[Hal Copple]

Here in Upstate SC, i drive my SPF pretty much every day, i don't hesitate to go out under dark clouds, or a thunderhead. We have had over 8 FEET of rain since this time last fall.

I have a three year old SPF, and two of the older style "Munster" top, so called because its height. Now, since spring, i have one of the new fabric SPF tops, much lower, much more sleek looking, three bar, with Velcro wraps on the bars, it has a rear bar thing that allows the top to be loose for the installation, then you flip up the little bar, and it raises the rear bar, tightening it all up. Wide three-piece window, the center zips.

I now can run with the rear window zipped out, sidecurtains out, even over a hundred, and very little buffeting, whereas with the old top, with the fixed rear window, you couldn't drive very fast without the sidecurtains, due to buffetting. My top is a slight custom modification of the new SPF one, to clear my new higher full width rollbar.

My sidecurtains fit pefectly under the top's side flaps, and themselves keep out almost all the rain. My leg gets wet from water coming along the top of the door, and dribbling down on my leg, newer SPF's continue the weatherstripping further up the door than my older car. So i put my top up all the time.

I do store the top and sidecurtains carefully in their cases, with some towels to reduce scratching, though.

So i couldn't imagine not having a top, it lets me go on nightime trips regardless of the weather. By the way, i can comfortabley drive at temps down to about 28 degrees, (SPF's have heaters standard), with gloves and hat and such, but for long cold trips, it is so much toasty warmer with the top up.

The older "Munster" style top was easy to toss on, the newer much nicer fabric one, certainly takes some more minutes to do it right. But worth it, when it is pouring rain, or cold.

My car is much louder inside with the top on, i will often use earplugs with the top up, rarely with the top off.