pros and cons of convertable s13

[udon!]

im looking at a s13 vert for sale and i was wondering how much having a convertable really makes your chassis flimsy. what can this be corrected by? the car has a 4 point cage btw..

would a 6 point cage make it as sturdy as a stock non--vert coupe?

[ThatGuy]

Well, pretty much any table in an S13 is going to make space limited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convertible

[BustedS13]

^lolol.

i've had three convertibles to date (LeBaron {lol}, m30, Galaxie 500), and am considering another one for daily driving. let me share my findings.

pros
verts are funsies on warm, but not hot, clear days, well before noon or after about 5pm in the summer, or after 3pm in the winter, or all day on cloudy days, or just before a storm

cons
verts suck ASSHOLE all other times.
floppy car

[racepar1]

^lolol.

i've had three convertibles to date, and am considering another one for daily driving. let me share my findings.

pros
verts are funsies on warm, but not hot, clear days, well before noon or after about 5pm in the summer, or after 3pm in the winter, or all day on cloudy days, or just before a storm

cons
verts suck ASSHOLE all other times.
floppy car

I highlighted the important part.

[!Zar!]

They aren't true OEM.

The work on them is shitty for the top install if you ask me.

The welds look like crap, as well as they tend to rust where the vert top is welded in.

Not to mention most coilovers are hard to install because of the extra bracing in the rear.

Which will require you to shave and cut out metal where it comes in contact with the top of the coil.

The doors are heavy as hell and suck because of the seatbelt stuff being connected to them.

There was also a problem with installing some seat rails with stock doors but I forget what it was.

They should weigh more because the add bracing on the bottom to make up for the top. But that might only be FC's.

Over all they just fucking suck.

[zenki.life]

well. i think a con is that they look like shit unless they have a sil front slapped onto them and the car lowered. ewie verts

[ManoNegra]

heavy
creaky
good luck finding parts for them
ugly

[!Zar!]

heavy
creaky
good luck finding parts for them
ugly

Parts?

What parts?

It's a coupe.

[S14_Kouki]

Iv been wanting a vert for a DD for awhile now. I have my wonderful 14 for everything else

[ryguy]

My DD is a vert. My old DD was a hatch. I like the convertible better, although it gets put in storage for the winter. I see you live in Cali, so that shouldnt be a problem. The bitches love that car until they find out it's a Nissan.

[udon!]

for those of you that are curious heres pics of the car that i was looking at buying maybe.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/43/l_1fffc133e0da4074a81143ff338bf9f5.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/57/l_c46b710281db4e03944bf4aec7b5921c.jpg



meh.... idk.
and lol @ gay ass licence plate

[S14_Kouki]

not bad not bad

[BustedS13]

The bitches love that car until they find out it's a Nissan.

ain't no fucking way.

[Mista Lee]

I honestly love my vert as a dd.
sell me those 962's if you buy that vert! ;)

[awesomenick]

What an asshole. Parked in a handicap space.

On the line too.

[96Turbo]

Swap out the doors for coupe or hatch doors (shave off a lot of weight)

Get a full cage, silvia front end, and you'll be ballin

[ronmcdon]

I like the license plate.
probably the most corny yet.
so bad, it's good.

only vert i've owned was a 92 miata that came with a hard-top.
I'm no fan of the wind, nor the sun.
I just kept the hardtop on all the time.
Car was fine otherwise.

[Frydways]

I read the entire build of 240sx.org's project KA 'vert Thing is pretty sick. They did some rigidity tests after they added frame supports and found it was better than a coupe and destroyed the hatch. Check it out. They list everything they did and I bet he would be willing to give you some good advice.

NICO Project 240sx - Part 1 (http://www.nicoclub.com/articles/vert-proj/vert-part1.shtml)

[drift freaq]

I read the entire build of 240sx.org's project KA 'vert Thing is pretty sick. They did some rigidity tests after they added frame supports and found it was better than a coupe and destroyed the hatch. Check it out. They list everything they did and I bet he would be willing to give you some good advice.

