Do you leave your top down when in shops, in a bar, at a restaurant?

[tomc88]

Do you leave your top down when in shops, in a bar, at a restaurant?

Or do you always put the top back up, to save jealous people using your car as a trash can? Or stealing your leather seats?

[Steve Tinker]

I generally leave mine down - but I live in sub tropical Australia where crime is very low compared to where you live in the UK....
Most people here often forget to lock their front doors at night - what $$ cost do you put on that for quality of life - and no I don't live in the Styx ??

[rem503]

We almost always put the top up if we are out of sight of the car. If we can see the car and are close, we might leave it down.

[V-Rod]

I mostly leave it down and put the windows up. Nothing within reach inside. And I try to park it in a spot that I can see from inside the place I am at. Parking garages I always put the top up.

[husker boxster]

I put mine up, but not as protection from people.

My 1st conv was an MR2 Spyder. Stopped at a parts store one afternoon. Wasn't going to be long and it had a manual top that I didn't want to take the time to put up as I was only going to be in the store 5 min. Came out and based on the deposit, some mamouth robin had pooed on my windshield post. So close to being a disaster.

And the robins in my neighborhood are no better. They strafe my driveway on practice runs, just waiting for the day when I leave Punkin out with her top down. Think I'm exagerating? Spring of 2012 I bought a silver Caymen S with the intention of reselling, so Carmen had to sit in the driveway as she was the odd man out. I was going to take her to work one morning and was surprised to find this:




They don't mess around. You give them a shot, they take it.

[Frodo]

Depends on where I am, time of day/night, how long I'm going to be gone, what I've got in the car to steal, etc. If I leave it down I put the windows up and insert the red clip and generally feel pretty safe, though I try not to be gone too too long when I do this. The biggest fear I have is some dirtbag tossin' a half-finished Coke in there but I've been lucky to this point. I've not had problems (knock on wood) with birds, long as I'm not parked under a tree. In my experience that's where they tend to nail you...

[Ian c]

What is the red clip frodo ?

[Frodo]

As you probably are aware, as part of the security system there is a motion sensor in the Boxster, though I don't know if it's in every model year. Anyway, it only works if the top is up. The red clip inserts into the mechanism above the rear view mirror where the hook from the top normally is clicked in to place when closed. The clip "fools" the car into thinking the top is up, and so the motion detector is activiated. If you reach in and move your hand around inside the car with the clip in place, you'll get the security response (horn honking, etc.).

Ebay's got them, though they're pricier than they used to be. I don't even remember where I got mine, but it was just a buck or two.

[WhipE350]

Ya depends where I am too. Out here in the country it is generally OK. I never do on my 981 though, it just attracts too many haters.

Took the 986 to walmart the other afternoon and left it down. In general though it only takes seconds to put the top up.

Off topic on the way home (in my 986) I stopped at the auto parts store, this totally country lday employee came out and asked "Is dat dar one of dem nu 911s", I replied nope just a dirty old Boxster. She even noticed my zinc coated rotors, at that point she became kewl .

[Ian c]

Thanks
Great info .

Originally Posted by Frodo

As you probably are aware, as part of the security system there is a motion sensor in the Boxster, though I don't know if it's in every model year. Anyway, it only works if the top is up. The red clip inserts into the mechanism above the rear view mirror where the hook from the top normally is clicked in to place when closed. The clip "fools" the car into thinking the top is up, and so the motion detector is activiated. If you reach in and move your hand around inside the car with the clip in place, you'll get the security response (horn honking, etc.).

Ebay's got them, though they're pricier than they used to be. I don't even remember where I got mine, but it was just a buck or two.

[TeamOxford]

Originally Posted by tomc88

Do you leave your top down when in shops, in a bar, at a restaurant?

IN DALLAS ?!?!?!?

No way.

TO

[Johnny Danger]

I never leave the D-mobile unprotected !

[986_inquiry]

sometimes, depends on where i am and if i can keep an eye on it from where I will be in the bar, shop and restaurant.

if i can't see it, don't trust the area or if under a tree, i put the top up

[Gforrest2]

Too much of a hassle to remove the humps and put the top up. Once summer finally arrives in Seattle (about July), I leave the top down (until the end of summer, August 31st). I've got the red clip and there's nothing in the car worth stealing.

[truegearhead]

I leave my down constantly, even overnight in the downtown where I live. I had my volume knob stolen but besides that I've never had a problem.

[Deserion]

Generally I put mine up, except if I can keep a constant eye on it.

[thstone]

Here in LA leaving the top down while the car is unattended is like putting a "Please Rip Me Off" sign on it.

[Porsche Chick]

Only once in a blue moon. Takes just seconds to put up, so why risk it? People are nuts . . .

[Vista glass]

If the circumstances warrant it yes. It depends on weather,location, and duration. I usually go windows up, red clip in,lock. Never have had a problem. I don't leave anything worth taking in there. I frequently find an admirer upon my return and have met some nice people. The vast majority have no idea of what they are looking at but they recognize and respond to what the designers intended. I keep things preserved with Wolfgang's on the leather and 303 on everything else This unit rarely goes anywhere with the top up. Yes it requires a little more effort. My triple black looks and even smells like a drop top roadster should and I don't mind sharing that experience.

[Bryan topping]

I usually keep mine on. most restaurants have a no shoes no shirt policy