When is it TOO hot for the top down?
 

So at lunch today a co worker and I go out to get a bite. He wanted me to put the top down and I said it was kinda too hot out. He laughed and said "why have a convertible then?" He had a point. But it was 90 and humid... it's going to be for several days. I don't mind as much after work... then I dont car if I sweat etc.
Do any of you guys not put the top down for this reason, or am I weird?

I live in Houston where it's friggin' hot and humid a vast majority of the year. We call this place "sauna city" (a parody of "space city" = NASA's presence).

I only drop the top before 10 am and after 7 pm from April through September. In fact, I'm seriously considering buying a Cayman S next time around for this very reason.

If it's not too hot, the humidity is stifling so the top stays up and the AC on full blast. And the AC stays on full blast with the top down here most of the time too.

The point of having a convertible is being able to drop the top when the weather is nice and leave it up when it's too cold, too hot, or too humid, or too wet to enjoy driving topless. Having this option is what makes a convertible wonderful.

What bmx? it's gorgeous out, about as good of a 90 degree day you can find in Chicago. Drop it, your firend is right what is the point otherwise? Granted you will probably find a bunch that will say it's too hot on this site.

I find that people that own convertibles are often waiting for the perfect day to drop the top, people that aren't lucky enough to have one would drop it on any day.

I will say if drove past me today top up I would shake my head and say why did you buy the boxster then for? It's like visiting Florida, 1 million convertibles that shoud have been hard tops :D

As long as I'm moving, I don't mind having the top down when its 90. But if I'm at a traffic light with the sun glaring at me, I start to get hot...

Thats what I really liked about my previous s2000. It had a special setting on the climate control vent knob thingy that used "specially placed" vents to keep whatever temp air inside the car when the top was down. It legitimate worked. I remember blasting down I-95 on a February night in new york going 95 mph with the top down feeling very toasty :D.

Porsche should look into doing something like that. The vent on the s2000 was were the batwing is on the boxster and, as stated, worked beautifully.

I think traffic plays a huge part, if I'm moving and getting air then I don't mind the heat & humidity as much. Summer in NY ends way too quickly so it's not as tough to enjoy extreme heat for a few weeks.

It's ironic, I actually had the heat on this morning! I drove in with the top down today.

I agree, when I'm on the highway in the afternoons (which I will be in 1 1/2 hours) I'll have it down. But yeah, 30mph around work/lunch... gets kinda hot.

But, it has been the BEST summer so far in the Chicago area , as far as heat, or lack thereof.

If its not raining, the top is down - even if the AC is blasting. I figure I would be blasting the AC anyway, so what the hey. It can get kinda brutal, but I love having a convertible so much I do it anyway.

I live in Vancouver Canada, so I pretty much have the top down whenever it is not raining. Even when it is cold out I would have the heat on full blast, a big jacket and the top down. I haven't used my top in over 4 weeks and I couldn't be any happier.

I normally keep the top up until I feel like going topless, which happens about every other day. I just get annoyed because why should drop the top, so I can put it up again when I arrive at wherever I am going in a few minutes.

My criteria for dropping the top is the angle of the sun (will it be right in my eyes the whole time), and am I going to be driving on the freeway or by any dusty construction sites.
So to answer you question I don't thinks it weird to leave the top up. :cheers:

I agree with the traffic, usually if I am not going to be stuck in traffic I put the top down, but its 96 degrees here in Louisiana humidity if I was leaving the office I would probably put the top up.

Its not uncommon for me to put the top down and leave it down for a few days, normally over the weekends, top goes down and not back up until Monday morning rush hour.

I say go topless whenever possible, the question is:
Who lowers the top and puts the windows up??

In my experience women tend to leave the windows up more often than men.
Personally, if the top goes down, the windows have to go down as well. You just can't do it any other way. :cheers:

I usually have the top down between 55 and 90 degrees. The combination of a hoodie in winter, heater, windows up, and of course lack of rain, make this range possible for me on the low end...

