I'm considering getting a hardtop for my 2006, and possibly taking out the softtop completely when I do it. The pros are obviously that it saves weight up high and moves the center of gravity down, but lose the flexibility that comes with having a convertible top. for instance, i'd be hesitant to take a weekend trip with the car unless i had a garage to park it in. I don't really love the look of the soft top in any position, which is what's started me down this line of thinking.

I've heard accounts that hardtop on/off takes only a few minutes after it's first installed.\

anyone have any advice on the matter?

 

there are several on here who have removed their softtop and just keep their hardtop on at all times.

If you want to remove the hardtop, it is very easy (at least for the OEM, i am not familiar with any of the other aftermarket ones). It takes 30 seconds and I'd recommend 2 people.

I personally dont like the softtop... but if I want to drive with the top down or it rains, the softtop is always there to protect me at a moments notice.

Some prefer the weight savings of removing the hardtop, I personally feel like its a minor savings for having the ability to cover my car while driving top down.

So if you are like me and either want the Hardtop or no top, I would keep the softtop becuase the HT fits right over it while its retracted. And when you take the HT off, you will always have the ST if you need it.

 

Its a easy decision, remove the soft top and store it in a safe place and if u ever sell the car then re install it.

 

The problem with removing it is you can never go on a trip with the top off. Not worth it IMHO but I road trip in my S.

 

Yea but some people never put the top down, so thats good for them.

 

That is true. But what a waste to convert a convertible into a hard top. All the weight of a drop top, none of the open air ride.

 

For me it was a no brainer I like everything about the car better with the hardtop on

 

you can buy a california poptop.
ofcourse you cant use it when driving but you wont need a garage to park it.

http://www.capoptop.com/home.htm

 

I do like top-down driving, and would certainly do it when the weather was nice.

but in texas, it's too damn hot/humid during the summer to drive with it down except at night...I envision the hardtop being on most of summer/fall and topless winter/spring.

the pop top is a neat idea, but i'm more worried about security with leaving the car out overnight than I am with temperatures/weather...

 

I have a hardtop, and I took out my softop.... worst decision I ever made. I like the extra storage space and still find myself topless on a regular basis, but I don't like in SoCal or Arizona. Rain comes out of nowhere where I live and I have been caught at work, in a store, etc with rain.

It was really shitty when I took it out I have every piece laid out neatly on the floor with the hardware to go with it, ever plastic piece, etc. I had to run to a meeting before I could finish, so I put my driver's seat in and left. When I came back, my dad had reorganized it. Every bolt was in a big pile while every trim item was in a separate pile. I didn't have the time to sort through everything because of school, so I put it off waiting until exams were over. Well when the free time came I couldn't find anything, soft-top, plastics, hardware.... all gone. He threw them out thinking they were just trash.

Keep the soft-top, unless you hate owning a convertable it's worth its weight in gold when the sky opens up!