Parking in Public -

[petee c]

I feel safe where I live and work. I was just wondering, how many of u park with the top down in public if just running in to get something at the store, or pick up a movie rental, out for dinner?

I leave the top down at home in the garage , if I know it can be topdown weather for the morning commute. At work, it's outdoor parking, so I usually put the top up while I'm at work.

If just out and about, I've been leaving the top down in public if parking outside the store that I'm heading into. I just put the ipod in the center console thing, and tuck the RDD under the seat, and roll the windows up.... and lock the doors via the key fob.

Too bad the infrared detection doesn't work with the top down......

[claredueck]

I feel safe where I live and work. I was just wondering, how many of u park with the top down in public if just running in to get something at the store, or pick up a movie rental, out for dinner?

I leave the top down at home in the garage , if I know it can be topdown weather for the morning commute. At work, it's outdoor parking, so I usually put the top up while I'm at work.

If just out and about, I've been leaving the top down in public if parking outside the store that I'm heading into. I just put the ipod in the center console thing, and tuck the RDD under the seat, and roll the windows up.... and lock the doors via the key fob.

Too bad the infrared detection doesn't work with the top down......

The infrared detection does work if you have the 'famous red clip' for the windshield. I leave my top down all the time and just lock the valuables away. Never a problem in Edmoton, Canada

:)

[pk2]

Seldom, sometimes in Nov-April. Top up most nights out-side in my driveway. Only reason I can see for top is UV protection for interior. Ya' can't steel the thing unless you ra Porsche-phile with sttrong hacker creds.& an innovative mechanics mind who happens to reside in your neighbor hood and prefer Boxsters over GT's

Regards, PK

[petee c]

The infrared detection does work if you have the 'famous red clip' for the windshield. I leave my top down all the time and just lock the valuables away. Never a problem in Edmoton, Canada

:)

searching now for red clip

thanks.

P

[demick]

I leave the top down if I'm just running into the store for 15 or 20 minutes. If I'll be gone for an hour or more, I would probably put it up. My biggest concern with leaving the top down is not theft, but vandalism. It's just too easy for some kids to release the parking brake and give the car a little push.....

[70Sixter]

I got my red clip at Suncoast for about $4-5.

I leave my top down for short stops, but never for even a trip to Lowe's. Sun damage to interior is one reason so I also use an interior windshield reflector. Some idiot tossing a milkshake in is another.

I do not like to have to lock away the windscreen parts, and they are a temptation for e-Bay sales.

Top is always up in the garage to prevent permanent wrinkles in the cloth. Even more serious if you have a plastic rear window.

[petee c]

Top is always up in the garage to prevent permanent wrinkles in the cloth. Even more serious if you have a plastic rear window.

I have the plastic window.

I'm new to the boxster world. I had assumed that just leaving it down in the garage would be better, rather than adding a close-then-open cycle with respect to wear 'n tear on the roof.....

P

[soopster]

I am more worried about rain than theft with the top down. I leave it it top down at work and if it feels like a safe area. I have the red clip, bought a few at the Porsche dealer. Can't remember exactly but under $10 each I think.

There is a controller under the driver's seat that if it gets soaked can be costly to fix.

[secretagent214]

There is a controller under the driver's seat that if it gets soaked can be costly to fix.

Not to mention rain's effect on leather seats... Watch out for that one-two punch of a quick rain followed by intense summer sun. It can turn leather into cuir bouilli.

I often leave my top down in good weather, but I live in Charlottesville, VA. I've never had any theft or vandalism. If I lived in a bigger, more dangerous city, I'd probably put it up when I'm not in it.

I guess ultimately it boils down to what sort of person you are. Keeping the top down is a tiny bit risky for all the reasons mentioned in this thread, but it's also just a lot more fun and convenient. Are you the kind of person who worries about leaving the coffee pot on? http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/060809/...ot-vacation.gif

Edited June 22, 2009 by secretagent214

[haggis]

Was leaving my top down quite frequently in and around Edmonton, but just hate the dust that can settle in the interior. I was not too concerned with theft from the open top.

I now always put the top up when in the garage also for that reason. I have noticed the crinkle appear in my rear window 02 Boxster. I have found by pausing half way down and then exiting the vehicle to fold in the crease that appears in the middle of the window, then jumping back in the car and continuing to put the top down - has really helped.

[CarreraLicious]

Actually, you don't even technically need the red clip to turn on the inside sensors when your top is down. All you have to do is lean over when you're outside the car, and use your finger to press the button in the area where the top latch usually goes into (or where the red clip would go into) for a second while you lock the car, and the inside sensors will be on.

I drive my car to the office everyday, and in my parking garage there, I put the top up because there are birds that fly around in that garage and sometimes poop on my roof. :( Better on my roof than inside my car. LOL

At home in my garage, the roof stays on too, because I don't want mice or spiders crawling into my car. When I'm out, if it's only for a few minutes when I'm running into a store, I'll keep my top down. Otherwise, the top goes up. I've seen peoples' windscreens stolen both when their top was up (cutting thru the soft top) or down, so I don't even bother to use the mesh inserts in my rollbars, but still keep the center windstop in place.

