goods and bads of havin a convertible

[240sxkiller]

let me no the goods and the bads of havin a convertible

[nismo27]

Good:

Looks better than any other S13Verts are rareIt feels good to drive a vertTurn more heads

Bad:

The tops that come on them probably needs to be replacedThe carpet is nasty on a lot of themThe door panels sometimes warpThe trunk struts are probably bad

Everything else is the same a regular S13.

The good definitely outweigh the bad.

[BRosa]

Having a leaky top is the only thing thats kept me from loving mine. SOmething about having water drip down on my arms and head makes me wanna choke a baby

[Phan]

94 Vert Owner

Pros: dependable enginegood mpgvery sexy with body kitRWD!!!rareuniquely different from any other s13chicks dig verts!

Cons: RUST!!!HORRIBLE DOOR PANELS!!!crappy fabric upholstrydirty carpetno air bagseverything breaks in the interior when you try to dismantle itbad design of vert topextreamly expensive parts to replace (from dealers)crappy a$$ beltcrappy trunk supportheat shield rattles

there is alot of problem associated with this car, if you don't have a job don't buy it, but overall it is a really unique weekend car.

[240sxkiller]

i work at a car dealership so i got tools and a lift ....and money yea i no all about that with my 94 cutlass but it runs good now lol

[biggie]

Cons: RUST!!!HORRIBLE DOOR PANELS!!!crappy fabric upholstrydirty carpetno air bagseverything breaks in the interior when you try to dismantle itbad design of vert topextreamly expensive parts to replace (from dealers)crappy a$$ beltcrappy trunk supportheat shield rattles

Note: not all have all these problems.

-My interior is perfectly fine.-No S13 or most cars this old have air bags and that's just more weight anyway-Don't think the Vert top is a bad design at all-Parts are expensive and possibly not being made anymore-Trunk support is fine, just replace struts-Heat Shields - remove asap

To me unless in warm climate or have garage you really shouldn't/couldn't have this car as a DD year round. Think the Verts have more issues the longer they just sit, uncovered outside.

[Harman850T5]

I actually DD mine all year round in the NE leaving it outside, but I'm hoping to change that for next winter.

pros:chicks dig itcan make some s13 owners jealous of the extra chassis bracing the vert hasreliableinterior doesn't fall apart while taking it out, except the door panelsrarenothing like a nice clear 75 degree night with the top downrwdit only came as an auto open diff car, which means there is less chance of it having the life beat out of it

cons:most tops need replacedvery easy to crack rear window if it's not that warm outfaded carpet, and the usual rip in it by the exhaust humpthe vert specific parts are hard to findit only came as an auto open diff car, which is actually a pro if yout think about it.

[slip69]

I think its pretty obvious that if you want a head turning car then this is the car for you. regardless of the cons if you really love the car you will keep it and just put work into it to make last long. All the cons are really minor compared to the pros! and i think people forgot to mention that it has a really crappy sound system!!! I...REALLY .....HATE ......THAT!!!!!

[biggie]

and i think people forgot to mention that it has a really crappy sound system!!! I...REALLY .....HATE ......THAT!!!!!

That is an easy fix though, replace it. Mine is clear with good highs/mids/lows even on a busy interstate with the top down.

[1SickSilvia]

I think its all relative, not all convertibles are in the same shape, some are ok, some are not. Keep in mind its not a new car, (15+years old). Maintanance is probably gonna be more than a hard top s13. The convertible top can be a pain in the butt sometimes. You have to ask yourself, what you want to use it for?what you want it to look like, perform like, whats your life style? etc. Like if your grandma wants you to take her too bingo every sunday, and she hates to sit in the front seat, and she weights 350lb, than it's probably not the car for you. I bought mine because its unique, and I wanted a fun project summer car. I have a dd, so this is just for fun. Any car that you want to mod is a money pit , period.

[240sxkiller]

its unique, and I wanted a fun project summer car and i love 240s and a convertible just makes it even better and i understand its a mony pit but when its done it will be sweet and like u said some r in good shape and sum are not

[Maltrice]

I love my vert. I drive it as a DD and I sling pizzas for a living. If you don't mind turning a wrench every now and again. Once you get the hang of working on them and a chilton manual its easy. My car sat through a hurricane with the top down before I got it. And its one of the most dependable car I have ever owned. It might starting coughing or running rough everyonce in a while but it always gets me home in one piece. It doesnt matter about the pro's and con's of whats what. If you want a good looking, nearly bullet proof engine design, and fun driving experience...hands down the 240sx vert is the very last word in driving nirvana. just my 2 cents

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

let me no the goods and the bads of havin a convertible

Pros-Attracts attention-Top down+open road+warm weather=Fun-Somewhat rare

Cons-Attracts attention (if you're a low-key kind of person, it's not for you)-Top down+open road+warm weather=Trouble if you're not careful-Verts have the stereotype of being driven by women (I don't give a **** what people think)-Requires a little more care than hardtops due to the top-Slightly heavier than the other S13s

I daily drove my vert for 2 years. I don't really have much to complain about as I've gotten used to the minor issues. I have to say though that I'm glad I have another vehicle to DD now. Mine came with a fairly good interior, trunk struts are gone to hell but I just use a PVC pipe to hold it up so it's whatever...too lazy to replace them. I could care less that it lacks airbags. If you don't live an area where the weather's nice year round, this isn't a vehicle you want to DD. At least I wouldn't do it. If there's one thing I would tend to ASAP it would have to be the rubber stripping just above the side windows. Mine leaked like crazy when it rained or even when I washed it. Sound system isn't the best but just buy new speakers, etc. Other than that I don't really know else to say.