NICO Project 240sx - Part 1 (http://www.nicoclub.com/articles/vert-proj/vert-part1.shtml)

LOL you posted a link to Nico on Zilvia. You are a noob.

[96Turbo]

^^^^^^^^sinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Farzam]

pros
still handles great
i raced a more modded hatch and i beat it
not that much heavier
fun
I put coilovers in just fine
nice stance with good wheels and top down= hawt

cons
black soft top attracts heat...gets hot as hell
can't find spare vert windows n window motors often
it's always gonna leak at least a little
all came stock with auto...
the door panels warp and blah blah, get coupe/hatch doors

[racepar1]

only vert i've owned was a 92 miata that came with a hard-top.
I'm no fan of the wind, nor the sun.
I just kept the hardtop on all the time.
Car was fine otherwise.

Miatas are rad! That's pretty much the only vert that I would buy.........with a hardtop of course!

[94_240sx]

Not to mention most coilovers are hard to install because of the extra bracing in the rear.


You can cut the knobs and make them shorter instead of cutting the brace.

Vert = hate it or love it...

[mehsilvia]

Miatas are rad! That's pretty much the only vert that I would buy.........with a hardtop of course!

Of course. so that no one actually can SEE you driving a miata :ghey::keke:

I like the fact that Verts suck asshole. Its why I now own two.


I honestly dont see how the vert has anymore cons than a coupe or fastback. They all suck ass in one way or another.
Thats my opinion.

Except the S14.
Its perfect.

[KA-Kait]

I agree with mehsilvia. Verts are a fucking blast. I love mine, wouldn't trade it for the world. at time I think it's a piece of shit and i never want to look at it, let alone drive it. But it's the same with any s13, imo. As for the doors, that's the easiest thing to fix in the world. The chassis doesn't weigh THAT much more than the others, swap the doors, get a 6 point cage and own that shit.

[Touge Noob S13]

DO NOT get that convertible you posted, if you want one, look for a clean one. That car has so many problems. I used to do an internship at Mckinney Motorsports and that car was always coming in because it had so many different problems with it. Here were some of the most obvious.
1. Poorly swapped SR.
2. No door panels making the interior look like shit.
3. The owner uses cheap parts on it that proved the saying "You get what you pay for."
4. Part of the top has been repaired with staples.

[JAYTRON]

You can cut the knobs and make them shorter instead of cutting the brace.

Vert = hate it or love it...


For my for the dampening knobs on my rear coilovers I just bent the bracing a little backward which wasn't hard.


And verts do have a crap load of bracing. All along the floor and we even have our own version of fender bracing which was such a pain in the ass to deal with trying to tuck both the engine harnesses

[racepar1]

Of course. so that no one actually can SEE you driving a miata :ghey::keke:

Miatas are ONLY ghey untill you actually drive one....

I like the fact that Verts suck asshole. Its why I now own two.

*cough*

:ghey:

*cough*

:D

I honestly dont see how the vert has anymore cons than a coupe or fastback. They all suck ass in one way or another.
Thats my opinion.

The cons of the coupe and fastback are much more acceptable IMO. Plus the fastback doubles as a moving van.....

Except the S14.
Its perfect.

:tweak:

:rofl:

You rock Chris!

:love:

LOL!

[JohnJohn86]

save your money and get a S2000 and you will not have to worry about the chassis being flimsy

[Matej]

That roll bar is ugly.

Convertibles are pretty cool though.

[ManoNegra]

Parts?

What parts?

It's a coupe.


can't find spare vert windows n window motors often
\

friend had one, couldn't find parts for the top to save his life
I drove it around, clunky and heavy compared to the hatches I've owned

[ryguy]

friend had one, couldn't find parts for the top to save his life
I drove it around, clunky and heavy compared to the hatches I've owned

I had no problem finding top parts, if you mean the fabric/rear window. Upholstery shops can make you a custom top, too. If you mean mechanical parts, I can't speak for those. BTW, my stances *just* fit in the rear with no modification.

A 5 speed in the vert takes all that clunkiness out, too. It's a world of difference.

