Shotz - thanks for your magnanimous offer! Will shoot you a mssg or text this weekend. The money for the handling package is definitely a problem for me, but it would be less than trading in my vert apparently.

 

Sure I only have 2 bad cell phone pics but here they are.

 

I believe you guys but I'm shocked Ford would let that design out the door. . .

And I'm glad I wasn't dreaming about the 2005's praise... thanks to Eric who verified it since I was too lazy.

 

I did not mean to insult your car! Just something we noticed that made us wait on the coupe. Glad we did as it's my favorite car ever. And thats saying a lot.

 

Sounds good

 

I recall that praise for 2005 as well. I drove a 2007 convertable a few years ago and did see cowl shake which suprised me. I did not see it on the 2011. I assumed this was because of the suspension. It was very floaty and absorbed even decent bumps.

 

You didnt insult, No worry, I still got my Mach1..... Now you got my wife bugging me about the CDC rollbar.. HaHa

 

Don't all convertibles have the same problem especially compared to their coupe versions? The exception of course are probably the very expensive/high-performance convertibles because hey have big budgets to attack the problems.

 

The two big obstacles the mustang faces (in my opinion) from a convertible design standpoint are:
1) The fact it’s a 4 seater – it extends the distance where the floorboard is otherwise unsupported (between base of firewall and rear seatback bulkhead), which is any convertible’s Achilles heel.
2) The fact it’s relatively cheap (at 41,075 MSRP I don’t really think my car is cheap in an absolute sense) – Gotta go with regular steel instead of unobtanium or carbon fiber for enhancing the stiffness of the aforementioned floorboard area, meaning weight is more of an enemy. Sure Ford could make it stiffer but then we’d be talking about something like a 500-lb weight penalty. As you pointed out, the bigger the budget and pricetag, the more use of exotic materials and design optimization.

 

good thing shotzy is here and described a pretty affordable solution.

My other question is if the vert is a daily driver is there any fear of lightning? Since apparently your not protected in a convertible from lightning even with top up. I mean its not like i've really ever heard of people in convertibles being struck by lightning but rather be safe than sorry

 

I think you should worry more about rollover safety than lightning striking your vehicle

 

This is almost signature worthy.

 

As with a car with a top, you would be insulated from ground by the tires. Lightning is not a concern.

 

Sorry, no, that's a common misconception. Car occupants are relatively safe from lightning not because the tires insulate from ground but rather because the body provides a path to ground around the occupants (rather than through them). That lightning bolt just arced across a huge air gap from the cloud to your car... do you think the few inches between the rocker panels and the ground would stop it (regardless of tires)?

My 67 coupe was struck by lightning (with me in it) many, many years ago. The battery exploded, the (AM) radio was fried, the paint was burned, and the engine stalled but otherwise it survived. I needed to change my pants but I survived as well. I suspect that a more modern computerized car would have suffered much more damage.

 

Mine has the P Zero's.

 

I don't understand all the hating on the verts....I loved my 07 vert and I absolutely love my 10 vert. My car handles and performs excelllent, and the 10 is heads above the 07 in stiffness. I dont notice any cowl shake at all. you give up some performance over the coupe, but the relaxing feeling I get when the weather is nice, and I am cruising with the top down, I wouldn't trade it...

 

They're talking about the Brembo Package. On the vert it has GY Eagle F1s instead of the PZeros.

 

 

Only the Convertible Brembo package has the goodyears. They were comparing Brembo pkg tires between coupe and vert.

Edit: Sorry, this got answered above already.

 

I love my vert, of course it doesn't have the stiffness of the coupe, but I don't think the ride and the handling of the car is bad at all.