With a harness you can use arm restraints to keep both arms from flailing too wildly.

 

Brian, NASA Fl doesn't let you run top-up without a hardtop, so that's out of the question. That was my plan initially. I agree with everything else here though, especially the seat time thing.

 

NASA Mid-Atlantic doesn't let you run top up either. Tons of orgs require top down mandatory. And if people are so set on a HT for better aero you don't need to spend $3000 especially if it's not used for a class where you'd take points for something other than OEM. You can get a replica Mugen top in FRP and just vinyl wrap it black for not much more than $1000-1200.

 

I know I'm genrally 1-2 seconds faster with my mugen vs soft top down on a 1-2min course. Never did a test between soft vs hard. I'll try next time, imo it would be insignificant/ .5 a seconds a lap over a 2min course....


for a stock ap1 on stock tires, as its pretty much at the limit of the 205/225's so the aero disadvantage around turns doesn't take as bad of a toll, but it feels much more loose everywhere without the roof.

 

Aw shit I didn't realize that. In that case then, top down is definitely at a disadvantage to hardtop/top up. That's a really big bummer nasa-ma makes you go top down. I was planning on going to VIR for nationals but if I have to run top down there's almost no point.

 

In the NASA West Championship, a Spec E30 convertiblewas competitive including swapping the lead with the winner on the last lap. NASA stopped issuing logbooks for new Spec E30 convertibles in 2011.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwEI7vJyvlM[/media]

 

Dude that was awesome and passing into the corkscrew was insane. Both those guys are really good, but Sandro is a beast. He is going to be the east and west coast champion for sure. But back on topic, the se30 convertible didn't seem to be affected by the loss of the roof so maybe he has the car setup to handle it better, or the se30 just isn't as sensitive to the loss as the s2k is. I can concur with SmokeyGatto about the car feeling more loose with the top down. I did one session at Roebling with the hardtop off and definitely noticed the rear being more loose. I can't remember if the top speed was affected due to the extra drag but my hunch is it was. At VIR I will need the high speed rear stability for the climbing esses and T9/10, and any top speed penalty for being top down will be exacerbated on VIR's long straights.

 

Aw shit I didn't realize that. In that case then, top down is definitely at a disadvantage to hardtop/top up. That's a really big bummer nasa-ma makes you go top down. I was planning on going to VIR for nationals but if I have to run top down there's almost no point.
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I would certainly inquire as things could have changed but last I knew it was the rule.

 

as far as crashing with a hardtop if the car hits on the back the trunk can open or crush up into the hardtop, bend it up and break the glass

 

It isn't really a one to one comparison either. In BMWs, the convertibles have extra bracing that some people believe give the car a chassis stiffness advantage even without the roof. The one log booked SpecE30 vert that has changed ownership since it's debut at the NASA National Championships at Mid Ohio where I believe it finished 3rd and hence the new SpecE30 rule banning verts. That car was also rumored to at one point have a 170 whp motor in it which would certainly help any straight away deficit, but the fact is that the BMW E30 is a "flying brick" as they like to call it so the aero is shit on them regardless.