Comparing Reattas

[Guest grkman1]

Can anyone tell me how the coupe and convertible compare considering the convertible is 10 inches longer? I wonder how the ride and handling are.

Thanks again

[Guest Tammy]

Hey Nic can you help him out?

I like my ride in the drop top, <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> but I have only put on a couple hundred miles..maybe.

[Barney Eaton]

You have some bumb information on the dimensions. The Reatta coupe and convertible are both the same overall length (181.3) and have the same wheelbase (98.5).

In my humble opinion, the coupe is the more practical overall vehicle with the extra space behind the front seat and slightly more trunk space.

But, you can't beat a ragtop for fun.

[DeeBee]

You bet. Being able to put those things you need at hand on a long trip in the rear is great. I gave up on converts some time ago. Out here the sun kills you and there is nothing like a roof when sitting at a stop light and it's anything over 80 degrees. A lot quieter too.

[Texan]

I know all the downsides of owning a drop top, however, I will have a '90 or '91 Reatta drop top in the near future. Barney is dead on about the fun part. We have really hot summers where I live but it is something you deal with if you live here. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am not in my second childhood, I am merely finishing my first one. Uncle Sugar interrupted my childhood with a 37 month trip to Southeast Asia.

Texan

[Guest MauiWowee]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Uncle Sugar interrupted my childhood with a 37 month trip to Southeast Asia.</div></div>

Welcome home. There are several of us here who had the "all expense paid southeast asian vacation". <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Just keep the air con on. You'll be ok

Something my dad does <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. I cant make myself do it though. I mean, cool air, with the top down? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Guest CL_Reatta]

use the A/C with the top down in the Miata all the time, if you have a convertable you need the top down no matter how hot (or cold), thats just the way it is. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I can admit I've driven with the top down and heat on, however. Felt like driving like that in Maui when it was 50 f or so out, at night

[Guest tomt]

My TR-6 was a convert. I'm lovin my 89 Coupe, but I'm thinking the best of show might be an 88-89 with touch screen and working factory sunroof, which I don't have.

[padgett]

A convertible is a bit of an addiction, you cannot think clearly until you have one and when you do you often wonder "why?".

About half of the cars I've had have been open but for a long road trip, a closed car is much more comfortable and quieter. I do have an 88 sunroof coupe and it suits me perfectly for a daily driver.

For trips we have a 3800 TranSport usually in two-seat configuration for a lot of trunk space, and I have a Corvair convertible that rarely gets the top put up for open (and a 110/PG makes you appreciate the power of a 3800).

[Texan]

That was long ago and faraway, Maui. Now my childhood is on track and waiting to buy a '90 or '91 droptop. I must admit though the early '80 Riviera rag tops look good.

Texan

[Guest DTerry]

I really like the Reatta rag tops, but since mine is a daily driver a convertible wouldn't be really practical.

I have a Mercury Capri for topless grins. It spends the summer in the garage with the top down - only time it goes up is if I get caught in the rain. Not enough leg room, shifter too far forward to comfortably reach, top down noisy, top up even noisier, rattling heat shields from the factory, back seat large enough to carry your lunch; but for cheap thrills you can't beat it. With the hard top bolted on (as it is now for the winter) it almost becomes a real car.

Surprising thing is that my teen-age son prefers the Reatta. I thought he'd go for the convertible.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Anyone ever thought of a removable hardtop to fit a coupe?

[jonlabree]

One or more of the prototypes had a removable top section. I think it would have been a lot neater than a convertable.

[Guest MauiWowee]

[Guest DTerry]

I like your approach! Kinda like the attachment...

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I think the easiest and most practical solution, which could be done without too much effort, would be to hack a coupe to have a T top. The strip in the middle would maintain some body support and fabricating a good sealing surface is not THAT insurmountable.

Ehh but then again, a sunroof coupe does about the same thing

[Guest tomt]

Ah but F, you're thinking the way that I was. If you don't have a sunroof, wouldn't it be easier to do a T top that a sunroof. Was wondering about that.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

It would be pretty unique. I really haven't been around a T top car though, so I don't know how one would make a latching mechanism

[manikmekanik]

I've tossed around the idea of either a T-Top, (in stock, from a 280ZX), or fashioning a Retractable top.

The T-Top would'nt require as much fabrication/modification as the retractable, since the hardest part is finding a way to stash the glass! For the retractable, we'd have to use a convertible car, which already has the strengthening, and fab the top from a separate coupe.

T-Tops could be a weekend project, with all the right tools, materials, and a plan in place.

I'll need a few pneumatic forming/cutting tools, or just piece-in the roof section, with forms/channels, from the ZX, then smooth/paint to match.

Sounds like a great addition to the stretch! The plan IS to use the sunroof car, and we could add the T-Top to the rear-half roof, for the passengers to enjoy!

Initial thought was to add the T-Tops to the "Black Gold" '88, the custom job.

[Booreatta]

Just think of the cowl shake now

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I don't think you'd have any cown shake issues with a T top, but I may be wrong. That strip in the middle, depending on how much you leave, should be able to still support the car fine.

Manik's crazy! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Like him and his limo idea. However, I don't mind ANY Reatta modification, as long as it's in good taste and done properly.

[Guest Ranger]

I guess if somebody is really concerned about storage, why not buy a van? I'd think that maybe the coupe would have approx. 6 more cubic feet of storage? The comment that the coupes are quieter is, I'm sure correct. The preference between coupes and convertibles is a personal choice. Every Allante I've looked at, that has the removeable top, has the top stored in the garage, kind of hard to put that on when it's raining and you're a few miles from home, better find an overpass or pull into a gas station with a canopy and wait out the rain. I think what drew me to the Reatta conv. was the ease in storing the top and putting it back up and the feel of being close to the ground in a nice handeling car. I sold an 85 Riv. convert two years ago, just for that reason, the top went down, the boot came out of its bag in the trunk, snap and pull-to put the top up reverse those steps, plus you've got a bag of vinyl in the trunk and you're just driving a big car with the top chopped off.

I'm so sold on the Reatta that I just got back from California with my second convert, I do like them. Thanks to DeeBee for finding this car and letting the forum know about it.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Back to the original question <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> do any of you guys notice any difference in handling in a convertible versus a coupe? Or ride quality? I do think that coupes hit bumps a little harder because of the less weight sitting on the struts. I haven't driven a convertible enough to know. It's a tiny bit slower I know but about the same (before the supercharger).

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Believe me, that little strip in the middle of a T-Top doesn't eliminate cowl shake. I've owned several 80s Trans Ams that were T-tops. The strip prevents the car from sagging but does little to prevent twisting along the car's longitudinal axis.

If I had my way I'd get a convert, mold a roof from a hard-top, then cut the new roof piece into three sections that would fold back manually into the rear.