So I keep going back and forth in my head about building an open car....I work with several motorcycle guys and they love to just go out and ride...they say there is nothing like the feel of the air around them and how free they feel... I have fought with trying to enjoy the whole old car driving experience since I rebuild my first one several years ago and drove it to work a couple of times...they seem to be so loud inside the cab when driving them... So would an open-top car be more enjoyable to drive around town than an enclosed one?? Thanks in advance. MikeC
Ever seen an unhappy dog riding in the back of a pickup? They are always happy in the fresh air , you could enjoy the same feeling
OP seems more concerned with the noise factor - put in good insulation & toned down mufflers, not directly under passenger area
Yes, old cars can be loud inside. Closed cars are loud, open cars are louder. Having a top greatly improves the conditions IMO. Even the hottest days are fine to drive around when you have a top, it's like sitting in the shade of a nice tree on a hot day. Without a top it can be almost unbearable, you got to keep moving. On cold winter days it's just the opposite, it's nice to have a little more blockage of the wind around you, less need to bundle up like an Eskimo. At the end of the day it's just personal preference. It is a great feeling in an open car on a mild day, the wind in your face. That is a great feeling. But if you can only have one or the other, I'll go with a closed car.
Right, no question! However a roadster with a stock type top and no side curtains is nice once all the hair and skin on top of you has burned off...you have most of the open car airflow without the skin cancer. A coupe is just a normal car, only good for when ice and mud are blowing at you. I think bikers call cars like that "Cages"
I prefer coupes. I like the looks of a roadster, but to me, having the sun beating down on me while I'm driving for long periods just isn't enjoyable. Roadsters are neat, but coupes are cool, too ! Guess that's why they made different types of cars.........
If you build it right a closed car is plenty quiet and comfortable. I’ve driven my wagon on a few longer trips and it’s a super comfortable ride. The only sound is the wind through the open windows. However, Nothing beats the wind in your hair in an open car. There’s a place near my work that runs helicopter tours. The day I was stopped at the light and the helicopter came in low for a landing and flew right over my ot Convertible, I knew I’d alway have an open car! Take a ride in an open roadster at night when the stars are out and you’ll be sold on open cars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I haven't been without a ragtop since I was 19. I have 2 now and as soon as I can convince the wife I will have a 3rd in the form of a mid engine, retractable hardtop, 2020 Vette. Of course we have perfect summers for convertibles here, we haven't hit 100 and likely wont now this year. 84 is the hogh today, nothing higher than 80 for the next 9 days. I love summer in the PNW.
Hello, Having all enclosed top hot rods and cruisers, I am a little biased. They are more fun to drive because of no worries about road grime, flying bugs, or for the women, flying hair that tangles while “blowing in the wind.” During the time my wife and I drove all over So Cal and into the Northern California hot spots, being enclosed made those trips enjoyable. Cruising with girls presents a problem that sometimes guys just don’t get. It has to be enjoyable to enjoy what comes next on those short or long road trips. Not that girls/women are prissy princesses, but it must be the age era. Since we could not get more “open air” than on a Harley, being 20 somethings helped a lot. Just brush it out and we were good to go anywhere, in any style. But, for all of the coolness in open roadsters, RPUs and 50-60 convertibles, there are some drawbacks. Having a bee go up your jacket sleeve and make a harrowing episode of some panic situation was not the most enjoyable thing. I guess being allergic to those stings, walking around with a Popeye forearm and itching like crazy made for a colorful scene in our household. It was not good. These days, even the windows stay up. Jnaki But, for all of the times I got a ride in a T bucket, an open 32 roadster, 32 phaeton and an RPU, those memories will be remembered as fun, cold, windy and a great time was had by all. My wife got to ride in a 1947 Buick Convertible when she was 6-7. She remembers it being windy, but fun. Being 20 somethings, not much bothered us in our simple lives. Nothing compares to being on a Harley with the wind in your face and hair blowing back, but even those episodes have drawbacks, too.
I had an off topic late model convert for a short time. Every time we rode around with the top down, I got a major headache within a 1/2 hour. The only way I could stand driving it was with a hat and very dark sunglasses. Don't miss that at all! My wife's car has a sunroof, I have to close that up to drive the car very long. It has to have a roof, and insulation, and fairly quite exhaust these days. The wife and I put a boat load of miles on our coupe every year. Gene
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