Having just returned from an eight state trip in eight days, I'll say I was very happy to have a vert. Tree lined two lanes...high desert running in NE Arizona....three 11,000+ foot mountains with a blue sky above.......Glacier NP in Montana....the Lolo Pass and across Idaho on highway 12....the coast highway from the Washington border through Oregon to Marin county...When it rains I put the top up.

Yep, no hatchback Corvette for me!

 

Hatchback, hatchback!

It's a Vette, not a Vega. Hatchback indeed. Thems fightin' wurds!

If you have some nice snaps of Glacier NP, start a thread, love to see 'em.

 

I have had a '73 coupe, '88 coupe, '02 vert, '08 coupe and '08 vert.

The window in the '02 convertible top fell out (it was apparently a relatively common issue) and I was concerned about the longevity of the fabric itself even though it seemed perfect. So I bought a new '08 JSB coupe. I love that color and I enjoyed the coupe with the top off but eventually I decided to trade it and see if I was done with vettes.

I couldn't stand it and three months later bought the '08 vert with power top. I loved it but my Dad fell ill and died three months later. The luster was gone given the sad circumstances so last December I traded it for a CTS.

After a lot of thought I can finally see that I NEED a vette. I will have one next year (maybe sooner if I can't stand it).

Back to your question: Now that I have finally settled any question about vette ownership I also came to the conclusion that I want another convertible. There is almost no wind noise in a vert, the top goes up and down easily, it looks fantastic even with the top up and it is fun.

Now my dilemma is whether to get a C6 or C7. The C7 would be very expensive so I may stick with a C6 JSB GS vert. I would be very happy with that and I would save many thousands of $.

Good luck with your quest. I'm sure that you will find one that suits you. Above all, get what moves you, not what I suggest (or anyone else).

 

I totally agree. The vert actually has a decent amount of storage with top down, and even more top up, which is close to a coupe storage. I know, because I measured the space in both.

From an acoustics stand point, the coupe rear hatch design turns that rear storage area into a sound chamber, enhancing road noise. Also, the large rear window increases the sun's ability to increase inside temperature.

The vert interior road noise level not as enhanced as coupe.

Of course, one can add sound insulation.

NOTE: From what I understand, the custom Stingray luggage for the C7 fits the convertible storage are.

JMO.....

 

i'm a coupe man but i agree with your wife on that one. it really looks

 

can we spell l-a-z-y?

 

Have always had roadsters (except for '63 s/w) but decided on a coupe when I bought the '13. This was a big mistake for me after 23 years in a '90 Vert. Fortunately I found a transparent used top for sale locally and this changed the whole feel of the car. Now I'm a happy coupe owner.

 

Love the coupe. Take the top off regularly.
Only drive it in nice weather, so a vert would have worked fine for me,
but storage for golf clubs and security are an issue.
At speed, really anything over 50MPH, the coupe with the top off is damn noisy.

 

When I drove my convertible (roof up) on the Dade-Collier Training Runway and hit 174 mph, there was no perceivable wind noise to be heard . . . . . over the beautiful screaming of my engine at 6600 rpm in 5th gear!


http://tinyurl.com/279dpfr


.

 

You have a smart wife there---hang on to her. I agree with her 1,000%. The same logic applies to those wind barriers----they only work right if the windows are up!!!!!! Why have the top off or down then? (if the wind gets bad you can put the windows up 2-3 inches and it makes a huge difference---someone on the forum pointed this out--I tried it and it works) Having said that, I live in NE and I will take the car out in the dead of winter if the roads are clear of snow, sand and salt-----and I will put the top down with the heat on and the windows up while I have my winter coat and hat on...........looks stupid, but I feel so good!

 

All I can say is that my 427 is at least 90% quieter than the ZO6 I traded in. The "newer" convertibles have that barrier wall that holds and protects the top when it is in the trunk......it is a fantastic sound barrier.

 

427 vert, the only way to go! Consumer Report says the 427 vert has the most db in the cabin during full acceleration of any car they have tested, what an honor! Storage space is limited, when we travel we take the coupe.

 

With the purchase of our 427 convertible my wife and I are driving the first Corvette convertible I've owned since my '65 purchased when I came home from Vietnam in '67.

After owning C5 and C6 coupes I will agree that the coupe has more cargo room than a convertible (since we are long-time Harley touring riders we are very used to packing very light for travelling vacations) but our big problem with the coupes was my wife couldn't get the targa tops off of the cars by herself, and, since the Corvette is her daily driver, she was very disappointed with that aspect of the cars. With the '13 427, she can put the top down while sitting at a stoplight without getting out of the car...she loves her convertible.

Incidentally, we tried the factory windblocker that came with the car and found it works best when it is sitting on my workbench in the garage. Once again, being Harley riders we don't mind a little buffeting from the wind with the top down and probably find it less intense than with the targa top off of one of our coupes.

 

i hope your getting comp. from va. like i am.

 

i love the trans. top. less of a closed in feeling.

 

When I have the top down the windows are down too.

 

The biggest deterrent for me from getting a Vert, is seeing parked cars that have the tops slashed up.

Love the look, but T-Top is the best of both worlds.

 

I must live a charmed life or have always lived in less crime ridden places because the only vert. tops that I have seen with any damage are those ratty worn out things held together with duct tape. If verts. are damaged so often then why doesn't my insurance company charge extra? I'm sure it happens but probably no more often then someone keying your car. So Consumer Reports recorded the highest db rating on a 427 vert. under WOT. Could it have something to do with an NPP and huge engine? How often do you stay at WOT? What db did they get under constant speed?

 

I've had both, vert is more fun to drive. Even with roof off in the coupe, it still feels like your inside. The c6 Vert's are very quite, and you don't have to get out to take your top down.

 

I have never seen one slashed, and have owned six convertibles.

I like that the things in the trunk of my vert are out of site at all times. Having done a number of road trips, the vert holds plenty. Okay, I agree, the coupe can haul more, but I cannot imagine picking any vette in the first place if cargo hauling was a key criteria.

I also find the vert is cooler in the hot Texas summers (all 10 months of it) because it doesn't have that greenhouse-effect glass across the back half of the passenger compartment.

The large rear deck of the vert is extremely appealing to me. As we all know, its a personal opinion - but I find the look of the vert with the top up to be very, very nice. I prefer it.

Pulling off the road and stopping the car to remove the top and putting it in the rear is a bit more trouble and generally means you do it less often. I prefer the quick-decision and spontaneity offered by a power-convertible.

And besides: if the coupe is the car you pick due to cargo capacity, then you'll loose a large chunk of it when you put a removable top panel back there.

In the end, they are both a ton of fun, and a blast to drive.