[Fries]

2 mins and a metal cutting blade on a sawzaw[sp?] will make any coilovers fit correctly.

In my mind a vert can either be a good daily or a good track car [full cage and shit] but is mediocre for a daily drifter.

God you look like a bamf driving around town with the top down and a rollcage/rollbar setup though.

[Wookie384]

save your money and get a S2000 and you will not have to worry about the chassis being flimsy

WIN! ...That's the only convertible I'll ever drive, actually I'm hell bent on getting one!

[Devil Man]

not being able to get the seals for the top make it a big con in my book and is why i ended up not getting one.

[illvialuver]

pro you can run and jump in the car without opening the doors, like how cowboys used to jump off roofs onto the backs of there horses.

con, sunburns.


pro, the car looks extra low and extra wide when the tops down.

con, people will always ask you if its a integra vert. lol

[dallaceseiuli]

pro you can run and jump in the car without opening the doors, like how cowboys used to jump off roofs onto the backs of there horses.

con, sunburns.


pro, the car looks extra low and extra wide when the tops down.

con, people will always ask you if its a integra vert. lol

very true, some asian boiiiizzz asked me where i got my teggy cut. so i drove away realll fast.

[wafflez66]

I love my vert...

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/101/l_7d0a5ecc86da4b7aa8e153a26be97fe8.jpg

[ixfxi]

I own a miata, I highly dislike it.

Its not a bad car, its mostly the fucking community that sucks balls. I really, really hate the community.

I hate club roadster, the forum has no good info.. just a bunch of fruitcakes who're more concerned with their wheel offset than actual engineering. Its what Zilvia would have turned into if real men like Me, Russ, Kevin, and various others werent around to toughen you guys up.

The miata.net forum is equally as bad, but you cant go anywhere else because theres valuable information in there... if you have the patience to dig through the million of self-proclaimed weekend mechanics that think they know the answer to every problem: mass air flow sensor. fucking idiots. i swear, the majority of miata.net guys are older married (or hopelessly single) people who bought this car with their petty retirement money because they couldnt afford a convertible jaguar. They refer to the car as "peppy little bugger" and piss me off with their lack of dare when it comes to modifications. any suspension modification will automatically destroy your scrub radius.


With that said, I have a fuckin kickass rollbar in my Miata and it still lacks structural support. You can patch fix with products, or just say fuckit and buy a real sportscar with a real motor and a real fucking structurally bonded/fixed ROOF. No sense in trying to make the car anything other than what it is.

Miata's are fun if you want a car that you can park and not give a fuck about. Its small and no thieves care to steal them because:
a) too hard to fit inside
b) your gangster friends will call you pussy for stealing a faig car
c) no room for valuables, so they typically walk over and break into a more expensive car nearby


as for the 240, i'de never buy a vert. its ugly. really fucking ugly. let me sum up the pros and cons for you guys.


cons:
- its fucking ugly
- heavy doors
- ugly seatbelt bars integrated to the door
- they suck balls
- they're ugly


pros:

[BoostedCoupe]

I have owned a vert for almost a year and i love it sometimes and hate sometime.

Cons: Doors are hella gay
The top is made very poor.
They all have a point where they leak while your washing the car. Mainly around the top of the side glasses.
Very loud with the top up and driving
All are automatics(unless converted) which kills the car
They flex alot, not as bad as hatches.
Sucks to relocate your fender harnesses due to the fender brace

pros:
Its a convertiable
No need for ac.
perfect for cloudy nice days.
Looks good with the top up or down.
Parts are the same as a coupe
Gets alot of attention

[!Zar!]

cons:
- its fucking ugly
- heavy doors
- ugly seatbelt bars integrated to the door
- they suck balls
- they're ugly


pros:
- its fucking ugly
- heavy doors
- ugly seatbelt bars integrated to the door
- they suck balls
- they're ugly


Fixed. This census was gathered from data of all vert owners and why they like it.

