Summer is well and truly here and with temperatures soaring it’s the perfect time to take your convertible out for drive, but do you know the do’s and don’ts of owning a convertible? Here at Friday-Ad Motors we have compiled our essential tips for any owners of a soft top car, and if you follow these religiously you will not go wrong. Do you follow all of these do’s and dont’s?

DO always have a long sleeved top in the car – During the summer months you can get caught out by the sun shining bright in the sky, just because the sun is out it does not mean that it will be warm when you are driving along with the roof down.

DON’T attempt to pull a James Bond and put the top up/down whilst you are driving along – If your convertible is pre 2000, it is likely that it is not possible for the top to go up/down whilst you drive along. It WILL end in tears. However, there are a number of soft top cars that DO have this function but they are predeominantly only able to at a max of 15mph.

DO put the windows up when the roof is down – When the roof is down, make sure you put all the windows up, the wind can make a nice warm evening feel like its a cold blustery night in November. It will also help someway towards stopping your hairdo from looking like our little rabbit friend on your left.

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DON’T park in narrow spaces if you own a 2 door convertible – Parking in narrow spaces should be avoided for any car owner, but in particualr for owners of a 2 door convertible. The reason for this is because they have longer doors than a 4 door convertible, and as a result make them even more difficult to get out of in tight spaces. This also applies even if you suffer from parking-space-proximityphobia, which is the fear that your car parking space isn’t as close as possible to the nearest exit. Don’t do it, the extra walk will do you good.

DO make sure the roof is up, the windows are up and the boot is shut properly before going through a car wash – You’ll be surprised how often people forget to do this. Unless you want an early shower, double check everything is water tight. However, if you own an ‘older’ convertible the advice would be to avoid car washes all together, they are not well known for preventing you from getting wet. Therefore, you will have to wash your motor by hand, the old fashioned way, which personally is the best method as you will learn to love your car that little bit more.

DON’T leave the top down when you vacate your convertible – This is a common mistake made by convertible owners. If you have ever done this and parked under a lampost or tree, you will know where I am going with this. Birds. These guys don’t care where they leave their excrement, and therefore by putting the roof up it will at least keep your plush new black leather interior free from seagull droppings. Another issue with leaving your roof up is that it is an open invitaition for you local criminal to take a look at that high spec head unit and speakers you’ve just had fitted. All in all this is a rookie move!

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DO expect to clean out leaves and general dirt out of the inside of your convertible – This is just one of the negatives of owning a convertible, it comes with the territory. There is little you can do to prevent this from happening unfortunately, unless you were to drive along never to put the roof down, however this does defeat the point of owning a convertible in the first place.

DON’T have the roof down on a motorway, you WILL regret it – If you’ve ever driven along a motorway with a window open, you will understand to some extent what it may be like with the roof off, its anything but enjoyable. Your hair will not be where it was before you set off, never mind the mass of leaves, debris and general waste that will make it’s way into your car as you drive. 

DO learn to love wearing hats – If you are going to be cruising around town in your convertible, the likelyhood is it will be sunny when the roof is down, and therefore you will become more susceptible to the sun’s rays. As a result a wise move would be to get yourself a nice hat to cover your head as protection. 

So, there you go, Friday-Ad Motors‘ do’s and don’ts of owning a convertible. If you think we have missed out other do’s and don’t please dont hesitate to let us know. Connect with us via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

If you have enjoyed this post, why not check out the rest of our blog? There’s lots of other tips and guides to help you with your motor!

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