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Soft top down unattended?

Johnabx

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I’m wondering how many people leave their Bronco unattended with the top down when they go into work, a store, the gym, etc. This is my first time having a soft top and I guess I’m a little paranoid. I know I see people in jeeps do it all the time. Obviously I know not to leave anything in the Bronco but what’s everybody’s thoughts and experiences? Thanks.
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Panaran

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Depends where I am. I live in Chicago so I put the top back up any time I'm not in the car. Usually I just have it back in the first position, so it takes 5 seconds to put back. If I'm in the small town where our cottage is located, I'll leave it down without too much worry.
 

calcutta

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I often leave it down to go into the store or really any place for less than a hour. Beyond that, I’ll usually put it up but with the back windows out it’s mostly psychological (+ elemental) protection. I don’t keep anything in the back and have the console vault. Glovebox also empty. I keep the back windows out 95% of the time. Exceptions are trips greater than 1 hour or likelihood of precipitation.
 

Scape Goat

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I have no worries about leaving it down. But, I will probably flip it up to shade the seats so I don't burn my legs in the spring/summer ;)
 

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Richtor

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1. The soft top does not offer protection.
2. If someone wants in your Bronco soft or hard top they will get in.
How’s that for paranoia?

3. I’m planning on going 4-6 months of the year with no top no doors. Luckily I have a garage. But elsewhere I’m installing the trunk for my 2 dr. With the tailgate locked, there is no way to get in besides cutting through steel.
4. Keep nothing in the cab and sweatshirts books computers and such in the locked trunk.
https://accessories.ford.com/products/bronco-2dr-2021-fixed-lid-cargo-area-enclosure-1
 
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Daktari

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We had a Miata long time ago, left it open most of the time unless it was parked in full sun, then I just flipped the roof up w/o even latching it. I'm doing the same with the Bronco, quick stop to the store I leave it open, if it's parked in the sun for longer, I close it to keep the seats from turning nuclear. I'm thinking about getting some small white sheets, like crib sheets, to put over the seats if parked in the sun, not sure yet. Then I'd leave it open.

That a hard top provides extra or more security is just an illusion anyway. Vast majority of car break ins are cars with solid roofs. The windows pop on a solid as easy as on a soft top.

If I'd be parking where there's lots of foot traffic and bars etc, I'd close it up, just so some drunken looser can't toss his garbage in, though I'm not sure if that ever really happens.

Oh, and if parked under a tree I close it too, birds like to s(h)it in trees ;-)
 

Jawbox

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I learned more than two decades not to leave anything unsecured in a soft top vehicle that I wasn't willing to lose. It might not happen, but there's nothing stopping anyone either.

If you have things you don't want to lose that you need to leave in the vehicle, get some kind of locking vault to secure it.

EDIT: If you just are concerned about sun damage, UV will fade damage things over time. That I can live with. My Fiat has the top down all summer, but I park in a garage.
 
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Johnabx

Johnabx

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1. The soft top does not offer protection.
2. if someone in your Bronco soft or hard top they will get in.
How’s that for paranoia?

3. I’m planning on going 4-6 months of the year with no top no doors. Luckily I have a garage. But elsewhere I’m installing the trunk for my 2 dr. With the tailgate locked, there is no way to get in besides cutting through steel.
4. Keep nothing in the cab and sweatshirts books computers and such in the locked trunk.
https://accessories.ford.com/products/bronco-2dr-2021-fixed-lid-cargo-area-enclosure-1
Oh definitely, if someone wants to get in, they will. I get it. It is mostly psychological for me, I’m aware. I guess I was thinking if someone wanted to be an a-hole they could just pass by and cause damage without skipping a beat but I’m sure that rarely happens. I bet after I do it a few times, that will wear off. Thanks for chiming in.
 

Daktari

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I bet after I do it a few times, that will wear off.
That's how it was for me, parking it the first time just at Safeway was troubling, a bright Cyber Orange unicorn. In the mean time I just roll up the windows and lock the doors. And I park where ever there's a spot free, not at the far end of the lot, LOL. It does wear off for sure.
 

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Koz44

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I have yet to install my bestop soft top on my 2 door yet but I had been driving a 4 door wrangler for the last 4 summers and I would say that 90% of the time I have the side and rear windows off and the top flipped back when driving around town here. Sometimes I'll flip the top closed without latching it when parking - unless it looks like it might rain and it'll be parked for a while in which case I'll fully close it up. I do have a tonneau cover on the Jeep covering the back section and hope to have one at some point for the Bronco so at least things are covered. I try not to leave anything of significant value back there if parked for any extended period.

I will say that the Bronco draws much more attention than our Jeep. I've had multiple people take pictures of it since we got it and have been stopped to talk about it many times. I'll probably be a little more careful with it than the Jeep early on as I'm thinking more people will be getting a closer look at it when parked.
 

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I think Broncos in general are going to attract more attention because they are so new. The newer and pricier it looks, the riskier it gets, in my opinion.

I left my top down in my jeep all the time, never had anything stolen, but my jeep looked pretty rough and tumble lol
 

AKBronc49

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If its nice out I'll leave my top open (hard top but same idea). I have a couple of classic convertibles that so long as it doesn't rain I'll leave the top down. Never had any issues with anyone touching or damaging anything. Also keep zero things of value (or,anything really) not locked away out of sight.

I've left the Oldsmobile outside the mall, movie theater, parked downtown for hours on end.

Screenshot_20220323-123049_Photos.jpg
 

irishdore

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I do not have my Bronco yet, but as a former Jeep owner I was always in the camp of just leaving the top off entirely (and usually no doors too). Near the end of my Jeep ownership I was occasionally using a Bimini top equivalent but that was completely for the bird p00p protection.

* I never had anyone damage my stuff just to damage it, and I worked as a bartender in a large metro area when I owned my Jeep and parked downtown.
* I did have bird p00p at least once a year inside, but that cleans off very easily. It's more an *ick* factor if the p00 ends up on your driver's seat. You can try your best to avoid trees and wires overhead, but in the end you're "out in the wild" with your Bronco and that's where birds live.
* I probably got caught out once every couple of years in a Spring shower or a summer "omg it's so humid that a pop-up rain storm while sunny" started. Again, no big deal.

So, in a nutshell, I'm trying to say it's almost entirely psychological on your part.
 
 


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