How's day to day life with your 'verts? I love how they look with the top down, obviously, but having had some convertibles b4 and this being a chevy, I am wondering:

• Wind noise
• Water leaking
• ease of top up / down
• I think the rear window is glass on the later model c4's?

tks

 

mine is a 94 so yes it got the glass rear window. i dont really notice too much wind noise, they got fairings on the side mirrors to cut down on the wind. my weatherstripping is in terrible shape and it still doesent leak, and i sprayed the hose directly at it when i got the car to test it out. the top goes up and down very easily. i take my time and it only takes me a minute or 2. mine is my daily driver and i wouldnt have it any other way!! also gets alot more attention!!

 

louder with top up / wind noise may depend on condition I don't have any.
no leaks if weather stripping is good
take 30 seconds to a minute maybe to do the top.
rear window depends on year.

 

Mine's a 96, glass window. Weatherstripping replaced two years ago. Didn't leak before replacing and still doesn't. A little wind noise with the top down but thats to be expected with a vert. Putting the top dpwn takes less that a minute. It's wise to have someone on the opposite side when putting the top up.This ensures that you are not twisting the roof as you lift it into place. Gotta love the wind blowing around you when you are out cruising.

 

• Wind noise - yeah, so turn up the stereo!
• Water leaking - don't use any automatic car washes!
• ease of top up / down - Not hard, but I wish it had electric like the new C6
• I think the rear window is glass on the later model c4's? - you can convert the ones with the plastic window to glass with a new top and a kit

 

I have had my current vert for 20 years.

I prefer my T-Top better

JMO.....

Corvette Mike

 

I have not owned my '86 very long but I'd say that top up/top down is easy (1 to 2 minutes at a leisurely pace). Mine is a first year C4 convertible so it has the plastic window.

I have not noticed a lot of wind noise but there is a wind related problem. With the top up there is a cloth piece that covers the toneau cover (kind of creates a package shelf area). That cloth piece flops around if you drive with the windows down.

Finally, are you thinking about driving your Corvette in the rain or through a car wash (just kidding)?

Steve

 

With the top up it is noisier than a C6. With the top down they are about the same.

The only time I had a leak was when I had a sudden five minute rainstorm on a clear day, without a cloud in the sky, and no rain in the weather report. The top was of course, down.

I usually put the top up with one hand, putting it down takes less than two minutes.

I believe the glass rear window started in ’94 and I would really opt for it.

 

--Exhaust is loud enough that I don't notice wind noise.
--No leaks from RAIN. I wouldn't bet money on keeping dry if someone dared to bring one to an automatic car wash though.
--The only way it could be easier is if it was automatic. Up or down in less than a minute. It's definitely easier than the targa on the coupes.
--Yep, I think 94 was the first year for glass.

If you get a convertible and find you rather a coupe, you can always buy a hard top for it. Heck, I recommend the hard top no matter what. It's like the best of both worlds. I keep the hard top on during the colder half of the year. Come April it goes in storage and I go top down for the warmer months.

 

Wind noise is to be expected in a soft top, probably more so in the older cars.

Mine leaks, I need to replace weather stipping

Up and down is relativley simple, and during a cloud burst, i can stop get out have it up in a under a minute.

My window is plastic, the top has been replaced, but in just a few short years they tend to get hazy. I'd opt for the glass.


But theres something about a roadster that makes for a nice ride in the north country .....

There not for everyone i suppose, but when it comes to Corvettes I will probably always own a vert.

C

 

agreed!

 

 

I love my 'vert. I drive with the top down all the time, as, I never drive it in the rain for two reasons. One, I don't have "all-season" tires, and two, the clean-up that's involved.

The top is very easy to put up and down. It takes less than a minute; 30 seconds with a little practice. I spray a little white lithium grease on the hinge points.
I've noticed that sounds from the rear (differential, u-joints, hubs) are more noticeable, not neccessarily a bad thing. It's how I found out one of my hubs going bad.
The fabric on my top (original) does not leak. However, it will leak where the side gaskets meet at the hinge point at the top of the side windows when I wash the car. It only does that when I rinse the windows with a steady supply of water, then water will run down the inside of the glass. The ends of the gaskets should be touching, but they don't, hence the leak. If I replace the gaskets, problem solved.
My rear window is plastic. It was starting to look a little cloudy, so I thought I'd try to clean it. I used some car polish (Nu-Finish) on it. It worked great. "Flitz" is supposed to work well, too. It has the expected scratches from 20 years of movement and vibration. They can't be repaired.
Glass windows? Like everything, there are pros and cons. Pros: They stay clear and flat. Cons: Added weight; they will, and do, break; when they leak, it will take a professional to repair. If I understand right, a new top is the only guarantee of no future leaks with a glass window.

An optional hard top? I wish I had one (the first owner didn't order the car with that option). The vast majority of tops that I have seen for sale have come without the required brackets and bolts. So, I remain "topless".

Hope this helps.


Mike
'90 'vert

 

I have a 95 convertible with the rear glass window and defogger. There is zero wind noise. The exhaust resonance is actually less in a convertible. The top will tend to fade if left outdoors for several years so it's a good idea to keep it covered or in a garage. It will not leak until the weather stripping goes bad. If the weather stripping rots enough or falls apart you may start to see some leaking. The top is extremely easy to put up and down. It takes less than a minute. Do not use a pressure washer on the top or those high pressure car washes. It will wear the top or destroy it. The cables that release my top finally went bad after 14 years. They were cheap and very easy to replace. The rear glass windows sometimes fall out at the seams after many years of use. It took mine over 11 years for this to happen. I still blame this on the neighbors 300 lb cat that I could not keep from sleeping on the roof at night. I moved so no problems there anymore.

 

What a PIA.. I just assumed they had electric tops ...they were $35K-$40K new , even , well even my wife's former VW had an electic top... oh well..

I always see some of these American convertible cars driving on the highway and their tops look like inflated balloons . I guess I foretasted right, I thought it was all the air getting into the cockpit (sp?) ... guess I was right ...

So, leaking roofs, and no electric tops... hmmmm

 

$35K-$40K new? My '94 vert was a little over $50k new, no electric top but a glass rear window. Has most all options that matter.
I don't think my top (up) looks like inflated balloons, but I never ran beside it to see while driving.
No, no leaks even when going thru the auto carwash, just when I forget and open the door 1/2 way thru.
Get you one, you won't regret it.

 

Did the wife's VW have a top speed of 170?? How about running a 13.5 quarter mile back in the early to mid 90's?


My guess is that the tops are not automatic for weight savings. Good move GM. Putting the top up or down only takes a few seconds. An 8 year old could do it. I also have never seen a vette with a balloon top maybe it was a Mustang you saw.

 

Not sure what your hangup is on electric tops. All the responses on this thread indicate that the Corvette manual top is reasonably quick and easy to operate.

Steve

 

Guess Chevy decided enthusiasts weren't as lazy back then and didn't mind stretching their legs and arms for a minute or so. Now they must feel that anything outside of reaching and stretching your index finger to press a button would turn buyers off.

 

I was looking at a 96 vert the other day and with the top up there were gaps between the top and the deck of the car in a couple of places (few inchs long and could see out the other side). Is this weatherstripping issues or has the frame warped or been bent?