Sometimes, I have all of the luck. Unfortunately, it is mostly bad. My battle with convertibles is a long one, drawn out for many years of pain, suffering and frustration. This is not to say that I don't like convertibles, far from it. They are great at times and give you that awesome feeling that can only come from top down, in the elements motoring.
My battle with convertibles started in the late '90s in the form of a 1987 Mustang LX 5.0L Convertible. It was painted a fetching shade of pastel Post-It-Note yellow with stained khaki tan interior and a somewhat matching tan-ish top. The horrid shade of yellow only added to my rage and frustration contained within this car. But what does this have to do with convertibles? Glad you asked. Since I have always been the family mechanic, I always get the dubious honor of dealing with every mechanical malady the "fleet" seems to have. Everything from my mom's GPS woes in her 06 C6 M6 Convertible to, oh, lets say, tops flying off of cars. Yes, that's right, convertible tops flying off. My brother was driving the 87 Mustang which we had affectionately named "the Lemon Drop" for obvious reasons both literal and ironic down I-4 when for no apparent reason whatsoever, the top unlatches itself. It did a grand job of turning itself into a tangled mess that would rival the box of Christmas lights you have in the corner of your garage. Unfortunately for my brother (and the car), the irony of the "Sunshine State" was in full effect and it decided to pour down rain on his way home. That car would have 2 more tops installed on it a few years down the road thanks to a few break-in attempts. So one can see how I am always a bit soured when it comes to convertibles. The events I listed didn't stop me from enjoying a nice top-down ride in my mom's C6 Convertible last week though, the new tint on the windows did. It seems that every time I am lucky enough to con her out of a key fob, I can't put the top down. It is either raining or there is new tint or it is hotter than the surface of the sun itself outside. But I can't let that keep me down as today is a beautiful day in sunny Florida. Dare I say that it is perfect convertible weather? Dare I say that it would be the best time to drive home from work with the top down and cruise? Dare I say that I'm driving my 1988 Lincoln Town Car today? Someday I will have my day in the sun.
~Craig A.