DC968

My ‘67 lives in an unheated garage. Is there a temp below which I shouldn’t put the top down? It was mid 40s here today in Washington, DC, and I was tempted.

Nowhere Man

Where you driving and wanted it down. Or where you working on it?

Bluestripe67

I'm in the area also, but I use my hardtop. Many years ago (before my heated garage) when I didn't use the hardtop, I would only put the top down with clear, and sunny skies in the fifties. Dennis

rowingone

maybe not cool but needed with the top down and temp under 50!

DC968

I was out running errands and was tempted to put it down.

Avispa

IIRC, the owners manual says not below 40 deg.

68hemi

My 57 is my “summer car” and the top is always down. I store it in the garage in the winter with a car cover on it and on nice winter days it is always ready for a top down drive.

66rdstr

I'm not sure in what respect you are asking, but here in Maine I have enjoyed many runs with lows in the upper twenty's and sunny. Great, and as you know there is no lack of heat in a C2. I store my car in a heated garage.

The only thing I watch for here, Maine likes to use brine on their roads when two or three snow flakes appear. After that, you have to wait for the spring rains to wash the brine off the road.

I would try to not open and close it to much. I would think the vinyl gets more brittle with a temp drops.

DC968

My concern was w/r/t the folding/unfolding on the top/plastic window in chilly temps.

63 340HP

I leave it up until I pull out of the garage and warm it up with the engine and heater blasting. Once it's down I don't put it back up unless the heater softens it up again. I used to keep a blanket in the back to throw over the seats and cockpit like a tonneau cover to hold in the heat (a handy addition if I was lucky enough to park for a while... with a friend).

claf

I don't drive top down below 50 * On the occasion I have to put the top down when the weather temp is marginal I warm the window up with a cast-off hair dryer

Steve Stone

We have run with the top down to temperatures not much below freezing. It depends on our moods and the area we will be in. My wife of 33 years has been a real trouper since she never was a convertible person until we got married. We have to be comfortable with the top down so we dress appropriately and have a blanket for her when top is down. Below are a couple of photos of our ride enjoying the outdoors.

Steve Stone (original owner, '63 triple black convertible, 594,000 miles)

TRP_IV

This is a good question. My Porsche soft top window split when lowering the top before it was warm and pliable. There really isn't a specific temp, the window just needs to be soft and pliable. The older the top/window the more careful you need to be.

survivor66

I expect the canvas/vinyl soft top is also vulnerable to low temps just as the window. My original top needs to be close to room temp to easily clamp to the windshield frame. The safe position for me is to keep the soft top up most all the time. When lowering, I carefully fold the window and place towels between the fold to prevent abrasion. Both window and top are in amazing condition for 54 years old.

vipervetteguy

The top on our 66 restomod has been down since last March. A friend was curious how the car looked with the top up, so I tried to put it up in our 55 degree garage. (figured I'd let some of the long-term wrinkles smooth out) Well, I can't even start to latch the front with the rear locked down and vice versa. The top is now about 2 inches shorter! I decided not to try to force it and to wait till it can be moved outside on a hot, sunny day.

bbxlr8

This is my situation so I leave it down full time and use HT in winter.
I have a new ST in the box uninstalled to-date and have been in no hurry.

mrg

And then came Jackfit...


RIP

TCKT B8

It has been my understanding for many years that a vert should not be stored with the top down.

gbvette62

A lot of us with hardtops have our soft tops folded for months at a time, with no harm done.

Bluestripe67

Same here. Dennis