Interesting that you believe you can read my mind, and from a considerable distance. Actually I bought mine because we had rented one and I found that I could have fun and be comfortable at the same time. So I sold my Honda S2000 and ordered my Mustang. I've had convertibles since late '99 and this one is in a color combination much like the first one.



As to trying to attract young women, my wife and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary in two days and she is all the woman I could ever want.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

tukatz, you have me beat by 3 years on the wedding anniversary. Just 37 years here.
By the way I didn't mention before how much I like that color combo on the new 'vert.

 

Thanks, and congratulations on your 37 years. Our kind of commitment is all too rare these days.
Your 'vert is very sharp also. I enjoyed the story and pictures of your road trip. We have another coming up next month and I'm really looking forward to it, even if it is only a relatively short one.

 

Man... I understand its more advanced... but wheres the fun now...

 

Couple of things, I too love those old gated Ferrari shifters and deplore the movement to all automatics and paddle shifters. I read where Jaguar was considering bringing back manual trans due to enthusiast demand. I hope it's true.
Had a guy call my mustang a girl's car and it's a manual gt coupe. Go figure.
One last thought, I'd suggest any young guy contemplating marriage to make a deal with his fiancee to promise to let him keep his car. It's always the first thing to go and the guy almost always regrets selling it.

 

haha... then you'll like this.

I got married to a wonderful woman one month ago and she isn't just letting me keep the current GT I have, she's letting me shop for an upgrade!

My brother on the other hand with his old '05 Saleen... didn't fare so well. Got married... less than a year later... (luckily a sports car still) ended up having to sell for a BMW 135i-Auto :/ She wanted a car she could drive since she wouldn't learn stick... then he had to sell that so that they could have a truck for her to move stuff around in (granted it is a brand new Limited F150). She drives a new beetle btw if that makes things come together a little more.

So, I let him drive mine around every so often. lol

 

I grew up in New England and my buddy and I enjoyed driving a "68 Malibu ragtop and a '67 Firebird ragtop. It did not matter how cold or hot it was, the feeling of rolling down the highway (even at 55mph) was more a spiritual experience. I bought the Firebird from him in 1977 after Navy Bootcamp and kept it until 1995 because wifey started nagging too much about repairs (really did not have the money to do a proper restoration and rocksalt was eating the body). This was when the dark days started and I was relegated to drive a '95 Honda Civic EX. Nice 5 speed manual with a sunroof but, not much power. As a retirement present, in 2004, I was planning to buy another Firebird ragtop but since they went out of production I tried on a Mustang. Wifey insisted that my new car "had to be an automatic" so she could drive it. She actually only drove it once, coming home from a Christmas Party after I had a few too many drinks. After a couple months, I told her I liked the car but, if it were a stick, it would be a lot more fun. She ask why I didn't just get one - I could have shot her right then but going to jail was not on my bucket list. Well in 2011, hearing that Sterling Grey was being discontinued I went on a nation-wide hunt to find arguably the last Sterling Grey Ragtop with a 6 speed manual within 2,000 miles. I could not be happier! I hope the 2015 kicks butt in sales and the ragtops pick up in sales! No glass roof, T top, targa, or sunroof can ever give the same experience as a drop top. My generation is getting old, we need more diehard Mustang fans to take up the cause or, this breed could go extinct (like the Firebird.) Unfortunately, with technology today, our kids are not likely to be driving their cars but, just riding in autopilot clown cars looming just over the horizon. There is something special about the way our cars can make us feel the lure of the open road like few others - not insulate against it! RAGTOPS FOREVER!

 

well then, maybe it will be a collectible even more now
I got me one. I wanted the manual just for the fun and joy of it, not to help me beat anyone on a track. I drive a truck as my daily driver so having the convertible, if only a few hours week, is worth it to me. It is a toy, but that's what i wanted As you can see

 

Amazing photo in Calgary DarrenGT. We had a wonderful visit there many years ago, especially eating a dinner at the top of the tower. What views!
Hope the flooding didn't affect you horribly. I saw those photos with the water up to the 15th row in the SaddleDome. Unreal!

