Hard top or soft top?

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:33 am

I'm on the look out for a E30

I can't decide between a hard top or soft top

Many faults with soft tops? Are the hard top
Roofs hard to find?

Cheers guys

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:00 am

Do you mean a saloon (2 door or 4 door) by hard top, or do you mean a cabriolet with soft and/or hard top?

The cabriolet and saloon are different cars almost to be honest, on paper at least as they have different weights etc. The cabriolet is around 1300kg and the saloon is around 1000kg due to the cabriolet having bracing and extra strengthening on the shell to reduce the flex due to having no roof. From various accounts, the cabriolet is more 'floppy' when driving and is more of a 'wafty' sort of vehicle to just drive about due to this. The hilariously high suspension doesn't help matters either.

E: Just realised you probably just mean 'use the soft top or buy a hard top' for your cabriolet. Getting hold of a hard top isn't difficult if you want one, one of the guys on here sells them quite often. Personally I'd rather have the soft top as you can drop it whenever you like (within reason) and have roof down fun. Hard top has to be stored safely when not in use too, which would be a pain for most people.

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:02 am

I did mean saloon apologies it was late haha

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:07 am

If you want a cab, only a cab will do* otherwise it's tin roof all the way for me.

*unless you suffer from the rare and distressing Baur sickness

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:10 am

Morat wrote:*unless you suffer from the rare and distressing Baur sickness

Euwww dirty!

I much prefer the saloons really but got the cab for cheap when looking around for a project.

Post Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:33 am

This all depends on what you are going to ue the car for surely?

If its going to be a daily, left at the station car park, used for shpping and ferryong kids about and an everyday car, saloon is a no brainer. Same if you are going to hoon around like a loon on mad suspension and rimz.

However, if you was a car for the summer months and it's holed up for the winter in storge than a convertible is maybe the better option?

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:40 am

I was contemplating the convertible with the addition of a hard top to put on when needed

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:26 am

Convertible in the summer months, fantastic

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:47 am

Buy a cabriolet and be a man, drive around with the roof down in the snow.

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:21 am

But make sure you dont crack the rear window when you put the roof down.

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:44 pm

I might weightsave and just remove the hood altogether, means I can store drugs in the horseshoe too, perfect car for a dealer y'know.

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:50 pm

Haha, is the rear window glass? I assumed it would be plastic for some reason

Post Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:09 pm

I've a cabby now, which is an absolute joy to drive on a
hot day with the roof down....for the other 51 weeks of the year
I have a saloon!...

Post Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:23 am

I have a cabby and on those rare sunny days that I can have the roof down, there is nothing better. This autumn I purchased a hardtop and it is money well spent. So why not go with the best of both worlds...

Post Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:45 pm

Gavla wrote:I have a cabby and on those rare sunny days that I can have the roof down, there is nothing better. This autumn I purchased a hardtop and it is money well spent. So why not go with the best of both worlds...

+1

winding along country roads on a sunny day to the beach with the top down makes you feel a million bucks!