Always had Coupes: 99 V6 Mustang and now '07 GT.

Thinking maybe about going the vert route for an '11+

Has anyone made the switch? Do you regret it at all? Does the convert feel a lot less stiff?

 

If you go from a coupe to a vert. Plan on about 1800 for upgrading the suspension. You will need to. I got the FRPP handling pack but there are many options. After that it will handle as good or better than the stock coupe.

Once you go Vert You will never go back

 

Your in south Cal...Vert all the way!!!

 

Went from an 05 coupe to a 10 vert and it is awesome!!

 

This is my first 'vert and I'm totally a convertible convert!
Absolutely love it so far. The ride is softer than coupe so I will probably upgrade the suspension next spring (like shotzy mentioned above).

A few of my friend who have had 'verts always stick with 'verts when they buy new cars.
Now I know why... the feeling is awesome, day or night!

 

When the top is down it is magic. But if I had to do it again, I'd go with the coupe. That way I would not have to spend between $1600 and $2000 to get the suspension where it should have been to begin with. Other advantages of the coupe:

- The coupe offers optional rear gears from the factory, no need to scrounge a ring & pinion and go through the $hundreds to get set up with something other than the too-tall 3.31 rear diff

- On that note, a coupe is about $4700 less than an equal vert in MSRP

- The front seats recline all the way back in a coupe; in a vert they only go back a few more degrees than normal driving position. (important to me since some of my commute is a ferry ride where a nap could be had IF the stupid seat would recline farther). This is due to the narrower rear of the 'vert, and is to prevent the seats from scraping the sides.

- The stereo sounds better in a coupe - the 'vert's rear speakers are just a little better than worthless.

- The coupe is over twice as stiff as the vert, which translates into better feel in the steering, as well as the aforementioned better suspension out of the box. (Car and Driver: the Mustang coupe "is surprisingly stiff, whereas the convertible is disappointingly flexible")

- The coupe weighs over 150 pounds less than the 'vert.


Sorry. But there IS that magic thing.

 

I hate the wind. Fifteen years in a ragtop was enough for me. Blew half my hair away.

 

 

The way i've been looking at it is that if I got a coupe I would have to go for the Glass Roof, so the delta between coupe/vert narrows to $3k

 

The glass roof adds weight, way up high where you least want it. But no one on TMS has been able to authoritatively pinpoint exactly how many pounds are addded.

While I am at it, let me enumerate some 'vert advantages:
- Very easy access to the interior when the top is down. Forget those sunglasses? They're easy to retrieve/put back in the console!

- No banging your head on the roof frame getting in/out. (Sorry, I am a klutz.)

- Easier to get in/out of in close quarters, which comes in handy in our narrow garage (19-1/2' wide), which also has to house my wife's Odyssey.

- THe car sure looks good with the top down. I also like how it looks with the top up too. One minor issue - both rear windows are operated with one switch and go up/down together. What kind of cost-cutting was that?!? I would much prefer one switch for each of the two rear windows.

- The top is VERY easy to raise/lower and the pins are completely covered by a well-finished and designed top when stowed. It's also nice that the top design hasn't changed since 2005, ensuring ample repair/replacement parts/aftermarket for years to come.

- The exhaust is a little more musical with the top down. Too bad Ford jammed a mute up the pipe on the stock exhaust system. A little more bass trombone would be appreciated.

 

I gotta disagree with you on this one - I definitely like one switch for both windows. Can't think of a time I'd want one to go down without the other, so one switch makes sense (for me anyways).

Would I would have preferred though is that it's not auto up/down like the driver&passengers.
Easier to put all the windows down at once that way.

 

I disagree - I've had the situation multiple times where I've had the top up and just want to lower the driver's side window for a little breeze. While I'm at it, I'd rather have that nice "hardtop" look by lowering the rear window on that side too. OH WAIT - can't do it, because that would also mean lowering the passenger side rear window, which doesn't like moving when the front window is fully up!

Fail.

I do agree in that I wish the rears were also auto-up/down. Another odd failure, sort of like the carpeting in lieu of leather on inboard side of my seat bottoms. Man, I am really on a grouchy roll tonight. Sorry about that!

 

When I was considering a 'vert, I asked my friends with 'verts for pros/cons/tips. One told me "You gotta have all the windows up or all the windows down; it's Convertible 101."

 

LOL, I must have missed that class! Another one I can't deal with is the ol' top down combined with all windows up, but I may change my tune when the weather gets colder.

 

[QUOTE=Double-EDad;5945479]

- No banging your head on the roof frame getting in/out. (Sorry, I am a klutz.)
[QUOTE]

That hurts so bad. I did it today climbing in my 07.

 

Going to be renting a V6 'vert for a drive up the California coast next month... that may sway my opinion

 

long drives on highway it's great to have top down but windows up...

live here in vanc/cdn and it's already getting cooler...top down,windows up and heater on!!!

so does the vert not have better rear speakers then standard coupe? (my fox has amp under drivers seat compared to coupe and you can really notice the improved sound)

 

Correctomundo! Nothing is more sissy than a top down windows up vert! As for chilly drives, that's what a tonneau cover is for. Snap the passenger side in place and crank the heat. But windows stay down!!!!!!!!!

 

I did, and bought two verts since then. Love them! They are definitely more sloppy than coupes, but much more fun to drive if you like the sunshine.

I didn't do any suspension modifications to mine, I think it handles amazingly well for a droptop pony car. After having a full suspension on my dropped 2007, just not interested in doing it again. Not even going to lower it. I'm in it this time for a comfy cruiser that happens to have a 6 speed gearbox and 450+ HP when I'm done with the bolt-ons

 

I've heard that this is not good for the windows - the force of the air stresses the window channels or something when it presses on the windows. Not sure if it's true or not. Sounds possible.

I'd rather just invest in the wind deflector. Looks much better and has almost the same effect.