I hear ya, bmx. It is pretty hot today and will be for a few days. Direct sunlight+80s+black leather means I'll be sweating while I'm driving and I don't like that. I'll have the AC on with the top down until about 88-90 degrees then the top goes back up.

I'm a real wuss when it comes to hot weather. I definitely prefer the cold.

Good question. I have had convertibles since 1999. The novelty has worn off. I love top down driving but A/C is a must anytime it is 85 86 up. If it is not that humid, fine. Humid and hot, no way. I deserve a little A/C sometimes!!

I do see alot of people driving with the top down in undesirable conditions. Too cold, about to rain, too hot. I believe them to be "new" convertible owners trying to justify buying one. Just a thought.

The only exception to my rule is when I am at the beach... most of the time top is down unless raining!!

Top is down unless it is raining.
 

I keep the top down from May to November unless it is raining or snowing. Garaged the rest of the time. Heated seats for the cooler days.

Hard top comes off in October and March -and maybe a handful of weekends in between. The rest of the time, it stays on. I don't like convertibles (unless they're retractable hardtops).

For me its really humidity and speed dependent. If I am going below 40mph and the humidity is over 80% then its hard to enjoy top down when the temps are over 85F. Go faster, cooler or drier and its top and windows down.

top down with the windows up? You bet, it's great! I bought a set of Jay Senoff's roll bar vent fillers and they're great, too. It takes a while to get it just right but I use the vents set to blowing out at my feet and the dash together. If I have to stop, I just hit the max AC button. At low speeds I drop the windows, but at anything above 60, the windows go up and it stays rather comfortable in the car during these 95 degree Florida afternoons, with the blower set about the middle.
My main problem with the windows down is wind noise. When I was young those race engines screaming right behind my head sounded really great inside that helmet. Ear plugs? They were for pussies and old guys.........then add to that going on 40 years of working in shops full of loud machines and people beating on metal. I can't take all that noise when I don't have to have it now days. When there is background noise, like in a noisy resturant, I can't hear much anymore. It all just runs together.
Wouldn't change a minute of it! :D

My temp range is 60 - 85. I don't drive with my windows up but I've been known to do my part to halt global warming. If my date wants her window up but is OK with having the top down, I don't argue. ;)

I've driven hundreds of miles with the top down, heater cranked, windows up and a knit hat on when it is in the high 30's and low 40's. No problem, very comfortable.

I remember coming back from a Concours at the Joliet Autobahn a couple years ago with the top down and it was in the mid 90's. That was smoking hot!

So my top down range is 37-94!!! :)

You think you have it bad? I'm in the Rio Grande Valley (originally Bay Area, CA). This place is a sauna on a good night! Top down=pleasure is not going to happen for at least a few more months. :D

You stud you !

As in 2x4? :D

I am actually much taller!

This one is one for the common sense crowd. If it is super hot then leave the top up and crank the AC, variation if it is warm top down and AC. If you are moving and the temp is warm top down is enough, where as if you are stuck in traffice top up and AC. So far this summer I put the AC only going home twice the humidity has been bearable. In the morning I leave early 6:45 or so temps are are cool in comparison to the afternoon temps.

I drive top down a lot more now that I'm back in New York. When I lived in beautiful Southern Califronia I actually drove top down a lot less due to the heat. No humidity but that sun was hot!

In NY I'd say 80+ with humidity is too hot in heavy (normal) traffic. I like early morning before 9am and after 6pm for top down driving. Of course the Fall & Spring here are great. Don't drive the car in the winter at all.

I think my lowest has been in the mid-30's, in the mountains here and at Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. We did hit about 106 degrees thru the Mojave desert while driving back from where I bought it with the top down. After a couple hours that got a little old but couldn't help myself.

Sounds like a few of you run with the top down and the AC on. That can't be good for the car. I've done this with a rental, but I would never do this with my own car.

I'm happy to replace the AC unit if I wear it out. I also watch my temp gauge and it never gets too hot, so I know it's not hard on the engine.

My boxster was one of the very early ones produced and it doesn't have the external temp sensor that changes the climate control unit in comparison to the inside temp sensor below the passenger vent. So, I think in my particular case, blowing the AC with the top down doesn't do any real damage.

