Roadsters are for good looking people, chopped coupes are for the ugly people …same goes for convertibles haha
Around here there are so many bald guys driving convertibles that my daughters were horrified when I got one. ‘Daddy please sell that thing. We don’t want you to lose your hair’. So I sold it. Once they were grown and gone, I put a 32 roadster together. I loved it, but it was hard to choose between it and my Harley when the sun was out. So roadster went away. Now I’m building another one and gonna actually sell my bike. Just missed that feeling of freedom (hair in the wind) too much (but I’m one of those dumbasses that would ride without a helmet when the opportunities arose). With all the helmet laws and retards with cars (noses down in their phones) on the roads, I’ll just enjoy a roadster more. Hopefully my hair won’t fall out.
I live in one of the wettest places in the US. But I own a convertible, a roadster and a OT, street legal dune buggy. I love the sun. Even with the rain in the PNW, we get more rag top days here than my buddies in Pheonix.
Bright sunlight gives me headaches, even with my transitional eye glasses. Adding a hat helps, but I don't really like wearing hats. I didn't notice that much before I bought that convertible many years ago, but it didn't take long to find out. Since then, I can't even ride in a car with an open sunroof. If it doesn't have a roof, I don't want anything to do with it, for myself. I do admit, some are visually appealing to me, as long as I don't have to own one or ride in one.
I have an A chopped A coupe and a deuce roadster and have driven both cross country several times. My take is nothing beats the thrill of blasting along in a topless highboy roadster even in the rain, but for total badassery in the looks department nothing compares to a hard chopped 32, 33, or 34 three window coupe with or without fenders. If I had to be reduced to only one hot rod it would be a roadster without a doubt.
Either your a top down guy or your not. Owner a Model A roadster for a minute. One drive and it was gone. Owned a 1964 Dodge Polara 500 convert and a 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convert. One day driving each. Not for me. I am not a top down guy.
I've been close to pulling the trigger on a motorcycle many times. With the drivers we have here in Alberta, I'm building a Model A roadster pickup. That's my Harley.
I'm going to say yes. I've built 5 roadsters, 2 phaetons, bought or traded for 3 roadsters. I'm old and have another rdst and a cabriolet to get done.
With the drivers today it really doesn't matter if you're in a Kenworth or on a moped , there's an accident just waiting for you!
I think we have about 4 roadster/convertible days around here, two in spring, two in the fall. Rest of the time it’s too hot, too cold, or too wet! Have had several vehicles with opening sunroofs, one convertible, but never a roadster. I prefer the comfort of heat and ac, lol. I always wear a cap, in the convertible it was always trying to blow off, can’t stand that. Yet I love the looks of an open top car, and have even thought about throwing a glass 27 T together….
When I decided that I was going to put a Model A together, it was going to be a 30-31 coupe. I had a frame and rear suspension only when a 28-29 roadster cowl came up for sale locally. "I guess I'm building a roadster" What a great decision that was, I love cruising and racing the roadstah!
My dad (Atwater Mike) and I took my 27 track t out for a long drive, Atwater to Mariposa, really hot weather but in the roadster you couldn’t tell…we get back to Merced and stopped by Richard Ruths shop, he was putting in a rear sway bar on a 32 3-window, we get out of the 27 and someone says “ hey, you guys look like a couple of lobsters”, Mike replies “Coupes are for chickens”! Fun times in the roadster, I think I need BOTH.
I don't think anyone described the difference between a roadster and a convertible/cabriolet. Roadster has a removable windshield and no roll up windows. Vert/Cab has a fixed w/s and roll up windows. I have a bunch of roadsters and a bunch of closed cars/pickups. With my old stocker roadsters we never put the top down. We like the open air but not the sun so much. My hotrod '24 Dodge roadster has no top. I drove it a total of 1500+ miles to and from Bonneville towing my little TrailorBoat camper in rain and sun. That was it's maiden voyage. That's been 10 or so years ago and I prefer a more comfy ride to sleep in these days! My '31 Roadster Pickup has a non folding original type top. My '27 T roadster top has been down a few times, like when we drove up a mountain with a group of T's and found a locked gate with no turn around. We had to back down quite a ways so I dropped the top so we could see behind us. So which do I like best, closed or open? BOTH! Dave
Why Roadsters? When I get into the roadster and turn the key I can look into the rear view mirror and see my hair and beard going from gray back to the darkness of my youth. The stomach starts to shrink and I can feel my muscles starting to get bigger. When I drive by a store front with plate glass window I wonder who the young guy in the reflection is driving my car. I then open my wallet and the date on my drivers license is back in the sixties. The gloomy sky is suddenly sunny. Unfortunately as I pull back into the garage everything instantly goes back to the present. I swear this is a true story but then I don’t remember something’s as well as I used too. Everyone should own a roadster or convertible at least once in their life.
I love roadsters so you can guess where my vote goes. Built an O/T glass bodied dune buggy in high school which was "sorta" a roadster. Had a blast with it. First rod build was a 'glass '27 "T" roadster, channeled and low so had to basically fold myself up to get in it. Doubt that would work so well now. But I loved the open-air cruises and the freedom I felt going down the road. If I ever have another roadster it would likely be an "A" highboy on Deuce rails. Or a '27 highboy on Deuce rails. Or a full fendered Deuce roadster. Or a full fendered '34 roadster. Or maybe a........ (fade into unintelligible mumbling...)
When the weather is nice, there is nothing more fun than driving a roadster. Yesterday I went to a car show. On the way home it felt so good I didn’t want it to end, so I turned the half hour drive into a two hour cruise.
My first roadster was a 1962 MG midget, I drove it across the USA three times. I could drive from mid Pennsylvania to the California coast for $28 in that car. I still miss it but I don't ever see any for sale. I had a 1950 Ford and a Mustang hardtop convertible and I didn't like them at all. But I still have my 32 roadster.
A Roadster is the definition of a Hot Rod IMO. I had mine for 8 years, 20,000 miles and I live in Wisconsin, NOT Roadster country. Everyone should have one for a while as they are "IT" Practicable, not really, comfortable, no, But the Kool factor, YES. Pic of mine, note, I had a bolt on top and I made lexan snap in windows PIA as I snapped them after getting in the car for our Wisconsin weather factor. I sold it and went to a 32 3 window for 8 years, that one I miss sometimes. pic posted. New Tires, Knock Off wheel centers by wicarnut posted Aug 24, 2013 at 12:03 AM
I have a 5 window its great except for the roof. to me a roadster is defiantly not a bike with 4 wheels or a dune buggy
Um horsepower? Cars originate from horse and buggy days....weight was the main factor in why early carriages and wagons were not enclosed...extra weight shortens the life of your horse or you have to get more horses to pull it...Why did early race car builders race roadsters? when aerodynamics became a concern someone figured out a little head poking up was a lot slicker than a flat wall of glass @ speed...but mainly it's because they're lighter...lighter = faster Hot Rodding 101
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