On Wed, 18 Nov 1998, Mike & Mary Smith wrote:
> 2. The Fab 4A is my third roadster, but I've not been caught in the rain
> yet. How dry are the square TRs (4-5-6)? I know the side curtain TRs are
> notoriously wet. My Fiat Spider was very dry- at any speed over 35mph or
> so, you just didn't get wet. The Midget, on the other hand, was a monsoon
> creator. At any speed, you got soaked. What can I expect in the TR4A?
> Should I just plan to "Miata-ize" it and put the top up just because it's
> raining?
At highway speeds my TR4 with custom hard top is very dry. Sometimes I
get dribbles thru the not-yet-completed weatherstripping on the right
side. Mostly the water blows over though.
I gave it an acid test about a week after I'd finished the top (with duct
tape holding the windows in). I had only the TR to get to school in
and the weather was doing its best monsoon imitation. Didn't leak a drop.
I am using the header rail from a TR4A (with the rubber gasket) and the
windows are sealed the same way the doors are (pressed-on rubber
weatherstripping).
I think you'll be fine in the rain. Just beware of sudden windsheild fog
and less-than-perfect handling! Also, make sure the seals around the
windows are OK. On my (now defunct) soft top, the velcro had come undone
on one side... however, that was the least of my worries. The windows had
also fallen out and there was a fist-sized hole in the middle of the top.
I never tried it in the rain, but I suspect it would have leaked.
-Malcolm
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