I usually keep the AC off if the top is down to get more power from the engine. If it's so hot I need the AC on, I put the top up.

And that's about 75% of the time here in Houston :ah:

That's why I might go for a Cayman S next time around.

I drove the Box S yesterday because the daily driver was in the shop. Temp was 88* and humid, but I still had the top down and the a/c blowing strong. It was fine until I got into some stop and go, but still a pleasure. My golf shirt was ready for the wash afterward.

Smoked out...top up
 

With all the runaway fires of this summer in NorCal, the top was up on some normally great days for convertible driving. Gas masks would have been more appropriate to avoid the burning eyes and clogged lungs. The doctor said 'stay
inside'...the house he meant.

if the temp is above 60F TOP IS DOWN. No ifs ands or buts.
once in Italy I bicycled up the Campitelo Matesse in 90F heat for hours, when I tell you that mountain was steep I mean STEEP.
Sitting in a cushy Boxster is nada. If it gets too hot I just turn on the AC and set it to blow the cool air to my legs. I always keep a bottle of water under the passenger seat in case I hit traffic and it get HAWT (as they say here in NJ).

Whenver I travel to Florida I always see these people in their convertibles with the top up and AC cranking. Makes me laugh...

I took my 85 year old mom to Mt. Dora last Saturday. We rode around the town and all the way around both of the big lakes with the top down, the windows up and the AC on about medium. She was afraid her hair would get messed up. Fat chance, there's more laqueur in her hair than polyurethane paint on the car! The Florida summer 3:00 thunderstorms rolled in and had to put the rag up. She told me she had ridden in her father's rumble seat, but that was the first time she had ridden in a convertible with the top down!

I doubt anyone will wear out the A/C system doing this unless they keep the car for decades. Unless you usually run your A/C on recirc, the A/C is conditioning outside air regardless of the position of the top. Granted it will run solid, but most A/C techs will tell you that compressors that run all the time experience less wear than ones that cycle on and off.

yes Florida summer showers ruin the fun on a good day.. especially these past few days over here on the east coast being effected by Bertha and all... but i only tend to put the top down on partly cloudy days with mid - low 80's.. anything past that and i will be cooked in 5 minutes ( im quite pail ) - however, sunscreen is always an option =\.. however, when night comes 100% down always

Having the windows up keeps your hair from flying around as much. I still don't ever put the top down and leave the windows up. I got a wind screen and I either wear a hat or a bandana.

As far as heat, I do have days that I just think it's too hot, but a lot of it depends on what I'm wearing. I don't mind sweating in jeans or other casual clothing, but I hate to sweat in a suit. And some days here the heat is just so stifling that it's just too much. I have found though that if I wear a hat it helps a lot with how much I feel the sun. I do turn up the A/C all the way and then at stoplights blow it on my face or under my hat.

Remember the song from the 60's by the Lov'in Spoonful, "Summer in the City."

"Hot town Summer in the city. Back of my neck getting hot and gritty. . . Cool Cat look'in for a kitty. Gonna look in every corner of the city. . . Why can't the days be like the nights? In the Summer, in the city."

I live in the inner-city and nothing beats driving top down through the CBD (Central Business District) at night. It's like that car commercial that was running a while back where this group of friends was driving through the city and the girl in the back seat is in awe looking through the moon roof at the buildings.

i try to ride with the top down as much as possible (1st convertible) and the windows down (unless i have a female passenger who doesn't want to 'ruin' her hair). now that i have the new top, i can let it down when it gets cooler outside!

i have a strange question though...do any of you feel like your windows have to be close to the same height? i know it's kinda OCD, but no matter what car i'm in, if someone's window is down, my window has to be at/or close to the same height lol.

Sounds OCD to me. :)
As far as messing up the hair - windows up reduce the annoying hair whiplash.

I wonder what James May does when hes in a convertible or someone puts a windows down....after all, he buys tampons to soak up oil splodges inbetween the cooling fins when hes working on his motorcycles...