Technical Convertibles verses roadsters

Prime example of everyone don't have the same finances than you and I, some actually have a lot more so no price is out of the question if they want it.

I sent one to Japan myself. HRP

 

And some of us have a lot less.... Just sayin.

 

To the title question. Convertibles vs. Roadsters. I have had 2 roadsters in my life. Still have my 27 T roadster.
Roadsters are for men. Convertibles are for..... the rest.

 

Had several convertibles. On two of them I rarely put the top up. I drove one almost every day during the summer for 12 years. I had a very good friend ask me if it had a top. I follow this rule for the one I drive now, If you need to put the top up, leave it at home. If it's above freezing and there's no precipitation, I have the top down.

 

Now that I think about it, I met my in-laws for the first time in a summer rain with the top down. They let me park in their garage, because they never did. 40 years and we're still together. Another time it was a brisk fall evening and I took my future wife home. Her room mate could not see her in the car and asked her if I was getting lucky. She replied, no, she was just hugging the tunnel to keep warm.

 

I love 'em both. Iv'e had my '40 convertible for 40 years next month and have put right around 180,000 relatively hard miles on the old girl in heat and cold. I've had a few roadsters and love them too but Michigan tends to have a short roadster season. That said I have another roadster pickup project in the back room as we speak.

 

Flathead John, I see Les Winters yellow 32 sedan in your picture. Aussie living the dream in USA.

 

We always have a lot of hardcore roadster guys show up for the All Deuce Run, Last year was no exception, Hamber Robbie had to drive back to Georgia topless in the rain last year. HRP

 

I've had 7 convertibles, 3 Jeeps and the wife has had 3 convertibles. The Jeeps were basically roadsters, no tops or doors most of the time. Three of the convertibles never had soft tops installed. To me a convertibles natural state is top and windows down, top and windows are only for extreme weather. I currently have two converts neither one has a functioning soft top but both have removable hard tops, one never came off and the other never went on this summer. I have never had a true roadster though.

 

One year I drove a 60 Vette to a good guys show with only a tonneau cover, well it was a monsoon the first night, when I went out in the morning the cover had blown off and there was literally 3-4" of water in the floor. whenever I would take off water would come out from under the dash and soak my crotch. Good times!

 

Another time I had a beater 55 Chevy convertible I convinced the wife to go for a ride with me. The sky was clear when we left but that changed. It started pouring, we had to pull over and manually put the top up. The top had no back window and a big hole in the midle. The wipers didn't work I don't think all the windows were installed either. Good times!

 

I built more then a few roadster hot rods over the years,with an with out tops. Funny maybe to some that I had no top for many years on my own rod I first drove for high school in 1959 n still drive.
I did just a few years ago add a folding top,but take top totally off ,top n bows stay home on any weekend that's good weather. Rod both looks an feels better too me with out folding top,even though I worked hard on design to0 make it as small as I could when folded down. That dose help if it looks like rain,but turns out dry.

 

My roadster has been on the road since 87, and ran topless until I couldn't stand it anymore.
After 20 years of temps from 13° to 113°, near drownings and wrecks from a tornado, back to back thunderstorms, Louisville monsoons, sunburns that required medical attention and a couple of cancer scares was all it took for me to put a top on. What an improvement!
I can only dream of a Deuce cabriolet...…...

 

Well it obviously depends on the era and the car I suppose. In my feeble mind a Convertible is just a modern Cabriolet.

I like the idea of roll up windows for a winter car. But I ride my bike year round so what I am going to say is going to sound like I really got a screw loose but I am just not big on the whole roadster deal. Short of the whole psycho babble deal I a going to say that it probably goes back to my childhood. LOL

 

Might have something to do with being dropped on your head one too many times my friend! HRP

 

LOL perhaps.

When I was little we would all pile into the Ol' Man's roadster. My sis and me in the middle. He had a top but I do not recall it ever being up and it got cold and damp in the bay area at night. When we would get up to speed on the highway my sis would pull my jacket back at the collar and let the cold air go down my neck and back and laugh. Looking back, it was probably pretty funny for everyone involved except me.

 

A convertible is good for longer trips

A roadster is better for a short drive

They both have their place.

 

After I got my dad's 36 Cabriolet back on the road I drove it for about 5 years without a top or side windows. I was caught in a lot of rain storms and got very wet. This photo is from a car show where we had a down pour and someone took pity on my car and put some golf umbrellas in it. I now have a folding top on it but still no side windows so I still get a bit wet at times. And even though I own a convertible / cabriolet, there is nothing sexier than the lines of a roadster cowl and windshield stanchions.

 

So you had a few but your not that way ?

 

I put a top on my touring but it didn't have one for when I lived in Philly.

 

glad you are driving the wheels off it Phil

 

You built 2 Dearborn Deuce Chassis for me a few years ago. My wife was not happy that I didn't keep one of them. They are very nice when the weather turns .

 

Lucky me, I now enjoy one of them!

Phil

 

Mark me down as a non-roadster guy. I’ve owned a couple of bikes and never enjoyed getting beat up by the wind, rain and bugs. Like the bikes, a roadster would be great a short cruise on summer evenings but would spend most of the time in the garage. Great to look at but someone else can own it.

 

ive got a '35 roadster which I love. I think a cabriolet would be more practical purely from the view they have side windows. Would I change my roadster for one? I don't think so... roadsters rule!

 

I hear ya! HRP

 

My dad was crazy about convertibles and always used one as a daily driver well into the 90s...he drove a ratty 54 Bel Air until about '87 when he started losing his lunchbox through the rusty floorboards. He couldn't afford paint or body work but always had a nice Hartz cloth top and wide whites with full wheelcovers. I don't remember ever being warm in that car in winter.

I've always had a soft spot for them and drove a number of OT ragtops in rain and snow, but I've never tried to live with side curtains on a roadster. Might be something to try before I get too old. Need a lap robe and one of those old coal fired foot heaters to match LOL

What surprises me is all the convertibles in 1930s-40s-50s urban photos, even in the snow belt. Check out this trio
(photo of a photo from the COSI museum in Columbus,OH).

 

Some hardy soul was driving his roadster in some pretty cold weather. HRP

 

December Christmas party at a local old time hot rod clubhouse in central Ct. Maybe 150 people came, and ONLY two hotrods! Both were 32 Fords. My "coupster"- cabriolet, and a 50s built topless 32 channeled roadster. Ok, my heater was not working then, and it got down to 17F later...but which car was warmer?...lol..

Man those guys with the roadster were F'n hardcore...
.

 

Question...
When was the last production American built roadster?
I saw a '50? Dodge/Plymouth with no wind up windows.