Pee Raid Time

[Guest Ranger]

It's election and glad handing season. I have a relative who'd like to be go through parades in my '90 Convert:

1) Can the fibreglass tonneau hold a 230 male, or is there a better place to put him (other than dragging him behind the car?

2) He'll be in and out of the car during the parades, would it make more sense to have him ride in the passenger seat?

3) My car does have a tendency to run warm, suggestions?

4) Attaching signs to my black paint job? (nothing over 10 mph)

Thank you,

Jim Too

[Barney Eaton]

I have seen other Reatta owners cars with people riding on the tonneau but they were usually small girls/ladies. If he must sit on tonneau I would make a cushion with something semi-ridged on top, this will spread the load and reduce the stress on one area. They cannot sit in the middle or they would need to put one leg over the drivers shoulder.... meaning they will need to ride on the right side. You also need to do something to protect the seat......a 230# foot in the seat will not do it good.

Best bet is to ride in the passenger side seat..... maybe you could make a riser for the seat that would get him up 6-10 inches higher than the seat.

[Guest my3buicks]

The riser is an excellent idea, when I Would haul anyone in a parade in the big convertibles, I had a large semirigid foam wrapped platform made for across the seat that would raise them about 8 inches. You could easily do the same for the passenger seat in the Reatta. The thought of someone climbing around stepping on my seats, console and sitting on my tonneau cover lets me cold. One time for a parade in Harrisburg PA hauling Miss Pennsylvania, I did break down and let her sit on the fiberglass parade boot, but completely packed the space under the boot cover with blankets to reduce stress on it.

[Nittany]

I have seen other Reatta owners cars with people riding on the tonneau but they were usually small girls/ladies.

This would be an example such as Barney described! I, too, would be very nervous to allow one large individual to be climbing in and out shaking hands and doing things that politicians do anywhere near my vehicle:rolleyes:

[raleets]

I have a simple, one-word answer when approached to ride on the back deck of either of my convertibles........it's "NO".

Years ago I volunteered my '62 Buick Skylark (numerous BCA Gold award winner) for a Memorial Day parade to haul "Miss XXXXXX".

It has a pure white vinyl interior with a pure white vinyl boot. A nice blanket was placed on the back seat for her feet and another blanket on the boot for her to sit upon. I don't think we were two blocks into the parade before the blanket on the seat had been kicked off onto the floor and the blanket on the boot had fallen off the car onto the street!!

By the time we reached the end of the parade I had indentations in the seat from her high heals and a stretched out boot from her butt.

Both of the problems were fixed by using a hair dryer to bring the vinyl back, but I will NEVER again use my convertible in a parade unless they agree to sit on the front seat.

There is absolutely no way I would ever consent to anyone riding on the back of my '91 Reatta convertible.

These pee raid folks have no clue about cars. No clue whatsoever.

Bob

[KDirk]

The only way a politician rides in my car is in the trunk. I can keep the two 80# sacks of quickcrete on the passenger seat until ready to use. Debutantes and beauty queens are a distinctly different circumstance.

KDirk

[Guest Ranger]

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep him off the tonneau and build a foam front seat stool. I piut in a 180 deg. thermostat and made sure the auxiliary fan is kicking in.

Thank you again,

Jim Too