[mikefocke]

Leave my top down 90% of the time in the garage, unless I came back in the rain. 9 years old, rear window still looks good as new. I do keep the top clean and treat the rear plastic window with Novus #1 and 2 every 6 months. Top is Raggtopped and no wear at all that I can see. I park about 50% open, 50% closed depending on the look of the sky and where in town I park. I'm worried about rain, vandals, tree sap and bird doo. So I weight the probability against the hassle of closing the top and getting out to chop on all but the hottest days. Never had a problem with people.

[juniinc]

my top stays down in the garage

[ssflai]

Never know that a Red Clip is available for that purpose. Just ordered 2 of them from Pfaff Porsche in Toronto an it is like $3 each. :renntech:

[White987S]

If I am in line-of-sight to the car, I may leave the top down and locked. Like at a coffee shop.

[usaf-lt-g]

Where I work we have an enclosed garage. And my car is parked in my home garage at night. If I go to work on a sunny day, I put my "red-clip-in" and lock up anything valuable, and leave the top down.

That being said, I'm also conscience of the area i'm driving in as well. For example, my parents live in a really nice town with no worries, but it neighbors a "not-so-nice" town. When I first got my P, I made the mistake of driving into the "not-so-nice" town to meet a friend for lunch with the top-down. Came outside, and some "not-so-nice" people decided to spit all over the inside and outside of my car. They also took a bat to the front-end bumper of my car. So yea... good times with all of that.

[Beelzy]

I leave the top down whenever possible. To heck with the dust, its Top Down or Bust for me.

I even left the top down when I went downtown at night with the County Jail nearby. (I was a tad nervous though).

As for pushing the button while activating the alarm to arm the interior sensors, what a PITA. I can hardly get that

way to work, its either I push the button too long or not long enough.

[Pumas]

I leave my top down almost all of the time and my only concern is rain. in sketchy situations I roll up the windows. The night before last I did experience my first bout of vandalism. Someone egged the drivers door of my car and I washed it off about fifteen minutes after it happened. Amazingly no egg made it into the car. Makes me sad that someone would do this to my car. I need to do some research on how to effectively get rid of the faint egg stain above the drivers door handle. I still plan to leave the top down. It happened outside of a bar and the irony is that I don't usually go to bars. I went to pickup a friend and was there for only five minutes. I do live in a small town and the odds of finding out who did this are great. God help him.

Justin

[phillipj]

Scary that the idiot would happen to have an egg with him.. I hope you find him and water board him B)

[Halo]

I leave my top down almost all of the time and my only concern is rain. in sketchy situations I roll up the windows. The night before last I did experience my first bout of vandalism. Someone egged the drivers door of my car and I washed it off about fifteen minutes after it happened. Amazingly no egg made it into the car. Makes me sad that someone would do this to my car. I need to do some research on how to effectively get rid of the faint egg stain above the drivers door handle. I still plan to leave the top down. It happened outside of a bar and the irony is that I don't usually go to bars. I went to pickup a friend and was there for only five minutes. I do live in a small town and the odds of finding out who did this are great. God help him.

Justin

here is what I found on the web.

good luck.

Halo

Strange as it may seem, this will work. Last year, on Halloween, my car was egged. The next morning, I THOUGHT I washed it all off, but the next time I washed the car, I realized there were still specks of egg yoke on the car -- from the size of a pinhead up to the size of a pea. Since then (about a year) I have tried everything I could think of to remove the spots -- waxes, polishes, bug removers, etc. Nothing worked. I did a Google search and found this question on several sites, but no answers. So...I decided to try to find a real solution.

HERE IT IS:

MATERIALS:

1. a package of enzymatic cleaner for contact lenses

2. distilled water

3. cotton balls

4. paper towels

5. a syringe (about 3 cc) or an eye dropper

PROCEDURE:

1. park the car in a shady spot and let the surface cool off.

2. prepare the enzymatic cleaner (using distilled water) at TWICE the strength recommended. (In other words, 2 tables per vial instead of one.)

3. as soon as the enzymatic cleaner is dissolved, fill the syringe/eye dropper with the solution

4. for small spots, just place a drop of the solution on the spot, For larger spots, saturate a cotton ball with the solution and place it on the spot.

5. Let the solution remain on the spot for up to 10 minutes, but before the solution dries, wipe it away with paper towel. You will notice that some or all of the egg will come off with the solution

6. it may take several "cycles" to remove all of the egg, but the enzymatic cleaner will eventually break down the protien in the egg allowing you to wipe it off.

[Pumas]

I like this!

I got all the egg off except where the point of contact was first made. I can literally see how the egg hit the car just above the drivers door handle. I know just where I can get some of this enzymatic cleaner too. Thank you! I'll keep you updated on the results. And yes I keep my top down all the time still. Now if I could only figure out how to avoid the careless driver who is texting while driving.

Thanks,

Justin