With the weather starting to get colder and this being my first winter with my S2000 I was wondering how the soft tops on these cars will deal with the harsh winter I hear we are in for again?

Mine is an 01 car but did have the hood replaced (vinyl) by a previous owner and has a glass window.

I have been trying to get a hard top for ages now but it has proven pretty much impossible to find a black one for sale in NI.

Will my soft top last a harsh winter ok? It is is prefectly good condition at the moment...just a little worried about snow and -15 temperatures on it if the experts are right about the winter months/temperatures.

Cheers
PJ

 

Just get the inside of the car warm before you don your bobble hat and scarf and drop the top but otherwise it'll be fine.

Hardtops are for girls...

 

Haha cheers, want a hard top more so to keep the soft top folded away and out of the snow/cold. Not worried about being cold myself (cause I'm not a big girl ).

Also like the look of the hard top, but so long as a bad winter won't destroy my hood then I am happy enough to be patient on a hard top I guess

 

Hardtops are better to get rid of a bit of noise, if I had one then i'd have mine on most of the time (just fitted my winter tyres which are fab!)

But.... I never missed the hardtop with my last S. Bring on the winter sun lol

 

Mine will be on in the next few weeks, I love the look of the car with it on. it's like having a new car come spring when it's removed.

 

Soft top will survive fine in the winter as long as you don't try to move it when its frozen or wet, you will find it won't drop as far as in the warm as its not so flexible.
I trap a sheet of black plastic in the windows if snow is expected so I can get it all off in one go.
Common myth, snow heavy = bad, load or rubbish.
And give it a good aerospace 303 or RaggTopp treatment from time to time, clear winter days are just as bad for UV as high summer.

 

Provided that you take care of your hood, and dress it regularly with a protectant (I use RaggTopp Vinyl Protectant), you should have no problems. I have also patched the hood internally at all potential wear points.

Coming up to its ninth winter the hood is still as good as new, and it is never garaged. This picture was taken last December!

 

How regularly do you treat the hood Dennis?

Also wondering where you got your hood patches from and what you stuck them down with? I must get on and do that myself - the hood's all good, but I have it up and down so often, I can't see it staying that way over winter without a few extra precautions.

 

I'm interested in any tips to patch up the roofs. The few cars I looked at today had started to show signs of tearing near the side windows so hoping these can be patched up rather than a new roof?

 

I clean and protect the hood about four times a year with the RaggTopp protectorant.

Regarding the patches, I was able to obtain some blue roofing material from a fellow member, and those internally are still adhering firmly. However, the external patches shown in the link below have lifted after about two years, and I have simply replaced them.

Roof patches