Covertible Top Woes for MG owners

[JConnerly]

If you want to have a good laugh, (at MG owners expense) go to the MG Experiance forum and search for a posting about convertible top frustration. It's the best laugh I have had in weeks. An hour or more to put the top up for the winter. I have to say that the ease with which the Spider's top goes up and down is a real blessing.

[spidernut]

When I had my 81 Spider, my boss had a 79 MGB. One day we were both outside (tops up on the cars) and I tossed the top back and secured it. My boss's response? "You make me sick. It takes me about 30 minutes to put the top down on my car." All I could do is smile!

[Newell33]

I had a Midget for about a year prior to recently purchasing my '73 Spider. Although it didn't take near as long as you said, it did still take a good 10 minutes. You had to fold the sides in just right, and be careful not to hurt the clear rear window. The Spider's design is amazingly simple. I'm always surprised at how some engineering makes it through to the consumer. Usually it's not the engineer's fault, as the blame can usually be placed on the bean counters.

[spidernut]

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read ... sg-1885294

[azruss]

having owned many sports car i have experienced many ups and downs the spider ragtop is in a class by itself. if you have a worn top and not picky about the back window, the time to put the top up and down is measured in seconds.

[124JOE]

my top is 4 years old and still looks great sill only takes seconds to put down
my old top lasted 7 years outside and was tearing at the pass side bow
so i bought a new one

[spiderrey]

My sister had a midget. It was a 10 minute job. Not to bad, just not near as nice as our spiders. Also when my spider left the house, it came home on its own power every time except for once when the timing belt went. That midget was new when my sister bought it, it came home so many times on a rope or tow truck, it was sad. She finally gave it to my brother and he got flustered with it and sold it for $25.00. It was about 4 years old by then.

[SeldomSeen]

I just put the stow-away top up on my '66 MGB yesterday . Time was around seven minutes but I'm sure looking forward to the top on my new 124 spider. You just have to do things in the correct order. My wife, Deb is a redhead with extremely light, sun sensitive skin (if she laid out in the sun, the reflection would permanently blind the good folks on the international space station.) so we have to limit her exposure. The Fiat top will make that more convenient.

[kmac33]

Craig N. needs to share his top comparison story - it's classic. If he doesn't post it soon, I'll share the details I remember.

[JConnerly]

I would love to hear the story.

[kmac33]

Craig was at the Walter Mitty Historic Races at Road Atlanta. He just happened to be parked right next to an MG. IT starts to rain and Craig and the MG owner arrive at their cars at the same time to get their tops up. After the 15 seconds it takes him to put up and secure the Spider's top, he looks over at the MG owner wrestling with his and says something along the lines of "MG designed a nice top" to which the MG owner expressed to Craig via a hand signal that Fiat is #1.

[JConnerly]

Very kind of the MG owner to recongnize excellence.

[124JOE]

its just my opinion,FIATS are not #1
but there fun and better than 98% of the cars out there