So, I found out this morning (Monday morning) that some idiot cut open the roof on my Cobra 'vert in the wee hours....nothing taken (I can only assume the alarm scared them off). Now I'm looking at a potentially expensive insurance bill (they pro-rate the roof, my insurance company tells me......not good on a 7 year old car :angry: ), plus all the attendant hassles of getting it fixed. So I'm reconsidering replacing it with an 05 GT 'vert come spring, and maybe going back to a hardtop. I did this once before, and regretted it, jumping back into a ragtop as soon as I could......but then this sort of thing never happened before. I guess the question I'd like to know the answer to, is the new alarm system on the '05. Does it work by touch, and will it work that way on a 'vert's roof? It would be nice if the system warned idiots off BEFORE they cut the roof open.....

 

Sounds like what you need is a security camera monitoring your parking area in addition to the alarm.

This is one of the reasons I decided not to go with the ragtop.

 

thats the reason i never wanted a vert..... too many people vandalizing stuff... :angry:

 

I wonder if Bestop makes the tops for Ford Mustangs? :scratch: They make the OE tops for the Miata, Viper, Sebring, but mainly Jeeps... I'll check to see if they do & if I can get one for you. Possible drawback being simular to the Range Rover Defender 90 soft top... you can only buy one if you are a Range Rover dealer.

 

I have a vert, but the only way I would or do is because I can garage it. It rarely goes anywhere to sit in a parking lot. People just don't care and I'm not willing to let it open to the kind of stuff you've just experienced. My opinion, stay hardtop till you can get yourself a safe storage area ie garage.

 

Unfortunately because the world is full of idiots, that is why I decided not to get a ragtop. I know too many people that had the same thing happen to them that happened to you the other night.

I was at the mall yesterday and someone left the top down on thier 04 GT. Looks like someone tossed their pop all over the inside of the car.

 

Sorry to hear about your top. :notnice:

 

scumbags,

I would love to catch someone attempting to do that to my/someone else's car

 

A lot of dirtbags out there. Got a question for you though. I don't know much about the weather in Ontario but I am assuming its cold as heck. Doesn't it make sense to get the coupe or do you actually get enough use out of the vert?

 

I had a Honda s2000 convertible for 3 and a half years and never once had a problem...street parked every day. Now i'm not saying that it sdoesn't happen, but that's what insurance is for...So you mean to tell me that you would have to pay more than what your deductible is to get it fixed???

 

Believe it or not, the weather where I live is fairly mild (I'm further south than Boston or Seattle, just north of the northern California border, lattitude-wise). But even if I had a hardtop, it'd still be stored for 4-6 months anyway. So I do get use out of the ragtop, plus with all the long driving trips, I really love the open air. What I'm wondering about though, is the new alarm systems on the 05..... If it works by touch, that might prevent people from damaging the roof. I'm going to post pics of the damage shortly (gotta get the film developed+scanned)

Oh, and if I caught who did this, would be in order....

 

I am one of the folks waiting for a vert.

First off, Ghost, I am truly sorry. I am mad right along with you.

I think your statement about jumping back into a ragtop ASAP speaks volumes, though. Like me, you obviously feel that some of the drawbacks on convertibles are more than made up for by the pure fun factor.

Admittedly, when I get mine, I can garage it, and my parking lot at work is monitored, so I have somewhat less risk.

Once you calm down, just ask yourself if this period of inconvenience and cost outweighs all your convertible fun time. Then you'll know your answer.

When you do trade, you still know it will be hard to hand over the keys to your SVT, won't it?

 

Unfortunately even if you had the 05, you would have ended up with a cut top. The new system is pretty close to what we have now, just a has a few more features. The sensors wouldn't pick that up. Even if the ever came out with a sensitive alarm system, the amount of vibration a knife makes when it is going through a convertible top is minute at best. my friend has a $1500 alarm on his car and he got his top cut last year. luckily, i have not had that happen to me yet....Knock on wood.

 

Amen, That is So Wrong. I hate that happened to you. Good Luck with the outcome.

 

Sorry to hear about your vert. I think you have to drive what you enjoy driving the most. Here are 2 experiences:

I have a '78 Mustang II Ghia Coupe, and the weekend I got it out and drove it after having it restored, someone keyed my hood. A couple of months later, someone keyed the side (while parked next to police at a football game, a lot of good that did to park there, huh). Insurance took care of repairing the car both times.

However.....my son had a '86 Mustang LX Convertible, and someone took a prybar and attempted to pop open the door instead of cutting the roof. The driver's side glass exploded, pieces went through the roof, on the hood, down the side, etc. Insurance covered the damage, EXCEPT, the roof. According to the insurance, convertible tops have a 5 year life. So basically, it doesn't matter how good a shape the ragtop is, if it is over 5 years old, you're aren't going to get squat. That's probably one of the main reasons why I personally won't buy a vert.

Good luck in your decision. And I agree with all the rest of you....I would LOVE to get my hands on someone damaging a car!!

 

ParisMKIV, I will miss the Cobra when it goes.....been all over the continent with it, and they are very rare here (Ford only brings 250/year into Canada-both Hardtop and 'verts) On the other hand, more room, better power, regular gas, and darn cool looks.....well, it's a no-brainer.

Here are the pics.....it's not a pretty sight.

 

If you can add a proximity sensor into the OEM system that will help a bit. My dad has a system like this that comes stock with his A8. I don't know of a system that will help prevent someone from cutting your roof, but this will prevent them from stealing something inside.

 

Whoever cut the roof on mine got the doors unlocked, but that's it.....I can only assume the alarm scared them off, nothing was mising inside (there's a new Alpine in there, I was expecting to be gone) So any alarm that goes off when it's touched could be a good thing. Idiots spook easy.

 

Whoever cut the roof on mine got the doors unlocked, but that's it.....I can only assume the alarm scared them off, nothing was mising inside (there's a new Alpine in there, I was expecting to be gone) So any alarm that goes off when it's touched could be a good thing. Idiots spook easy. [/b][/quote]
I am sure that if someone gets an electrical schematic of the 05 and is bright with electronics, they might be able figure out a way to integrate a proximity sensor into the OEM alarm. Once the blade of the knife went thru the liner, the alarm would have went off with this type of system.

 

Max, I did know a fella quite a few years back who had a then-new 92 GT ragtop....his had a proximity alarm on his car, with a voice warning system. Problem was, it had gone off so often that it was....errr, wonky. You got a warning approaching the car from some angles, but could walk right up to, and slap the drivers door, with no alarm going off. Funny thing is, I expected this to happen at work (Ford seemingly doesn't pay it's security very well), not in an underground private parking garage.