It's 32* outside and I just bought a convertible.

My first convertible in fact. A 2005 Mustang V6 for the low price of $3600. It needs some work cosmetically, but seems to be in great shape mechanically. This will be my daily driver through the winter and will be getting the Wheeler Dealer treatment along the way.

First thing to be addressed will be the top. It needs a new one, and the current one doesn't seal up as well as it should, the front edge on the drivers side sits up just a tad bit and wind noise is pretty high, and then it looks like it's also got a small gap behind the drivers seat between the window and rubber strip.

It was about 10:30 when I got home with it, so no pics yet.

I feel you. Saturday was 31 and I bought a boat.

Sounds like a nice score. Congrats!

curtis73 wrote: I feel you. Saturday was 31 and I bought a boat.

Is your boat your new house that you were saving for?

I'd say you did pretty darned good.

Looking forward to seeing what is involved in doing the new top. I passed on a Mustang convertible when I bought the FRS in 2012 partly because I knew that a new top would be required somewhere during a 10 year ownership experience and the task looked intimidating from both an effort and financial POV.

I passed on a Mustang convertible when I bought the FRS in 2012

Which may seem like an odd cross-shop until you remember that one video posted here a while back of a race-prepped FRS struggling mightily to keep up with a 4.0 v6 mustang (not the 300hp 3.7, mind you) on stock-width wheels around a road course.

I like the 4.0 mustangs. I think they are underappreciated. I'd prefer one over the regular 4.6 in that body style.

NOHOME wrote: Looking forward to seeing what is involved in doing the new top. I passed on a Mustang convertible when I bought the FRS in 2012 partly because I knew that a new top would be required somewhere during a 10 year ownership experience and the task looked intimidating from both an effort and financial POV.

Yeah it'll be interesting for sure. There seems to be a big gap in price for tops. some for less than $200 then others over $700. I helped a buddy put a top on his S2000 so I'm familiar with the process overall, but not the S197 specific ones.

A cheapy one for the NA miata is easy but "fiddly" as Edd China stated.

https://www.mustangsunlimited.com/pdf/05-09-conv-top-installation.doc

Here are some quasi-instructions I found.

I've installed 2 convertible tops. The first was a 1966 Chevy Impala and the second was an S2000. The Mustang sounds more like the Impala and requires glue, staplers, and some cut-to-fit work benefiting someone with experience and a sharp eye. The S2000 was a pain, in that it required removal of seats, trim, roll-hoops, etc., but the top was cut to fit with all the trim, holes for fasteners etc.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote:

curtis73 wrote: I feel you. Saturday was 31 and I bought a boat.

Is your boat your new house that you were saving for?

Meh... I figure I could spare $2700 out of the house budget. Now I can afford a shack instead of a luxurious shanty.

I used to drive my fiats all year with the top down. Unless it was raining or snowing, the top was down.

Driving with the top down at night in the snow was a lot of fun.. but VERY messy

Even in the winter, theres days that are nice enough to justify bundling up, cranking the heater, and dropping the top. Im driving the miata on Christmas eve to Richmond VA. I expect frostbite and sunburn.

This is the best time of year to buy a convertible. I'm actively shopping for one now...'11+ V6 Mustangs, NC Miata, etc... Then my convertible search recently got derailed by a G37 coupe. Damn them and their awesomeness!!!

Got it all registered and insured yesterday, so it's all legal now. I started a list of the parts I need for it, gonna hit up the local LKQ this weekend and see how much I can snag off a couple S197's they have on the lot.

The temp and time of year was kinda why I bought it. I can probably turn a little profit off it come spring/summer after I get through fixing her up.