When I special-ordered my '97 Outback, it seemed to be taking a ridiculously-long time for me to get the “build confirmation”. The dealership had no clue, so I finally spoke to someone at Subaru corporate.
She looked up my order and said “You want the Sydney Blue Pearl paint, correct?” I told her that this was correct, and she said that very few people were ordering that color, and that they were waiting for X number of other orders for that color as “we won’t load the paint equipment for just one car”.
She then offered to change my color choice to fire engine red, as a lot of customers were ordering that color and she could get my car into production w/in a couple of days. I detest fire engine red on a vehicle, so I refused her offer.
In total, it took close to 7 months for my car to be built and painted in my preferred color.
You may see most of the colors offered on dealer lots, but manufactures don’t operate 12 paint lines simultaneously. They have paint lines in operation for common colors and have one or two paint lines that rotate optional colors after a month or two.
I wouldn’t go near a grid-deck on current mile-wide low-profile tires.
Things are already squirrelly enough for me on asphalt and concrete. My 1981 Buick with 75-series tires, the only time I had to apply input to the steering wheel was when changing lanes or making a turn.
Are you putting VDC in that lack of common sense bracket ? If so you are really wrong. Just because someone can appreciate the advantage of systems to make things safer is not a fault.
They told me if I wanted red, I had to wait until they had enough orders for red cars to switch the paint line over. Otherwise, they would continue to paint the default color.
I PUT a manual moonroof in my 75 Olds Starfire… No AC, it helped cool the car a lot! And that car was white! But later I painted it metallic red.
Our red Audi has a sunroof. I use it on long drives or the car makes me nauseated. It is usually driven by my wife and she doesn’t have that problem. Her previous car, a Saab 9/5 had a sunroof. It jammed, I closed it, pulled the fuse and never used it again. We did not miss it. I can take or leave them.
I have owned 2 convertibles… one black, one silver. I strongly recommend everyone own one at least once. They are special. But don’t replace the top yourself! It is worth it to pay someone else to do it! There is nothing like crusing on a cool evening with the top down.
No offense to you or your car, but I’ve often thought that the Starfire name deserved a better car than a rebadged Monza.
I had an uncle who treated himself to a nice car every couple of years. A Wildcat, convertible Skylark, Monte Carlo, then an ugly divorce put him in a used Mazda RX3. On his way back on his feet he was able to buy a new Starfire. And yes, even with white interior that hatchback made the interior an oven.
I liked the style of the Monza/Starfire/Skyhawk cars. Hatchbacks were useful cars to own. It was white with a red interior, a 231 odd fire V6 and a 4 speed, plus front and rear stabilizer bars.
Yes, it was not what the earlier Starfires were but I didn’t think much about them when I bought off a used car lot. I wanted the V6 which put me in the Olds or a Buick since Chevy only offered a 4 or V8… and the V8 was heavy.
Sister-in-law owned one. Came out of the store and found someone had slashed the top with a knife. They weren’t trying to steal anything - just slash the top. Cost several thousand to get it fixed.
Yep, when I was working at our downtown location, had a homeless (we think) cut the top on a new(er) T-Bird in the middle of the day, yeah that cost us between $3500 and $5000 (don’t remember which) for a new top… Had a friend that was told when she bought her new drop top to never lock the doors, no matter what they steal would still be cheaper than a new top…
Last one, Back in the 90’s I drove a drop top 70 Newport 200 miles to it’s new home for a friend with the top down and long hair----never again…
I had a vw rabbit convertible. Someone stole my stereo. They tried slitting the roof. No go. That vw had two canvas layers with what looked like an inch thick steel wool in between. So they instead busted the windshield. Why not the side window which is cheaper I don’t know. They then yanked the dash apart with a crow bar to get the stereo. Dummies. It was a pull out stereo. But they got nothing anyhow. The amp was below the floor. And coded specifically to the stereo. No amp. No working stereo.
Yet I still loved that car. Handle better than anything I’ve ever driven. Including my Focus ST. And that roof was soundproof. Supposedly by the same company that did Rolls and Bentley. And it had a huge glass back window with a defroster. Excellent viz even with roof up.
I have had multiple convertibles over my 50+ years, have driven many, many miles both with top up and down. In the pre double nickel days drove my 67 Catalina convertible cross Wyoming, sometimes hitting triple digits. Would have got another convertible when I bought my latest car but the one on the lot had a manual transmission. The possibility of my sciatic pain returning forbade that!
But yes, I did not lock the doors on any of my convertibles or my CJ5. I don’t think the Jeep even could be locked.
I’m not reading all these but I seem to remember the 53 ford or 54 for sure had a glass portion on the roof. Called the sunliner or skylines. I’m not going to look it up. I was just a little tyke when we had the 54.
Yup!
That was an option on both Ford & Mercury upscale models for '54 & '55. The Ford was the Skyliner and the Mercury was the Sun Valley. In the era before A/C in lower-priced cars, this turned out to be a good way to roast your passengers in the summer.
