To all convertible owners about ruining soft top with hard top on.

[1989 406]

The Corvette I picked up yesterday has the hard top on it. I am wonderdering people's experience's with how long they leave them on. I am concerned that if the hard top is on for a couple of months, that the soft top may get ruined.

Can anyone let me know.

Thank you.

 

[LLC5]

The Corvette I picked up yesterday has the hard top on it. I am wonderdering people's experience's with how long they leave them on. I am concerned that if the hard top is on for a couple of months, that the soft top may get ruined.

Can anyone let me know.

Thank you.

It may not be ruined, but it won't be the same as before it was stored. It's not just how long the top is down, it's also how many miles you drive the vehicle with the top stored, the more miles driving the vehicle the more potential damage can occur. Every owners experience will be different. I always put my top back up after folding it down, even for just one day, but that's just me. Good luck with it.

 

[1989 406]

It may not be ruined, but it won't be the same as before it was stored. It's not just how long the top is down, it's also how many miles you drive the vehicle with the top stored, the more miles driving the vehicle the more potential damage can occur. Every owners experience will be different. I always put my top back up after folding it down, even for just one day, but that's just me. Good luck with it.

I see. Okay. Thanks for the input.

 

[Red Vette]

With the exception of my 2008 convertible, all of my convertible Corvettes had hard tops that I installed for cold weather months. Never had a problem with my 56, 66, 91 nor 94 convertible tops being down from October thru April. Had my 66 for 14 years and repaced the convertible top one year before I sold it due to normal weathering. My hard tops were put on at the end of September and removed mid May. The convertible tops were never a problem. The 1994 went thru some terrific rain storms and it never leaked, nor did my 91. I have not heard of any convertible top being damaged while in the down position for the winter months. For my 2008, I store it during the winter months, and since Chevy did not make a hard top for it, I store the Corvette with the convertible top in the up position, but with the front windshield latches loose to prevent stress on the back bow. I could also store the Corvette with the top down, but do not choose to do so. In my experience in the last 50 years with the convertible top and hard top, I've never had a problem. Of course the C1 and C2 convertible tops always leaked since they were not fitted as well as the C4 to C6 convertible tops. Also, I have read posts on this site where owners in the warm southern states hardly ever put the convertible tops up. I have also read that some owners in Arizona and Houston put the hard tops on during the hot summer months and run with the convertible tops stored during the period; car is cooler with the A/C and hard top on. Didn't read any post where the convertible tops were a problem after long storage periods. So my advice is, put the hard top on, don't worry about the convertible top, and enjoy your Corvette. Of course the one disadvantage of installing the hard top is the loss of storage space in the boot because the soft top is there. That's the reason I had luggage racks.
Hope this helps.
Barrett

 

[Tom Maine]

With the exception of my 2008 convertible, all of my convertible Corvettes had hard tops that I installed for cold weather months. Never had a problem with my 56, 66, 91 nor 94 convertible tops being down from October thru April. Had my 66 for 14 years and repaced the convertible top one year before I sold it due to normal weathering. My hard tops were put on at the end of September and removed mid May. The convertible tops were never a problem. The 1994 went thru some terrific rain storms and it never leaked, nor did my 91. I have not heard of any convertible top being damaged while in the down position for the winter months. For my 2008, I store it during the winter months, and since Chevy did not make a hard top for it, I store the Corvette with the convertible top in the up position, but with the front windshield latches loose to prevent stress on the back bow. I could also store the Corvette with the top down, but do not choose to do so. In my experience in the last 50 years with the convertible top and hard top, I've never had a problem. Of course the C1 and C2 convertible tops always leaked since they were not fitted as well as the C4 to C6 convertible tops. Also, I have read posts on this site where owners in the warm southern states hardly ever put the convertible tops up. I have also read that some owners in Arizona and Houston put the hard tops on during the hot summer months and run with the convertible tops stored during the period; car is cooler with the A/C and hard top on. Didn't read any post where the convertible tops were a problem after long storage periods. So my advice is, put the hard top on, don't worry about the convertible top, and enjoy your Corvette. Of course the one disadvantage of installing the hard top is the loss of storage space in the boot because the soft top is there. That's the reason I had luggage racks.
Hope this helps.
Barrett

I have been running convertibles for over 40 years and never put the top up unless it is raining. Never had a top wear out or fail during that time. Current 91 has 125000 on the clock and the top is never up except for winter storage and for that I do advise storing with the top up.

 

[Schrade]

With the exception of my 2008 convertible, all of my convertible Corvettes had hard tops that I installed for cold weather months. Never had a problem with my 56, 66, 91 nor 94 convertible tops being down from October thru April. Had my 66 for 14 years and repaced the convertible top one year before I sold it due to normal weathering. My hard tops were put on at the end of September and removed mid May. The convertible tops were never a problem. The 1994 went thru some terrific rain storms and it never leaked, nor did my 91. I have not heard of any convertible top being damaged while in the down position for the winter months. For my 2008, I store it during the winter months, and since Chevy did not make a hard top for it, I store the Corvette with the convertible top in the up position, but with the front windshield latches loose to prevent stress on the back bow. I could also store the Corvette with the top down, but do not choose to do so. In my experience in the last 50 years with the convertible top and hard top, I've never had a problem. Of course the C1 and C2 convertible tops always leaked since they were not fitted as well as the C4 to C6 convertible tops. Also, I have read posts on this site where owners in the warm southern states hardly ever put the convertible tops up. I have also read that some owners in Arizona and Houston put the hard tops on during the hot summer months and run with the convertible tops stored during the period; car is cooler with the A/C and hard top on. Didn't read any post where the convertible tops were a problem after long storage periods. So my advice is, put the hard top on, don't worry about the convertible top, and enjoy your Corvette. Of course the one disadvantage of installing the hard top is the loss of storage space in the boot because the soft top is there. That's the reason I had luggage racks.
Hope this helps.
Barrett

We need more details. :L

And are you sure about 'never a problem'; you only said it 3 times. My $$ is on that they were a problem...

 

[Red Vette]

In response about me only stating I never had a problem 3 times, I was just reiterating various scenarios. I never did have a problem with my convertible tops, not even with the plastic windows before they were replaced with glass, no cracking and no yellowing. I did pay attention to the tops and windows when I cleaned the Corvettes. As for details, I am not sure what you want to know. The 56 convertible top was stored in the boot behind the seats, so it stayed down during the periods I had the hard top on. In fact, since I was in college then, I would sometimes loosen the windshield latches on the hard top, raise the hardtop and rear deck to put articles in the boot when I was traveling. The trunk and luggage rack were full, and my college chum who lived in KC also, would ride back with me. Space was a premium. This did not harm the convertible top. My 66 convertible top took up room in the luggage storage area, and I had to pack a little more carefully, but I managed since I had the luggage rack. As I said previously, I had to replace the convertible top about a year before I sold the car. Since I had the car from new for 14 years, the only reason I had to replace it was it was worn, not torn nor damaged (I do not consider wear as damage). I would expect some wear and tear on fabric as I do on paint and other parts. The 91 and 94 convertible tops were fine and never leaked. There was some wear, but the tops were not damaged due to storage nor being exposed. One thing I did not mention was that all of my Corvettes are garaged, with the exception of the 66 vert for 6 months. I was stationed in Washington DC and did not have access to a garage, so the corvette stayed outside. Hard top on in the winter (Jan - May) and soft top on the other times. Discharged and moved to KC and the Corvette was garaged. I hope this sheds a little more light on the subject. If not, I do not know what your one problem is about me mentioning no problems 3 times.
Barrett