Removable Hardtop -- weather tightness

Can anyone guide me as to which of the removable hardtops (assuming bought at the time the car is made) has the best reputation for weather tightness? Or put another way, does any top have a particularly bad reputation? In order to justify a purchase of a speedster to myself (okay, and to my wife), I really need to use it as a daily driver; hence the need for a removable hardtop. I don't see the point of getting that, however, if it isn't actually going to keep the rain out. I've been told that the issue is at the side edge of the windshield, rather than the top, but would appreciate any advice.

John,

I've had some hardtop experience. I had a car built around a Fibersteel Glasspar hardtop. It was gorgeous, and I don't regret having it for a minute. It was not weather tight, by any sujective standard.

If you need a drop-top to be rain-tight to justify it, you need to buy a nice used Z3, or Boxter. You'll spend the rest of your life trying to seal up a speedster from the wind and/or rain leaks that you will always have- hardtop or no. I have made it my "white whale" to get a speedster to the point where I can drive it in bad weather- and like Ahab, I may (?) have passed the point of obsession.

Pan-based speedsters (and I include any speedster that has a pan-replacement tube frame) typically have many different places where air and water can infiltrate the cabin, besides the windshield. I removed the carpet from the rear of my last car, and ran two full tubes of caulk into several joints to slow the air infiltration to a gentle roar. This does not indicate any lack of quality on the part of one builder or another- it is the nature of the "kit-car" DNA most of our replicas posess.

If you want a daily driver 356 replica- get out your check-book. Intermeccanica's roadster, and SAW's cab come the closest. Speedsters will always require compromise- and will amount to a battle between you and the elements, even when you spring the big bucks for a gasoline heater like some hick from Illlinois who shall go nameless.

I'm the kind of guy who doesn't accept conventional wisdom easily- I always think I can master the situation, given enough perserverance. I have finally, after two cars and tens of thousands being spent on a third, come to the conclusion that I can make a dent in the nature of a speedster, but not change it. I've accepted the limitations, reluctantly. They are not all weather, daily driver automobiles in the same way anything manufactured in the last 50 years is.

A boxter is a nice car- it'll be cheaper, and less frustrating for you to own one. If you can do without a speedster, walk away now. If not, be forwarned- it'll not be weather tight. No matter what.

Speedsters aren't about practicality, or sensible transportation by any means - they are about fun. However, I do use mine as about a 75% daily driver. Some guys here would think thats nuts, but I just enjoy it too much, can't resist. I know someone who drives a Spyder replica 100%, their only car (and I think with the top down almost always). To a large extent, 'daily driver' depends on the driver, and compromising like Stan said. When I first got mine, I too felt like I needed a hardtop to make it more practical, and I'd still like to have a hardtop, but I'm getting along fine without it. I don't hesitate to drive in a light to moderate rain, and above freezing temps. When the monsoons come, I have something else to drive, because water will accumulate inside the Speedster. If I do get caught out in a hard downpour, its a good excuse to stop somewhere to have a cup of coffee and wait for the guy in the new luxury sedan that cost 3 times what I paid for my Speedster to walk over and tell me how much he likes my car. If you are considering a Speedster as your only car - think twice about that. The Spyder driver I mentioned above is apparently very tough-minded.

May I suggest another way of thinking or option? Instead of worrying about water getting in why not just have a speedster built with the original rubber style flooring? The seats and side pannels could be done in high quality vinyl and then you wouldn't even worry about how well it really seals up.

Ok, thats not completely true if you live where its cold you need to control the air leaks in order to have the heater keep up. Also if you live in a cold weather area and plan to drive the car in the winter you really need a liquid cooled engine to provide enough heat to keep up with any weather below 25f.

I think everyone will agree with Stan that if you want it to be completely leak proof, don't buy a convertible.

Roll up windows make a big difference on the issue you brought up, but the Cabriolet from SAW or the D from IM are the only ones that I would purchase if your worried about rain. The hardtop only fits as well as the softtop if the rain leaks in from the side it doesn't do a whole lot of good.

I really appreciate the responses and the candor, even if the answers aren't what I hoped the situation might be...! Having said that, I just want to make sure I understand what everyone is saying. If I understand things correctly, in effect, the issue is not necessarily the weather tightness of the removable hardtop but of the car itself. In other words, even if the hardtop fit in such a way that water did not leak in around it, I'm still likely to find (a) water finding its way into the car in other ways; and (b) other weather-related issues, like cold/damp air flowing (or blasting) in from various other places. And that this is true of all speedster/roadster replicas, to a greater or lesser extent, even high-end Intermeccanica ones. (Which I have to admit is pretty disappointing -- because if I was going to shell out $50K on an IM, I might expect it to be a little better than that...). Have it got it basically right?

John

I have an Intermeccanica Speedster and I do not have air intrusion or water intrusion issues. Driving at 70+ with the top up is loud due to engine/transaxle noises, but there is no air leaks in the body. After overnight rains and downpours Sunday morning at Knott's, there was no water inside my car. It was parked overnight with the top up, no car cover and in the open. I do get a couple of drops if it is raining hard when I drive on the highway.

Yes, it seems to be a recurring complaint. Use the search feature to look at past posts on this subject, the stories really vary, I've read where others swear they never experience weather tightness problems. And there are ways to fight it; calking, velcro, duct tape, whatever. One thing is sure - the good weather days more than make up for that flaw.

Alright, Dales got a good one! Hey Dale, that's a great article in Kit Car featuring your IM.

Thanks Greg, It was alot of fun doing it with Eric. Learned alot about car photos and he let me edit the story before he printed it. I really didn't think that the haybales would look that good, but Eric and I spent several hours driving around looking for a nice background and he said they would be perfect with the car colors.

For some reason my issue is always a couple of weeks behind you guys?

I don't think there is a good hard top available for speedsters.

Somebody must be bored.

Bored is one way to put it, I guess.