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Is open Jeep a dying art?

DHW

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I definitely fall in the open top category, but I operate a bit different. I prefer the soft top in the fall and winter. Top down and heat on is my favorite. It only gets really cold here a few weeks in winter, so I have the top down as much as possible, especially in early fall. But in summer, once it hits 95+ degrees, it stays that way for a while. I have no desire to have the top down in that kind of weather as it's just too hot.

I just put the hardtop back on for the summer. I would like to have the top off sometimes at night in the summer, but the freedom panels are a pain in the ass. I just got the Bestop Sunrider and it may be the best mod I've made so far. Takes 5 seconds to open and close it. It's definitely expensive, but very much worth it IMO.
 
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Traktor31

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The hassle of taking off the hard top isn't worth the time for me. The weather changes so quickly here in Michigan, I'd spend an hour or two every other day dinking around with the top. I'd rather just take off the freedom panels and call it a day.

Also, with this being the dog mobile, I can't bring him anywhere if the top is off.
This is why I actually opted for the soft top. I felt like if I got the hard top I would be much more resistant to taking the top off because of Michigan weather and going through the hassle. And the top off was a big selling point for me personally.
 

Swagger

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Love driving with the soft top down, until about 70 mph. Then to me, its too windy and loud. So if I'm cruising on a side road or around town its top down, for freeway driving top up.
 

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I love going naked (top down, doors off) when I'm on the trails and driving around town. Two things keep me from doing that regularly.

First is when the weather is in a constant state of flux. We're in our rainy season and just last week or so got a dusting of snow. We also have clear days in the 70's during the day but the temperature drops quite a bit at night. Constantly going back and forth with the top and doors is just more effort than it's worth. I do drive with the windows down though when it's nice.

Second is long highway drives. The wind buffeting, even with just windows open, is unpleasant for long drives. Sure, if I'm just going across town, it's fine. But any time I do a long drive, I have the vehicle closed up.
 

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I understand completely the top off comments - all of them. When I was younger I couldn't get outdoors enough and convertible vehicles were a part of it. Nothing is free; at 76 I've had two melanomas on my scalp that have left me with a couple of craters worthy of a moon landing. So a word of caution to all of the topless - limit the amount of sun exposure. At the least wear a hat and use sun screen. Skin cancer is no fun.
 

csjlu

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The hassle of taking off the hard top isn't worth the time for me. The weather changes so quickly here in Michigan, I'd spend an hour or two every other day dinking around with the top. I'd rather just take off the freedom panels and call it a day.

Also, with this being the dog mobile, I can't bring him anywhere if the top is off.
I have to ask what the breed is - my golden retriever looks at me funny if the top is ON. He much prefers the wind and the view with the top off.
 
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Chazdog

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This is why I actually opted for the soft top. I felt like if I got the hard top I would be much more resistant to taking the top off because of Michigan weather and going through the hassle. And the top off was a big selling point for me personally.
Same here, soft top was a must. It's really the
This is why I actually opted for the soft top. I felt like if I got the hard top I would be much more resistant to taking the top off because of Michigan weather and going through the hassle. And the top off was a big selling point for me personally.
I agree with this post 100 percent. It was at the top of my list for reasons to buy a Wrangler. And I also agree with the OP's and others' observations that too many are buttoned up tight with the AC running on beautiful days. I live near the ocean and just shake my head when I watch the parade of Wranglers touring up the Blvd at slow speeds without even a cracked window. It makes me wonder why they are driving a Jeep when there are so many superior SUVs for that kind of driving experience.
 

aldo98229

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I never remove the top on my Wrangler. My other vehicle is a Fiat 124 Spider; I drop the top on it every chance I get. It literally takes 3 seconds to drop and raise the top.

But being freckled and fair skinned, the most I can endure with the top down on a sunny day is 1-2 hours. Even less if it gets really hot.

Driving with the top down is tons of fun, as long as I drive below 30 MPH and less than 30 minutes. But as driving speed and time increases, the fun of open motoring diminishes exponentially.
 

JeepTime

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I’m probably in the minority here but I’ve always said if Jeep offered a true permanent fixture hardtop like a traditional suv there is no doubt I would buy that instantly. I’ve never taken the doors off or the full hardtop off, no desire too. A traditional roof version of the Jeep would offer better insulation and noise properties, I would far prefer that.

plus the Florida summer heat is far too hot to go naked, I don’t get how people do it, the spring and fall for a month is about the only good time.

That all being said I do occasionally take my freedom panels off because it’s there but I’d trade that ability for a traditional roof straight away.
 

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aldo98229

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To respond to the OP: yes, open motoring is a dying art. It’s been dying for the past 70 years.

Open motoring was common since the appearance of the automobile through the end of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

A variety of factors conspired against open motoring: safety, cost, comfort, convenience. But the biggest contributor was speed: as vehicles grew faster and distances longer, the fate of open motoring was sealed.

Unavoidable mechanical and electrical complexity made convertible tops unreliable. Widespread adoption of air conditioning through the 1960s further made enclosed motoring more comfortable and enjoyable.

1938 Buick convertible sedan was the last of many mass produced open 4-door cars
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? C9CA4D15-5599-465D-9E6A-AE8666BACC7D


The art of open motoring would be truly dead by the 1960s
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? 1621262362443


Driving into oblivion
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? 1621263073671
 
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CT_LFC

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I’m probably in the minority here but I’ve always said if Jeep offered a true permanent fixture hardtop like a traditional suv there is no doubt I would buy that instantly. I’ve never taken the doors off or the full hardtop off, no desire too. A traditional roof version of the Jeep would offer better insulation and noise properties, I would far prefer that.

plus the Florida summer heat is far too hot to go naked, I don’t get how people do it, the spring and fall for a month is about the only good time.

That all being said I do occasionally take my freedom panels off because it’s there but I’d trade that ability for a traditional roof straight away.
They do sell that one-touch power top that is as fixed as you can get.
 

bigfoot21075

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If i could not have gotten a MyTop power top for this Jeep, I probably would not have ordered it. Now I can put the top up or down in about 10 seconds. I use it ALL the time.
 

LittleDog

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To respond to the OP: yes, open motoring is a dying art. It’s been dying for the past 70 years.

Open motoring was common since the appearance of the automobile through the end of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

A variety of factors conspired against open motoring: safety, cost, comfort, convenience. But the biggest contributor was speed: as vehicles grew faster and distances longer, the fate of open motoring was sealed.

Unavoidable mechanical and electrical complexity made convertible tops unreliable. Widespread adoption of air conditioning through the 1960s further made enclosed motoring more comfortable and enjoyable.

1938 Buick convertible sedan was the last of many mass produced open 4-door cars
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? 1621263073671


The art of open motoring would be truly dead by the 1960s
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? 1621263073671


Driving into oblivion
Jeep Wrangler JL Is open Jeep a dying art? 1621263073671

Great, but sad, post. 100% agree.

Cruising about at 35mph on local roads is fantastic. Above 55mph, less so. Above 75mph, better count your belongings at the begining and end of every trip.

I'm in New Jersey, and every fourth road around here is a highway or high-speed county road. If you're driving for more than 10 minutes, you're probably taking one.
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