not to mess with the car when the top is down. If this were just a regular convertible and you didn't leave anything valuable in it, chances are you'd be ok. But the Roadster is unique and will attract attention even with the top up and since you can't watch the car all the time, think it's easier just to leave the top up when you park unless as dwegmull stated, it's a friend's house or something. That's just me though.

 

[Dragon]

I agree with dwegmull and dsm363. The Tesla Roadster literally screams "HEY, OVER THERE! LOOK AT ME!". From 1000 people 999 will probably just walk around it, take photos, admire it or pass by with indifference. But I'm scared of that 1 asocial, drunk or envious person (or more realistic a group of teenagers) out of 1000.

 

[SByer]

If I'm on my way home and I have to stop at the drug store or the vet, then no, I won't put the top on. My 'squirmy limit' is about 15 minutes.

I'll also note that with practice, the time it takes to put on and take off the soft top decreases quite dramatically - I think I'm just about as fast with it as the 911's electric top (admittedly, not a speed daemon) was. I'm usually putting the soft top on at work (I've seen others leave it off, but any garage is dusty, and I like my interior really sparse and clean), and I already need to open the trunk to get out my gym bag, I feel for the arrows on the struts as I lift the bundle, walk to the proper side of the car and do the unravelling, closing the trunk as I cross back to the other side. I stick the struts in back first, so I can finish putting the front in one-handed while the other hand starts to unroll the top, I get the key pins in place, then it's a quick open slightly - pop the top down - close door action. I don't feel like I'm adding more than 20-some-odd seconds to my routine. And yeah, I consciously try to vary which side the top gets put on and off from, well, 'cause I don't want uneven wear and I'm weird that way.

At home, I have a cheap, light blanket that hangs out near the rear of the car in the garage, so I just flip that out and over for the night.

 

[vfx]

 

[dwegmull]

One more somewhat off topic item: when I'm by myself in the car, I store the soft top on the passenger seat, thus saving the time needed to deal with the trunk.

 

[vfx]

... when I'm by myself in the car, I store the soft top on the passenger seat, thus saving the time needed to deal with the trunk.

There are those who can remove and replace the roof while seated.

 

[bonnie]

I just picked up my new Taylor Mesh top from the post office ... photos to come tomorrow. I'll be taking it out for a test drive.

 

[Dragon]

There are those who can remove and replace the roof while seated.

That's cool! Next step would be to remove and replace the roof while driving. Uhm, yeah!

 

[ChargeIt!]

There are those who can remove and replace the roof while seated.

Video ?

 

[vfx]

Video ?

No, merely legend.

 

[cinergi]

There are those who can remove and replace the roof while seated.

My sales rep says he's taken it off before. Not sure about replacing it. Would be interesting to try. I might have to play with that next time it's nice here

 

[zack]

I think it could be done (putting it back on) while in the car, but not with the seat belt on, probably.

 

[NigelM]

I think it could be done (putting it back on) while in the car, but not with the seat belt on, probably.

Why bother?

 

[Slackjaw]

Why bother?

In the Lincoln Tunnel, certainly. If there's an accident, or people just think there was an accident, then that can become a Traffic version of the Roach Motel - "cars check in, but they don't check out! (well, not for an hour anyway)." And even if the traffic is stationary you can't get out of your car without being automatically added to an FBI watch list. Possibly the worst 8,000 ft of road to spend an hour of your life with the top off. You really should visit some time :wink:

Lincoln Tunnel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[dwegmull]

There are those who can remove and replace the roof while seated.

Well, I successfully did it a couple of days ago. Arriving home with the roof on the passenger seat, I undid my seat belt, reached over and opened the passenger door, installed the two bars, and then the roof. Getting the passenger side "hooked in" is a bit tricky, but doable...
If I remember, I'll setup the camera on a tripod and give it another go tonight.

 

[NigelM]

In the Lincoln Tunnel, certainly. If there's an accident, or people just think there was an accident, then that can become a Traffic version of the Roach Motel - "cars check in, but they don't check out! (well, not for an hour anyway)." And even if the traffic is stationary you can't get out of your car without being automatically added to an FBI watch list. Possibly the worst 8,000 ft of road to spend an hour of your life with the top off. You really should visit some time :wink:

I lived in midtown Manhattan once upon a time and I'm familiar with the Lincoln Tunnel....just can't imagine why you would want to open the roof to breathe in all that pollution from the idling cars?

P.S. do you keep dvd's in the car to watch a movie when you get stuck in there?

 

[Slackjaw]

I lived in midtown Manhattan once upon a time and I'm familiar with the Lincoln Tunnel....just can't imagine why you would want to open the roof to breathe in all that pollution from the idling cars?

Well, I'm not saying you should drive in there with the top off, but I have seen plenty of people drive through with tops off their convertibles; probably they just can't be bothered to stop and switch. You could always take a pony bottle of fresh air. Since we live a bit NW of Manhattan we're more likely to go up the West Side Highway and the GW Bridge. But we've got another month to wait before our car arrives (remember those days Nigel... What was it, three weeks ago? :smile so these "what if" scenarios can be distracting.

P.S. do you keep dvd's in the car to watch a movie when you get stuck in there?

I do get stuck in there quite a bit, but I'm usually on the bus, so I just have a little nap. And dream about Roadsters.