[jaja]

had mine for about 7-8 years, did the 5 speed, s14 seats, coilovers (yes it is a REAL bitch to do) and its a fun car. yep, i think all the points have been covered, the squeaks, the leaks, lack of parts, and piss poor job of cutting the top off by that company in florida - so rust is unavoidable, even for my car which has been a socal car since day one.

and the biggest problem is that no one knows how the wiring goes for the top. i had a problem with it and i had to follow the vert fsm to figure out the wiring... real pita.

but definitely a good daily driver.... i mean i probably bought for 5-6k 7-8 years back, prob have 3-4k into it.... still can't get a car like that for 10k... even a s2k, which is an incredible car, no doubt. i bet you can get one for 1-2k and drop 2-3k for the suspension, 5sp swap and end up with a pretty cool 5k convertible.

so my 2 cents:

pros - cool cheap convertible for socal or other non raining places

cons - you get what u pay for. if you want a nice convertible, go get a G37 vert :)

[mehsilvia]

How is it that the Vert is "ugly"? Its a fucking coupe :jerkit:

And the heavy doors sound and feel really nice when you close them. Personally i like that. If its all about "weight savings", just simply swap them out.

Same for the seatbelts. Everyone keeps bitching about the fucking seatbelts. Those power retracto-belts in the coupes and hatches suck balls as well. Like the coupe & hatch, just swap them out!


It comes down to one thing - You either LIKE convertibles or NOT.

Most everything else pointed out can either be changed or found similarly fucked on another S-chassis.

[racepar1]

I have owned a vert for almost a year and i love it sometimes and hate sometime.

Cons: Doors are hella gay
The top is made very poor.
They all have a point where they leak while your washing the car. Mainly around the top of the side glasses.
Very loud with the top up and driving
All are automatics(unless converted) which kills the car
They flex alot, not as bad as hatches.
Sucks to relocate your fender harnesses due to the fender brace

pros:
Its a convertiable
No need for ac.
perfect for cloudy nice days.
Looks good with the top up or down.
Parts are the same as a coupe
Gets alot of attention

You can't be serious.......... A fastback s-13 has this magical thing called a roof. It holds all the pillars together and greatly increases chasis rigidity. All the pittly little braces in the vert cannot replace a roof.


:squint:

[illvialuver]

you cant stand up in them while driving. if your 6 foot 5 plus you dont have a roof to hit your head on.

I think the flex stuff might not matter as much with a cage and full suspension, and even if there is some flex, big deal, its not like your trying to make a [email protected]%!n f1 car out of the 240 vert. it's still plenty capable for most of the people on this forum.

With the exception of some of the racing gods, who have coupes and hatches with 0% flex, and beat ever single car on the track with there 240. lol

[jaja]

mehsilvia - nice sig. is that a 5 lug conversion on yours? nice rims too.

[matts13vert]

How is it that the Vert is "ugly"? Its a fucking coupe :jerkit:

And the heavy doors sound and feel really nice when you close them. Personally i like that. If its all about "weight savings", just simply swap them out.

Same for the seatbelts. Everyone keeps bitching about the fucking seatbelts. Those power retracto-belts in the coupes and hatches suck balls as well. Like the coupe & hatch, just swap them out!


It comes down to one thing - You either LIKE convertibles or NOT.

Most everything else pointed out can either be changed or found similarly fucked on another S-chassis.

:hide: +1 i love my vert as my DD wouldn't trade it for a hard top ever.

[ixfxi]

you cant stand up in them while driving. if your 6 foot 5 plus you dont have a roof to hit your head on.

I think the flex stuff might not matter as much with a cage and full suspension, and even if there is some flex, big deal, its not like your trying to make a [email protected]%!n f1 car out of the 240 vert. it's still plenty capable for most of the people on this forum.

With the exception of some of the racing gods, who have coupes and hatches with 0% flex, and beat ever single car on the track with there 240. lol

did i mention that they SUCK ASS/1/1/1


1/1/1 = ?!?!?!

