Who stores their car with the top up?

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Dan B
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Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Dan B » Thu Jun 27, 2019 1:35 pm

There have been quite a few threads recently about caring for soft tops. It had me wondering how many people store their roadster or touring with the top up versus folded down.

As we know, a standard garage door’s height will not allow you to drive in or out of a garage with the top up. So storing a car with the top up would require you to lower it each time you decided to go for a drive. Not such a convenient task even if you have a “one man top”.

I supposed if you are storing it with the top up, it would be interesting to know how often you drive the car. I imagine I could get pretty good at putting the top up and down but don’t know that I would want to do it each time I had an urge to go for a drive.
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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by KeithG » Thu Jun 27, 2019 1:50 pm

In the Winter, I store my '14 Touring with the top up - always. This is because if you store it with the top down, it becomes a nice nesting site for mice & that leads to an unpleasant surprise when you get the car out in the Spring. Also, if you leave the top down all the time, then if you try to put it up, it will have taken a "set" and might not stretch all the way to fasten it in the front, plus is will be full of wrinkles and not look very good.

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Top Up

Post by FreighTer Jim » Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:00 pm

Just like KG said.

In addition - transport with the top up in an enclosed trailer.


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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by RajoRacer » Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:07 pm

Our '14 is always stored with the top up - the wife & I can have it up or down in a matter of less than a minute.


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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Scottio » Thu Jun 27, 2019 3:01 pm

Top up. For some reason my 26 Roadster will go in and out of my garage with the top up. I purchased a touring car years ago that was stored for many years with the top down and it shrunk up to the point it was a full 6” from reaching the windshield. Of course it was stored here in the desert where the humidity levels are typically in the single digits.

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Ruxstel24 » Thu Jun 27, 2019 3:29 pm

Top up...
I had mine in my house garage this winter for a while, so I could replace the radiator and a few other things. Won't fit with top up. Mice got in and chewed a little spot of the rear strap. :twisted:
Won't do that again !! :(

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by TWrenn » Thu Jun 27, 2019 3:42 pm

I hardly ever HAVE my top up! Summer or winter. Never do in winter. I just dust the car off before layup and cover it with soft blankets. My house garage is super insulated so it stays fairly warm all winter. Occasionally I use a small LP heater but not often.
In the summer it stays down until the wife threatens to quit going out for rides..usually by first of July. :x


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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Norman Kling » Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:04 pm

I can store with top up or down or even on an open trailer in the garage! I have a 10' door.
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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Steve Jelf » Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:19 pm

I like to keep my top up for shade, especially in the hottest weather. If the wind is really bad I'll put it down to keep it from being damaged. My 82" shop doors allow me to drive in and out with the top up.

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by CudaMan » Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:26 pm

I always store my car with the top up. As far as I know there's nothing special about my garage door opening. I did adjust the garage door opener so that it pulls the door up fully, as a result I am able to pull in and out of the garage with the top up and a little over an inch of room to spare. :)
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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by HaroldRJr » Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:32 pm

There is one other point that I don't believe was mentioned so far, and that is the fact that the most wear to a soft (or convertible) top occurs when the car is driven with the top down. That is because, unless extra padding between folds and special care is taken, the dust and dirt that collects between folds, and the constant vibration that takes place (especially with a Model T) will cause the abrasive dust & dirt to wear anyplace where the top material folds allow the layers of top material to rub together. A top cover will help, but some dust & dirt will eventually find its way inside, and rub, rub, rub,.....almost like coarse rubbing compound! FWIW,.....harold

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Dan B » Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:05 pm

6396CE9F-8A9F-4AB3-897B-6C21958469EB.jpeg
Well I really can’t believe this, but tonight I tried to put the Model T into the garage with the top up and to my disbelief it fits. I must have taken bad measurements or received some bad anecdotal advice at some point. Had a spotter and pushed it it ever so slowly and it clears by a few inches. If it clears a few inches, it clears a yard!

Will be storing it with the top up for now on. Still not proficient at putting the “one man top” up and down by myself but that’s a different topic!
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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by A Whiteman » Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:42 pm

Top Up.
Mainly to keep the fabric stretched and free of crinkles and head off cracking.
I put a soft cover over the top to keep the dust down.
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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Joe Reid » Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:47 pm

I keep the top up, my doors are eight feet. Also one is a coupe so there is no top to fold down.

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by ewdysar » Fri Jun 28, 2019 1:08 am

Since I prefer driving with the top down, I store it with the top down. Maybe 10% of the time, I put up the top. Luckily, dealing with the top boot takes longer than it takes me to put up or take down the two-man top by myself.

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by paddy1998 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:50 am

It's a good idea to store any ragtop with the top up to avoid vermin nesting.

Even if you can't fit in the garage with the top up it ought to be possible to unfold it like halfway or so to spread out the material so as to discourage nesting.


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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Loftfield » Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:35 am

Top up whenever possible. Avoid shrinkage, folds setting, and rubbing. Too, for winter I put a lot of rat/mouse bait around, in, and under the car. Not only tops, but seats full of horsehair make wonder nesting places. I never heat my car area. Heated air is dry, dry air shrinks wood, body wood, and most importantly wheel wood.


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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Aarongriffey » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:40 am

I worked for a car collector nine years.
The 28 n 34 Packard touring cars had beautiful new tops, but they can never be put up again because the back part that has the rear window has shrunk too much. Same for the ‘47 Cadillac and a few other cars.

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Re: Who stores their car with the top up?

Post by Mark Gregush » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:48 am

Sometime in the future I have a customers 17 to work on that has been stored for years with top down and new tires that were allowed to go flat. The tires are shot and that top will never go back up. Too bad for them.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

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