Ian F
Dork
12/26/10 8:19 p.m.
Good point about noise and long distances in an old convertible. A couple of years ago, I drove from Philly to Carlisle in my Spit 6 and my ears were ringing by the time I got there. And my car was geared for hwy running with a o/d trans and a 3.27 rear end. I'm not sure what was worse - top up or down I know that in our std 1500 Spit w/ o/d and more normal 3.89 gearing, I'll endure some pretty cold temps before I'll put the top up.
Even in newer convertibles - my Corvette isn't that quiet with the roof up either, although I guess a hardtop would help.
I love long trips in a canoe. With an inverter plugged in, of course.
I did 1,000 miles in my Maserati Merak SS once. It was a total blast until we hit soul crushing traffic in Massachusetts on the way home, then it totally sucked. It was a great car when you are moving, but stop and go traffic because of construction, accidents, massive volume for an entire state isn't much fun in anything.
I loved long trips in my R107 560SL
As long as you didn't pay attention to fuel economy (about 15 mpg), it was perfect for road trips. Comfortable on the highway. Fast. Reliable. Good brakes. Not too noisy for a convertible. Generous trunk with the top up or down.
Perhaps most important, it was my only toy car that my wife actually liked