Targa top on or off ?
07-14-2013, 09:01 AM
#21
I think leaving it off , you have the fear barrier . Who has this car didn't get it by being nice to people . Go ahead try something .
A few guys surf and leave the top off to drive the board a few miles to the beach . Open vette ..... a few hours in a busy lot , no valuables laying inside . Fear barrier at work .
I have the back empty so putting it on ...... its quick enough .... it's normally on .
A few guys surf and leave the top off to drive the board a few miles to the beach . Open vette ..... a few hours in a busy lot , no valuables laying inside . Fear barrier at work .
I have the back empty so putting it on ...... its quick enough .... it's normally on .
07-14-2013, 09:19 AM
#24
Racer
Member Since: Apr 2006
Location: Concord NC
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
With the top off and windows up the car looks too much like a basketball goal or something. Gee, lets see if I can toss this milk shake into that car from here. No way I leave the top off. So I can see my car in the lot. It takes three seconds for the above scenario to occur. You get to watch your car get trashed from inside the restaurant.
07-14-2013, 09:46 AM
#25
Team Owner
Leave it on, no sense it making it even easier for the morons to ruin my day.
07-14-2013, 09:56 AM
#26
Safety Car
Member Since: Oct 2012
Location: Austin Texas
Posts: 4,794
Received 676 Likes
on
480 Posts
St. Jude Donor '15
I always put it on due to a creep throwing his/her trash in it at a Taco Bell. This was in 1998 on my then new C5, so always put the top on, it's a pain but no more trash.
07-14-2013, 10:15 AM
#28
Melting Slicks
If I'm taking the top off, I usually try and plan my day around shade...parking at work is always in the shade, lunch options are limited to places that I know will have a shady spot to park...otherwise top back on. But for me, the top comes off mostly on those "Goldilocks" days (not too hot, not too cold), or on those commute's back home when the sun is well on it's way down and no longer a factor!
As far as crime, a quick story: I park my Vette right next to my brother at the office. He has a nice Yukon. One day last year, he had his car broken into and stereo stolen....right next to my Vette with the top off. I guess our Bose radio's have little value in the black market. On the plus side, the thief that took my brother's radio, did no physical damage to the car. It looks like he carefully unscrewed the bezel, left it on the passenger seat, and put the screws in the drink holder.
As far as crime, a quick story: I park my Vette right next to my brother at the office. He has a nice Yukon. One day last year, he had his car broken into and stereo stolen....right next to my Vette with the top off. I guess our Bose radio's have little value in the black market. On the plus side, the thief that took my brother's radio, did no physical damage to the car. It looks like he carefully unscrewed the bezel, left it on the passenger seat, and put the screws in the drink holder.
07-14-2013, 11:52 AM
#29
Le Mans Master
07-14-2013, 01:44 PM
#30
My biggest fear is a hater walking by and dumping his left over coffee into the car. Sounds silly but i am not worried as much about thieves as i am haters.
That aside.. stupid question. I am not familiar with the passive alarm on my vette. Is it possible for someone to get into the car by jumping over the window and NOT setting the alarm off? Does the vette have a motion alarm?
That aside.. stupid question. I am not familiar with the passive alarm on my vette. Is it possible for someone to get into the car by jumping over the window and NOT setting the alarm off? Does the vette have a motion alarm?
07-14-2013, 01:54 PM
#31
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: Between North and South Pole
Posts: 8,970
Received 463 Likes
on
243 Posts
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
I gotta stop reading these threads - you are scaring the bejesus outta me. Basketballs, coffee, Taco Bell - Yikes!! I leave my roof off and windows down if its a local stop for no more than five minutes. Downside is my jug of captain Morgan is rolling around the passenger footwell. Bad enough if I stink of booze, but that's inexcusable for the Vette. Doing a rethink on going topless now though...
my top comes off when i'm at car show's or eye contact invite no trouble!!!
07-14-2013, 03:48 PM
#33
Le Mans Master
If I have been driving around with the top off (which I do often) and end up stopping into a store or whatever briefly...I will just put the windows up. I have a partition and a cargo cover, so anything of value will be out of sight or reach. The key word here is brief! If I am going anywhere long I will just install the roof!
07-14-2013, 04:26 PM
#34
Safety Car
Had a red 1995 Z28 and on 99% of nice days, the tops were off, windows up, never once had an issue in 3 years.
Had a black 1998 Z28 and on 99% of nice days, the tops were off, windows up, never once had an issue in 8 years.
Have left the top off my Corvette multiple times, not an issue.
I think some of the "no way in hell would I ever do that! Just think what could happen!" posters are the same people who intentionally park 1/4 mile away in a huge parking lot thus making themselves a target by being completely irrational about any kind of damage, and in the process, come off as "my car is better, that's why I'm way over here." Of course you're begging to get keyed. Me? I park a couple spots away from the next car and no issues in any of my nice cars over the years-- not including the hit and run, but I attribute that to alcohol.
Now if I were going to be somewhere for several hours? Sure I'll throw the top on in case of a flock of birds or something out of the ordinary happening. But up to a couple hours? Nah. Leave the top off.
Had a black 1998 Z28 and on 99% of nice days, the tops were off, windows up, never once had an issue in 8 years.
Have left the top off my Corvette multiple times, not an issue.
I think some of the "no way in hell would I ever do that! Just think what could happen!" posters are the same people who intentionally park 1/4 mile away in a huge parking lot thus making themselves a target by being completely irrational about any kind of damage, and in the process, come off as "my car is better, that's why I'm way over here." Of course you're begging to get keyed. Me? I park a couple spots away from the next car and no issues in any of my nice cars over the years-- not including the hit and run, but I attribute that to alcohol.
Now if I were going to be somewhere for several hours? Sure I'll throw the top on in case of a flock of birds or something out of the ordinary happening. But up to a couple hours? Nah. Leave the top off.
07-14-2013, 04:41 PM
#35
Race Director
I leave the top off most of the time, even when I park at the Mall. I don't put the windows up with the top off, what is the point? Car is open windows up or down. Valuables, don't have any after the purchase of the car.
07-14-2013, 05:27 PM
#36
Safety Car
Member Since: Mar 2009
Location: Northeast MA & Mad Beach FL
Posts: 4,101
Received 716 Likes
on
436 Posts
We usually have the transparent top on, but when we take it off and want to leave the car in a normally safe area for a few minutes, we put this in place:
http://www.corvettemods.com/C6-C5-C4...on_p_5710.html
In place, it does look something like a poorly fitted toupee, but you remove it for driving.
Probably no quicker than installing the "real" top, but more convenient.
We don't use it very often, kind of a 50-50 on whether I would buy it again.
http://www.corvettemods.com/C6-C5-C4...on_p_5710.html
In place, it does look something like a poorly fitted toupee, but you remove it for driving.
Probably no quicker than installing the "real" top, but more convenient.
We don't use it very often, kind of a 50-50 on whether I would buy it again.
I have one also and once the weather turns nice for Summer, the Targa comes off and only use the Protect A Top when parked.Targa only goes back on if it rains, is parked somewhere for a long time or once Fall weather arrives
07-14-2013, 05:36 PM
#37
Safety Car
I guess that's one way to look at it.
07-14-2013, 08:16 PM
#38
Instructor
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: Clarence New York
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
07-14-2013, 08:30 PM
#40
Le Mans Master
I would only leave the top off so long as the car was in my sight. To that extent the top is not off much. On the way home from the ER only in winter or maybe Fall here in Tampa in the past but now too long to drive home.