Convertible car

[MrsMozzy]

Can't believe the dreaded head gasket failure hasn't been mentioned in relation to MGFs and MGTFs. I've had both and though I loved them, one had to have a new HG and the other did the back end thing and spun to the tune of £2k's worth of damage. And as mentioned, awful in snow.

 

Next up was an MR2 - far more stable, even in snow, and only parted with so as to swap for a Z4. Lovely car even if not quite as stable as the MR2 (but less twitchy than the TF).

 

As for laughing when it starts to rain - inspired by jealousy, methinks. And not an issue, as said. if heavy rain and less than 30mph, power hood takes seconds.

[Isabelle]

Can't believe the dreaded head gasket failure hasn't been mentioned in relation to MGFs and MGTFs. I've had both and though I loved them, one had to have a new HG and the other did the back end thing and spun to the tune of £2k's worth of damage. And as mentioned, awful in snow.

 

Next up was an MR2 - far more stable, even in snow, and only parted with so as to swap for a Z4. Lovely car even if not quite as stable as the MR2 (but less twitchy than the TF).

 

As for laughing when it starts to rain - inspired by jealousy, methinks. And not an issue, as said. if heavy rain and less than 30mph, power hood takes seconds.

 

Well, I've had/driven four Rovers, the HG failed on one, but it had done 120,000 miles.

[laineyiow]

We've a sports car - Fiat Barchetta and one of the new Twin-Air Fiat 500 Convertibles. Love the 500 Convertible. Just press a button for the hood to go down and for it to go back up again. Brilliant little car and very economical too.

[swordfish1]

Had convertibles for over 15 years now, with a break of 6 months when I needed a 4x4 for work.

That was the least enjoyable motoring time of my life. I ended up buying an MGTF just as a Sunday car.

I'm back with just a good convertible now instead. I'd say 80-90% of my driving is done with the top down.

Love 'em.

[Cyclone]

About the snow, couple of Xmas's back when it snowed really heavily, I managed to drive home from Nottingham on the Friday afternoon with no drama.

Once I got moving a gentle foot and a high gear and never actually coming to a complete halt got me as far up the hill into Walkley as I needed.

I couldn't move it for 2 weeks after that because I was parked facing up hill with cars behind me, but given the massive tyres and excessive power I thought it coped really well.

[cigy]

Can't believe the dreaded head gasket failure hasn't been mentioned in relation to MGFs and MGTFs QUOTE]

 

Hi, they don't cost much now days to get fixed I had this guy http://www.mgroversolutions.com/ come up to Wales when I was on holiday there and he only charged me £300 all-in 2 years a go when mine went, I fully recommend him (Russell) & he is a really nice bloke.

[buck]

I ownd a Fiat X19 for years and loved it, though it always needed a lot of TLC. I also owned for a short time a smaller Fiat sports car with only a 1 litre engine at the same time as the X19. My son was driving that when a cop came after me, and he slowed down and blocked the cop's car. I got away, my son didn't, but got only a warning.

[buck]

I had a Big Healey, a couple of MGBs and a Midget when I was younger. They were all 'rag tops' (though I did have a removable after-market 'hard top' for one of the 'B's.

 

If the weather was a bit 'iffy' I tended to ride with the tonneau cover over 3/4 of the car and an umbrella readily available (for use at traffic lights.)

 

The covers on 'rag tops' do tend to stretch after a while, but it's not too difficult to tighten them (and replacement covers [which used the existing front attachment bar] were comparatively cheap.

 

The removable hard top wasn't very practical. If you had it on the car, you would probably find that the weather turned warm and you couldn't take it off (because there was nowhere to stow it.) If you didn't, it would probably rain.

 

As Uptowngirl noted, if you buy a tin-top convertible then although you have the advantage of a good top which can be put up and taken down in a few seconds, you lose most of your luggage space. (I considered buying a Volvo C70 and a BMW tintop convertible recently - but scrapped the idea of both of them for that reason.

 

You aren't necessarily limited to expensive machinery. Ford do a Focus tintop (UK & Europe - not available in the US.)

 

I don't think I'd bother buying another convertible. A bike goes through traffic far more easily than does a car.

My Fiat X19 hardtop came off easily and could be stored inside the hood. There never was much luggage space anyway. The mid engine took up most of the trunk area. In Manhattan you're in more danger of being killed by a bicycle courier than a Yellow Cab.

[Isabelle]

I ownd a Fiat X19 for years and loved it, though it always needed a lot of TLC. I also owned for a short time a smaller Fiat sports car with only a 1 litre engine at the same time as the X19. My son was driving that when a cop came after me, and he slowed down and blocked the cop's car. I got away, my son didn't, but got only a warning.

 

Why did your son block the cop car off? What were you both doing?

[buck]

Why did your son block the cop car off? What were you both doing?

Going a little faster than the cop liked. We were closing up on the Interstate, which was beyond the town cop's jurisdiction. So to be sure the Cop wouldn't catch me, he slowed down in front of the cop. We occasionally get a cop with a sense of humor, and he thought it was smart by my son and let it go.