[rteichman]

Well after yesterday's experience I feel I must chime in on this subject. I was out enjoying driving my car when I pulled into a restaurant for a bite. Noticing the sudden appearance of dark clouds I parked, pulled the parking brake and pressed the top close button.... nothing happened!! After a frantic check of everything I noticed that the "PARK" light was not comming on. Thus the top would not operate... I look at the sky and its getting darker. So I race out of the place and head for home as fast as possible, but alas the rain started before I made it back to my garage and I got quite wet. After I calmed down I had the ash tray out and was mucking about with the wires to the brake switch and it started to work again so I got the top up.

I am ready to sell the car! Why you ask? It was such a minor thing. Well it reminds me too much of my 68 MGB. Like this car, any time I want to take it out it has a problem that needs to be addressed. I can't stand that. Especially after comming from a Miata which in 140,000 miles and 14 years of age never had a single problem. With this car:

A couple weeks after buying the car I decide to take it out on a Saturday night and show it off to my friends in Philly. On my way down I stop for gas only to notice that its low on oil. It was fine when I got the car a few weeks ago. It turned out to be nothing but my evening was wrecked worrying about the possible RMS problem.

Next I am driving for a weekend getaway when my brak wear indicator light goes on. When I bought the car I knew the brakes were low, but the mechanic assured me I had a good 6 months of wear left before the light would come one, and a year before it would be below state limits. I had only put maybe 500 miles on the car at this point, so I was not expecting the issue. My weekend was ruined by worries about the brakes.

Another Friday night and I am about to go down to Philly for the evening when my I notice my water light was flashing. I go back home, pop the trunk, check the level only to find that its OK. I restart the car and the light never comes on. But my evening is now wrecked worrying about what could be wrong. The next day the light flashes again. I check the level...its the same, I check for leaked fluid but don't find anything so I add some fluid and the flashing light problem stops... However the damage has been done, and why did it flash in the first place (the level was midway between low and max)

Then yesterday's fiasco with the rain. I am now terrified of taking the car out. What will happen next? With my Miata there was nothing ever to fix. Even my Audi (which must be one of the least reliable cars around) hasn't let me down to this extent. I am sorry, but there is no excuse for loose wiring/connection on a brake switch. Especially on a car with only 46,000 miles.

Rob