top down-cool nights

Now that it's starting to get colder and I remembered one thing I have always liked since I was a teenager with a ratty MGA.

I love driving on a cold night with the top down and heater cranking up to maximum.

I think that driving an open car on a cool night with the heater fighting off the cold is somehow neat. Do any of you do this?

your not alone, the night sky is never darker and sharper than in the winter, some gloves and a nice coat, fresh air and the top down. Not to mention I love the looks I get.

And I wisely took the front half off my nearly-finished Sprite to paint the engine bay immediately prior to gutting the upstairs bathroom out to bare studs...I'll have it back together for the brisk february weather if I'm lucky. Good thing there's bikes that run.

Amen to cool weather motoring!

Love the GT6 this time of year.

Really have to get some runs in before the end of the month.

A.

I'll use my Miata (ya, I know it's not a classic,,,,,,yet) until the temp drops below 50 or so. There's a local guy here who drives his Cobra replica around in January and February. He just bundles up really well and he's always smiling.

It's even better with the tonneau on.

I have very fond memories of a topless snowy winter drive through the Berkshires mountains with my father in his Spitfire.

50-60 degrees and top down with the heat on is more comfortable than 99 degree summer drives. I do enjoy this time of year.

Cheers Ron

On a trip to England a few years ago I looked out the window of the London taxi I was riding in and saw a guy in a Caterham Seven sans top. It was a November evening, raining moderately, and the temperature was around 40 degrees. Typical English weather. I doubt he had a heater in the Caterham, but he appeared to be enjoying himself. Maybe he was on his way to Classic Car Night at the Ace Café. Good for him. As for me, I guess I’m a wimp. I like driving around in my Miata on warm summer evenings when the air temp is around 75-80 degrees and I don’t need to turn on the heat. We only get a few of those opportunities in July-August in New England so maybe that’s why I appreciate them so much.

The thing with Caterhams is that as long as you're moving you probably stay dryer/get slightly less wet without the roof up. Yes, it's that good...

Top down in cool weather is brilliant.

So,coincidently, the local Miata club board has people getting together for a drive last night. Temperature was 54 when I left home and we drove for an hour and a half or more. It was after dark when we stopped at a restaurant and the temp had dropped a bit. It was a wonderful night. Wore a fall jacket and a ball cap. The heater had to be turned down because my feet were roasting and my hands were getting there. The golden mushroom soup was pretty good,too! Life's pretty good!

Yeah, I have to agree with the comment about the tonneau. That always add to the top-down, heater-on mode.

I drive through the Princeton campus one night a week. Did it on a cool evening a few weeks ago with the MGB with tonneau on. Right past Einstein's house and all the other neat buildings. It wouldn't be the same in an Accord. I thought about getting a tonneau for the Miata, but they are pricey.

One thing I will never do is run with the top down and windows up. ...any more than I would wear a bowtie or tie the sleeves of a cardigan sweater around my neck.

I agree, top-down drives on a cool night work well.

I had the Tiger out for a foliage tour along the MA/RI border, late Sunday afternoon. Top down, of course. Temps were probably in the upper 50's, the sun in and out. I was plenty comfortable, almost too warm, in a leather Bomber jacket, without the heat on. Well, no heat other than the Tiger's normal toastyness.

I did drive it to work once in the mid 40's with the tonneau on, but that was many years back, and I won't be trying that again anytime soon.

One of my daughters still reminds me about the time I picked her up from band practice, top down, and we got caught in a two minute downpour. Speed did not keep us dry, at all.

My favorite time to drive it is after dark on summer evenings, or early mornings. Natural air conditioning!

Stu

My wife and I went on a fall tour across mid-Michigan this past weekend. When the group left the motel Saturday morning it was 35 degrees ! Contrary to some opinions expressed in this thread, we had the windows up and a homemade windblocker behind the seats, top down,but it was very comfortable with the heater set to about halfway.

Come on, lets get out there. I drive my Superformance Mark III (Cobra) no top all winter as long as the roads are clear. Usally once a week all winter, keeps everything working no storing. The coldest drive was 28*, defently wake you up!

WildBill