[mehsilvia]

mehsilvia - nice sig. is that a 5 lug conversion on yours? nice rims too.
Yep, and 5-spd as of last Sunday. :2f2f:

:hide: +1 i love my vert as my DD wouldn't trade it for a hard top ever.
Yeah, the Vert is my favorite daily thus far.

And I still think the S14 is the best track chassis.


did i mention that they SUCK ASS/1/1/1
1/1/1 = ?!?!?!

LOL. so do most Coupes and Fastbacks.

Soooo, i thought this was about the differences between them? :keke:

[Mista Lee]

Another major suckage is how the window gets all nasty.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f76/initialdfreak/240sx/IMG_6535.jpg
Just replaced mine for $15 a few days ago though :D
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f76/initialdfreak/240sx/IMG_6536.jpg

[xplicit240]

well i just got my vert. it needs lots of TLC right now, but im sure im gonna love it. its only purpose is gonna be to drive me to the beach during the summers and it looking good. i have a coupe that im gonna be gearing up for more serious driving.

i chose a vert just because it was a better idea than having a sil-camino.

[SUPERSTAR]

I wish I had a convertible.

[matts13vert]

Another major suckage is how the window gets all nasty.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f76/initialdfreak/240sx/IMG_6535.jpg
Just replaced mine for $15 a few days ago though :D
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f76/initialdfreak/240sx/IMG_6536.jpg

haha me too but cost me $20.. :kiss:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s234/matthsk/DSCN3587.jpg

its been 6 months and it shows no signs of fading or getting burnt by the sun. :x:

[FullCircleCo.com]

Vert's...........

[mulinmoua]

Welcome to 2013

[S13-JOhNy.]

Buy a vert and do a hardtop conversion (;

I love old threads gives me the most LOL

[alwaysideways14]

dont mind verts but just for driving...had a e30 vert super fun car....would always drop the top....

[FullCircleCo.com]

Buy a vert and do a hardtop conversion (;

I love old threads gives me the most LOL
Have they done any hard top conversions to a s13 vert? any pics, links?

[dluevanos01]

Have they done any hard top conversions to a s13 vert? any pics, links?

You can't be serious, are you? ahaha

[zerodameaon]

Have they done any hard top conversions to a s13 vert? any pics, links?

Yeah its called a Coupe.

There are a few custom projects started but the only finished product I have ever seen was a Benz SL500 top. It was not worth the trouble when you can buy a Coupe.

[Bambi]

I own a miata, I highly dislike it.

Its not a bad car, its mostly the fucking community that sucks balls. I really, really hate the community.

I hate club roadster, the forum has no good info.. just a bunch of fruitcakes who're more concerned with their wheel offset than actual engineering. Its what Zilvia would have turned into if real men like Me, Russ, Kevin, and various others werent around to toughen you guys up.


Sounds like Zilvia, now. :rimshot::ddog:






...:naw:

[FullCircleCo.com]

Yeah its called a Coupe.

There are a few custom projects started but the only finished product I have ever seen was a Benz SL500 top. It was not worth the trouble when you can buy a Coupe.

You guys are hilarious...

This was the best I can find online.

new top....hardtop : 240SX Convertible Forum (http://forums.nicoclub.com/new-top-hardtop-t326721.html)

It'd be a cool project. I have a vert and a few hatches. Getting a removeable hardtop would save space in the garage rather than getting a coupe.

[zerodameaon]

You guys are hilarious...

This was the best I can find online.

new top....hardtop : 240SX Convertible Forum (http://forums.nicoclub.com/new-top-hardtop-t326721.html)

It'd be a cool project. I have a vert and a few hatches. Getting a removeable hardtop would save space in the garage rather than getting a coupe.

Like I said many have been started but I only know of one being finished. If you want a hard top you will have to make it yourself. Also you were being criticized because your lack of searching.

[ghoti]

I hate club roadster, the forum has no good info.. just a bunch of fruitcakes....

The miata.net forum is equally as bad, but you cant go anywhere else because theres valuable information in there...


Quoted for Truth!

Clubroadster is the Hondatech of RWD cars

Miata.net id like hybridz bunch of borderline old age guys with useful info