Top down over many years!

I live in California and am lucky to get to drive my car about once per week. He sits in the garage for the other six days.

I put the top up everytime I garage him under the impression that it minimizes opportunities for the material to adhere to itself when folded, that it might shrink or for the mechanism to stick. If I leave the top-down, its less wear on the mechanism since I'm raising and lowering all the time.

Is it okay to leave the car for a week in the garage with the top folded?

If I do park it for a few days with the top-down, how often should I raise it just to keep parts moving?

(and I used to place a clean bath towel between the folds to keep the plastic window from rubbing) you can leave the top down quite a long time.

No need to worry about using the top to keep the parts freed up. I use my top never save to put the top in the service position and it moves just fine.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

I've done both with mine. Left it up for a long period of time (like several months during the winter) and down for a month or two. I haven't noticed any issues with either. Don't the folks who put on hardtops leave there's down for extended periods? i would think if there was an issue with leaving it down, there would have been discussions about it on here or elsewhere and I haven't seen anyone complaining about problems. I suppose making sure the window is clean and there's no bird poop or other junk on the top before you put it down would make good sense, but don't you do that anyway? I'd fuggggggget about it and not worry!

Bob

is added dust that filters into the car when the garage door opens. No big deal for a few days at a time. But I just applied leather cleaner to my seats and was amazed at how much dirt came off on the cloth. I had been leaving the top down, I think I'm changing that even though putting it down when I go out requires a get-out-of-the-car chop for me.

I'm reminded of the friend who found a 25 or so year old MB in FL. The old guy who owned it had never put the top up and when his widow went to sell it my friend said it took two of them twenty or so minutes to pry the top up. I've had my 356 Cab for 31 years and find that if I put the top up several times a year, all is OK.
Regarding the interior dirt, I use a cockpit cover on my Boxster when I leave it parked with the top down (outside) and probably should use it when parked in the garage to keep the interior clean. With the plastic rear window, be sure to clean it prior to lowering since an amazing amount of dirt is electostatically attracted to the plastic which then folds upon itself, outside to outside-scratch, scratch, scratch!

Mines a daily driver, so in nice weather I leave the top down for long stretches. I'd be more worried about constantly putting the top up and down which to me seems like it would put more stress on the mechanisim than leaving it in one position. But, in your case, i think I'd leave it up when not driving since it will go up and down just once per week. It keeps the top stretched, not creased, and, as Mike indicated, it keeps the interior cleaner. I notice my top does seem to show wrinkles at the folds when up.

Keeps it clean, and out of the sun when outside.

It takes only a touch of a button and 12 seconds to put it up. I always do that whe it's back in the garage for the day.

I sometimes go for extended periods of time during the summer with the top down, and then the same for the top up in the winter. I have not seen any wear on the top at this point (05 Base). I do try to move it out of the garage when I sweep it out, dust can get into the interior with the top down.

is on. I make sure it's first clean, dry, & I place a clean, folded towel in the plastic rear window fold. I don't think you'll have a problem leaving your top down for extended periods, Spanky.

JB/SE SoDak
1997 986 - Wolfi
Yankton, SD

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Thanks guys. I had never seen this topic discussed before. He's my first convertible (mid-life crisis car).

This group is the best...