[Loki]

To be perfectly honest...I'm getting tired of the drop top. I love everything else about the 240, except for the god damn top. Between the rear window falling out, buying a whole new top, having said new top made wrong, waiting three months for a replacement, dealing with massive leaks and not being able to properly close my doors while waiting for the new top, finally getting the new top and having to shell out an additional $300 to install it cause Topsonline is being cheap, not to mention how stupid cold it is out here and how slow my quarter windows go up, and how poorly made the vert specific interior parts are....

I wish I had a coupe =/

BTW. Air bags. You'll be fine without em. *cough...*

[-RJ-]

Pros:Fun car to driveGreat in the Spring and SummerDifferent from all the other s13A real head turnerLooks great with a Silvia front endGreat motorGirls love convertibles

ConsThe top (obviously)Its heavierGood clean carpet is hard to findPeople say its a girls car (thats crap because lots of guys drive the 7th gen Celicas, Preludes, and Del sols and those are girls cars)Only comes auto

those are the only things i can think of

[johnny butt]

To be perfectly honest...I'm getting tired of the drop top. I love everything else about the 240, except for the god damn top. Between the rear window falling out, buying a whole new top, having said new top made wrong, waiting three months for a replacement, dealing with massive leaks and not being able to properly close my doors while waiting for the new top, finally getting the new top and having to shell out an additional $300 to install it cause Topsonline is being cheap, not to mention how stupid cold it is out here and how slow my quarter windows go up, and how poorly made the vert specific interior parts are....

I wish I had a coupe =/

BTW. Air bags. You'll be fine without em. *cough...*

look, I won't lie, this guy has a good point, but keep in mind he has had an extremely bad experience with changing out his top.

Look up a couple of other people who have changed out their tops, and it has MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE as far as appearance.

The 240sx convertible > all other 240sx as far as appearance.

It is just not something you can autoX or drift with without more $$$ than what you'd throw into a coupe or a hatch.

P.S. the majority of cars I've owned are convertibles, and i must say, I have more fun driving my 240 convertible than this:



s13 vert with silvia front end at bad angle & unpainted:

[atcq110]

it's clear that everyone has allready touched on all the cons of owning a vert, but as a former owner (greatly regret selling it at that) I can tell you there is no better feeling than blowing someones doors off with a stock looking SR swaped vert... No one can ever anticipate this!!!

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Now that you've gotten a bunch of opinions OP, I think you need to decide for yourself if it's right for you. Deciding also includes finding one and examining it up close and if possible, taking it for a drive to see if it really is for you. Vert's are cool but they're not the end-all of cars. If you really want one bad and at least have a garage to store it, just get it.

[squonk]

pros and cons...

Well for me this car was ideal. It wasn't crazy fast but I don't lose to too many cars off the line which is probably why my transmission doesn't work anymore.

The handling is superb. I had a 90 hatch and the vert of the model was like nothing I've ever driven. 85-90mph around a 25mph turn. It's one of the few pleasures in life knowing that my car is going to do what I ask it to do.

People spoke of music... With the top down and the exhaust extremely loud on my vert, I needed to invest in some speakers. I also put in an amplifier and a subwoofer. With the top down and the music up, life is good I'm not getting the full effect of blowing out my eardrums.

Trunk space I find the vert has more trunk space than my old hatchback.

The biggest pro hasn't even been mentioned. Turning heads ok I believe some of these guys have turned heads with their vert, but no one has turned heads like I have. Put a nice size love-able dog in it because of the cloth interior and bam everyone is looking!

Reasonably cheap for a convertible. I've never encountered one cheaper especially since it's a rare car.

Grocery shopping is a breeze. Put the top down bring the groceries over and just lift and plop.

I believe it's one of the hottest looking cars in the world and as verts go it ranks probably in the top 3 definitely in the top 5 from my eyes. The others are only available to the richest people in the world, something I will most likely never be.

The forum for this car is willing to help you solve problems and fix situations.

Safety... I don't have to look out of mirrors when changing lanes, or riding around in general. I can see everything with crystal clear vision.

cons=I've spent too much money into itMajor problems will arise as the car becomes even older than already is.My love for it won't let it go awayhad to replace top and windowThe door panels screwing suck!Must wear sunglasses while driving in the daytime
Modified by squonk at 6:23 AM 1/26/2009

[Chukidori]

. If there's one thing I would tend to ASAP it would have to be the rubber stripping just above the side windows. Mine leaked like crazy when it rained or even when I washed it.

Where did you get your rubber stripping from? I just bought a vert shell and thats my largest concern at the moment.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

I haven't. I just don't drive it in the rain anymore.

(still a problem when I wash it though)

I'm gonna call a few local Nissan dealerships to see what's the story with it. I'll let you know what they tell me.

I regret not tending to this earlier.