Hey, Rich; ^^^^ That right there, is properly referred to as : "Liquid Sunshine" ... . Same for bikes... Marcus...
Quite apart from the fact that I tend to dislike the weather most people call good, I have a thing for little coupés. And I love the weird stuff. Not knocking those who lust after a roadster; they're just too iconic for me. I'll always prefer something a bit out in left field.
I think they look great, but after driving just a couple of freeway miles in any convertible, my face feels like it's been sandblasted. Maybe it is better to look good rather than feel good.
There is nothing like driving in a Roadster on a nice day or evening! In Minnesota the weather can and will change at the drop of a hat. You should have a backup vehicle if you want to attend any event that lasts a few hours or more,or at least a top on a roadster. The only issues are crazy freeway drivers(maybe a slow moving vehicle sign would help), not a lot of storage space inside, and winter storage.
Couple of friends in Wash state(Bellingham), said an old saying was: "In Washington you don't tan, you rust". Even had the T-shirt then... . Marcus...
I've watched the McGee roadster video many times. It says many things to me but I never get tired of saying "I'm a roadster guy". There could be another in my future.
I voted roadster, I have an OT Austin Healey Sprite , Practical No. Comfortable No, Fun YES, Something about a pre WW2 roadster that just screams HOT ROD, I’m in the process of building an early A body Dart , it will be fun but not the same as a roadster. Roadsters are similar to bikes - you either like em or not. IMO there doesn’t seem be much middle ground. Dan
17 yrs with this one, I'll admit it's not as fun as it used to be, now if it's a day with strong sun or day that's a little chilly I won't take it, could be because I have a lot less hair now lol But at this point in my life I wouldn't build another roadster.
I love two seaters, convertibles and roadsters the Roadster is my favorite that being said I enjoy driving the Tudor, can get all the grandkids in it
I prefer a coupe simply because if it's too hot the sun isn't baking the driver, and if it's cold or a bit rainy it wont stop me either. I just get more use from a coupe.
I have told people its to cold to drive a roadster when you have to scrape both sides of the windshield. when that happens it just ices back up & you have to look over it to see
I voted roadster, only because I'm building a '29 RPU right now, I really do love all sorts of styles and ages of vehicles. BTW, loved your etymology reference, where words came from is always interesting to me.
I know they are not the most practical... But there is just something magical about cruising around aimlessly on a warm summer evening in the open atmosphere of a roadster... It's the whole experience, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the rawness of it all... It's something you just don't get in a closed in car...
I chose a coupe as the more practical choice. Turns out I rarely drive it in anything but fair weather. A roadster is still on my to-do list, be it a T, A, or a 32. I’ve always liked RPUs too.
I built a roadster this time around versus the 3-window coupe I had originally built on this same chassis 20 years ago (long story, see my build thread) because it's way less work to finish - no glass, no garnishes, trim, headliner, etc.. I wanted the shortest time span from start to driving...took 2 1/2 years versus the 5 that it sat unfinished as a 3W.
Hello, We have always liked open roadsters. But for security sake, not too many of our friends in high school had a roadster for daily driving. We did live in a nice area of town, but leaving an open roadster out on the street even for a short visit to a friend’s house is a disaster waiting to happen. At our high school, it was located right in the middle of town. In a semi-residential area, commercial area adjoining on one side and on of the busiest streets running from another northern city all the way to the beachfront in Long Beach. But, the area was ripe for disappearing cars at times. We all wanted to park in the “T” street ending at the front of the school, that had sightlines from a whole row of classrooms across the street. At least, someone would have doubts as to whether or not someone was watching at any time during school. That gave most of us teenage hot rod kids some security. Those coveted spots had to be occupied at least 30 to 45 minutes prior to the beginning of school. Park on another street, just a block over, was sight unseen, with questionable thoughts for a hot rod sedan, let alone an open roadster. Jnaki I posted this ad for a very well built hot rod 32 Ford Roadster. It would be one of our final purchases, just because we would like to have a very cool car while we do our final cruising around our So Cal area doing errands and visiting our son/granddaughter, when possible. Yet, we would still be leery of the open roadster parked outside of their garage, even on their driveway. Roadsters are just not made for security at any hour, except for being parked in a garage at all hours. This red 1932 roadster is the epitome of a nice hot rod. Start it up, drive to the S.F. Bay Area on the coast, relax, cruising around the coastal cities and then a nice Highway 1 road trip home to So Cal. But, even on those trips, where are we going to park overnight or for a dinner on the city oceanfront? A long, one way, coastal drive down Highway 1 along the California coast is wonderful any time of the year, except for a stormy night with the fog intermixing with the rain deluge. So, it is not a normal drive in any weather hot rod or even just a daily driver. We have always liked Jack Stewart’s 1932 Red Roadster. This one is close to the same style and build. Just put in some gas and off we go down California’s coastline, the inner mountain highways and it would find our home just fine. But, on the other hand, it increases the feeling of your surroundings sitting in a nice 32 hot rod roadster. It does and will create a question of doubt if it is sight unseen on any occasion during the wonderful road trip. Of course, we would definitely have to sell one of our daily drivers…YRMV
To paraphrase a quote from W.C. Fields; "Roadsters are like elephants. They're nice to look at, but I wouldn't want to own one!" He was referring to women.
I’m extremely biased, but I think nothing beats a ‘32 roadster. From history to looks, and even form and function. Don Montgomery will pretty much tell you the same thing in most of his books. ‘32 roadsters have always, and will always be the kings. Some three windows might demand more money, but historically they will never have the cultural significance that roadsters had.
1. Simplicity 2. If your build ends up almost too nice to drive in the rain…it might as well be a roadster!
I got caught in a freak monsoon off of Lake Erie one afternoon, poor fella on a Harley two cars ahead of me could hardly hold is bike up with both feet on the ground. I was a couple blocks from home on a 5 lane street passing by a wide open town park, shit was coming sideways at about 70 mph, wet leaves hit me right in the face and rain drops stung like needle pricks. The cars ahead of me stopped in the road because they couldn't see, me and the bike rider stuck out in the open, I'm yelling just GO, Harley guy is pushing his bike down the sidewalk towards the library overhang lol I make it home and hop out to get the garage door open and decided to film it from inside the garage, it was just passing through but the first couple seconds show how intense this storm was, blew over campers and everything. So you want to own a roadster ....
The Jalopy Journal
