Top-off / topless etiquette and best practices

[Gulftrack]

I bought the center console safe from Ford. Seems pretty sturdy and secure. I don’t keep anything really valuable in it, but makes me feel better to throw my sunglasses etc in it.

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[NVCowboy]

Etiquette? Sorry, OP, as your questions were pretty valid, but this part of your thread title had me chuckling.

 

[jehines3]

I bought the center console safe from Ford. Seems pretty sturdy and secure. I don’t keep anything really valuable in it, but makes me feel better to throw my sunglasses etc in it.

I bought the knockoff one from Amazon and I was quite impressed for anyone who hasn't pulled the trigger yet. It's a nice setup that Ford came up with and was easily knocked off by several companies. I wouldn’t put and an ounce of gold in there, but a few odds and ends like a radar detector and dash cam while the top and doors are off is better than just rolling the dice.

 

[jehines3]

The dash and steering wheel are certainly not water resistant. When driving down the road the windshield will keep the rain from hitting the dash. When parked it is one of the reasons for a cover.

Ford actually put a lot of thought into this part. The dash is mostly waterproof (cheap plastic), its why the speaker replacement sucks so badly so they could tuck it under the windshield rake. I'm not sure where there are so many non-draining pockets on the dash? Us Soft top folks run around totally prepared for the rain....

Add some extra security and get some Molle panels for the back. Broaddict and I did a test on soft top fitment. With the soft top down you can barely even see into the back.

 

[Lèòn]

Havent gotten wet yet, I always check the weather for the day

Havent gotten anything rifled through yet, we’ll see this year though, usually keep my doors and side windows up in certain neighborhoods

Highways ya aint gonna hear anything if you’re a Speed Devil like me

But hey, youll get dark if ya dont generally tan, everyone was commenting on it last year

Enjoy yourself and have fun with her

 

[stickshifthappy]

Words to live by from a guy who drives a 65 Mustang convertible (only on sunny no rain days):

1. if it looks like it's gonna rain keep your top on.

2. Always be aware of potential weather, (weatherbug. com. or weather.com can be your friends).

3. If it's sunny, and suddenly starts to get cloudy avoid going inside anywhere for long periods of time when your top is off.

4. Learn how to put your top up quickly.

 

[One who waits long time]

Get a soft top - problem solved (and a safe or rear cage)

I can't handle the look. Ford could have done a better job of how it looks when down.

 

[userdude]

Also, pic of top off, doors off and mud flaps on, to keep it relevant!

Should be fine as long as you lock the doors... lol

 

[Kjbeggs]

It’s a dash cam with forward and rear facing cameras.
it has LTE so if you subscribe ($60/year), you can view in the app any time.
Being Ring, it also functions much like their doorbells and cameras with motion alerts, etc.
I leave my top off all the time and while I don’t leave anything in it, gives a little peace of mind.
My only complaint with it so far is the overall resolution could be better.

I installed one last weekend as well.
Agree on the resolution. Guy whipped around me on the freeway yesterday and almost got himself killed by hitting a big rig. Tried to get his plate off the video, but couldn't make it out.

 

[userdude]

Agree on the resolution. Guy whipped around me on the freeway yesterday and almost got himself killed by hitting a big rig. Tried to get his plate off the video, but couldn't make it out.

Looks like he got one of those 2024 Chevy Darwin models, I hear they're a killer to drive.

 

[JohnnyBoots]

One note about the Bronco's "Wash out interior" be careful about getting water in there. A few times while Wheeling I've gone out with door, top, no curtains and got hit with rain. Water absolutely gets underneath the floor and interior panels. I recently tore apart the interior and found a bunch of moisture underneath the rear floor and along the sills.

 

[Bugkillah]

I installed one last weekend as well.
Agree on the resolution. Guy whipped around me on the freeway yesterday and almost got himself killed by hitting a big rig. Tried to get his plate off the video, but couldn't make it out.

How do you see that and not cuss?

 

[t3n2and4]

I only mess with the front and if I’m not home I put the roof back on and lock up.

 

[bhb]

Here is some etiquette -

If you have toddler boys, make sure they don't yell "Its Top Off Weather" at the top of their lungs in public all summer.

 

[rmc523]

Need help with taking the top off etiquette. This is my first vehicle like this. Sorry about the questions.



1. What happens when I go to the store? Can I just leave it all open as long as I have no valuables inside?
2. What happens if it rains? I would check the weather, but storms sometimes pop up out of nowhere. Do you recommend that I keep a Tarp on me at all times? I saw some other nice covers as well.
3. How do I store the vehicle with top off in the garage? I feel like it will gather dust etc.
4. Do you go with all 3 sections off or just the first 2? Pros and cons..
5. Can you store the panels in the trunk without damaging them? My vehicle came with the bag.

I'll echo a lot of the replies here, but will add my thoughts...

1 - If I have the doors on and roof off, I go ahead and roll up the windows and lock the doors like any other vehicle. If everything is off, I put away anything valuable in either the glovebox or center console and lock them with the key. Or I'll bring it with me. But I also purposely don't keep much in the vehicle so there's not a lot to take out/put away in the first place.

2 - Winter is our "dry" season down here in S FL, so I check the forecast ahead of time and don't remove anything but the front panels if there's anything higher than 30-40% chance, unless it's isolated to 1 day and I can avoid the times it's going to rain. I plan on getting either a full cover or one of the cockpit covers that have been shown in earlier posts, so that I can throw it on if I have everything off while I'm at work and there's a random shower rolling through.

3 - Uh...put it in park and walk inside? lol Yes, shockingly, dust is going to get on the car - whether parked or driving. Think about it - any dust that gets on your car between car washes will get on the interior of your vehicle if you have no roof or doors. I just let it be until I know I'm putting everything back on and THEN I'll do a "deep clean" of the whole interior as I'm reassembling everything. If anything "big" gets on the seats or something in between, I'll wipe it off.

4 - Variations of removed roof panels depends on a lot of factors. I loved in my Mustang being able to just flip a latch and push a button to put the top down at any time. I have a hardtop, so obviously a quick removal like a normal convertible is literally not possible. Each successive/bigger panel is more difficult and time consuming to take off. The front two panels take only a few minutes to remove, so those I'll do fairly often when I want fresh air. The middle panel is also relatively easy to remove, but still somewhat more difficult than the front. I'll do this if I know the weather will be good for a few days in a row, but worse weather on the horizon. The full rear shell, takes longer with bolt removal and storage. My brother built me a hoist system that makes removal easier, but it still takes time to do and I want to make sure weather is going to be good for a while to make it worth it.

5 - Yes, I store the front panels in the back all the time. I use the bag sometimes, and don't use the bag other times. I also got a bag for the middle panel after having the car for a while. Obviously you can't store that on board, but having the bag makes it easier to move around and makes me less worried about damaging it.

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