 

Mine is a daily driver and when I drive home (weather permitting) the top is down. It's cheaper than therapy I guess. Or is it more?!?

 

There are people who enjoy driving and people who drive just to get somewhere. Growing up, our family was a family that took Sunday drives. Most of our vacations were driving vacations; we drove to our destination instead of flying or taking a train.

I love to drive. And I've always loved a convertible. I drove my first Mustang vert year round & even would drive with the top down during snow storms. That is a great time because it's like an old-fashioned sleigh ride. Only better because Mustangs have great heaters!

Both of our Mustangs have manual transmissions. They are cars we drive because they are fun to drive. Our 88GT is fun but without a sunroof, t-tops or a folding top, it gets pretty hot in there during the summer. Our 13 GT500 vert is a blast to drive! I drive it every day when the weather is nice. It can be hot in stop & go traffic when the temp is over 90 degrees but guess what... there's no reason you can't run the AC while the top is down! That's just enough to take the discomfort out of a 90 degree day sitting in traffic. I don't talk on the phone when I drive. Heck, most of the time, I don't even turn on the radio. Who would want to with the rumble of that 5.8 SC! That's driving enjoyment!

I have a co-worker who refuses to drive any car that isn't a manual transmission. He's always had them and will never own a car with an auto trans. I am not that extreme. Our Mustangs may have manual trans but our F150 & Jeep are both autos. At least the Jeep is a VERT!

 

Yes save the verts and manuals. My next vert is gonna be a manual.

It's be hard for me to buy a hard top unless it was a 60s era stang.

 

Could care less about verts, but they need to save the manual! I would never drive an automatic mustang.

 

I think this fits here. Too funny and save the Manuals!

http://jalopnik.com/three-would-be-c...ssi-1502685486

 

I heard this on the news, and got a big chuckle also. At my age it's hard to imagine that many kids these days have never seen a manual shift.


BTW, I learned at the age of 13 in an old farm truck. Now, that was fun. Thought I was something..... Not gonna say how long ago that was.

 

It took me about 6+ months to find mine. I bought it in September with 13,800 miles. Almost to 22,000 now. Loving every minute of it!!

 

Automatics caught the manuals on the drag strips in the '60s and with these new internal rail shift mechanisms and extra gears adding to the inertia in a manual and slowing shifting, I'm not surprised that automatics are faster now .... but a manual transmission depends on a driver and that brings the driver's attention on the task of driving.

 

[QUOTE=Sbbamafan;6749825]It took me about 6+ months to find mine. I bought it in September with 13,800 miles. Almost to 22,000 now. Loving every minute of it!![/QUOTE

I'm not surprised it can take awhile to find a car that is both manual and convertible. I just read that only 1% of all new cars sold are convertibles and only 3 are American cars (Mustang Camaro, Corvette). Now pair that convertible up with a manual and it may take awhile to find what you want. I sure love mine but obviously I am in an extreme minority having both.

 

The fact that a stick shift is a theft deterrent is not a small matter. I had a conversation with my insurance the other day and they are considering giving stick shift owners a small discount because of the fact that they are being stolen less and less because the thieves don't know how to drive one. I think it's hilarious.

I can't imagine driving a truck without a stick. I can't imagine driving a Jeep without one either. Automatic transmissions are better in racing in one way only: drag racing. They still cannot upshift or downshift exactly when needed and will still waste power as a result--even the ones on which you can set the shift points. The paddle shifters are a compromise between the two, and are probably going to end up being the new manual in 20 years when the stick is gone. I get a kick out of imagining driving my Shelby in 20 years around a bunch of 30-somethings that have no idea how to operate it. Heheh.

 

While ive never owned a stick shift ive always wanted one. Ive driven a few and the fact that it does bring your attention to driving makes it safer IMO compared to automatics where all you have to worr about is the gas and brake pedals. My next car is gonna be a v8 with a manual tranny without a doubt. So far ive had an auto v8 (2002 gt) and a auto v6 (2012 base model).