2003-2005 Is a hardtop necessary?

[Carjones]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

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[James Shoaf]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

I have a 2004 that I refer to as "Garage Art" so I may not be the best person to give an opinion; BUT: I would suggest you base you buy decision based on cost and condition ... and last but not least your choice of colors...

 

[j&d]

Our top has only been removed a few times since new. My wife doesn't like the wind-blown hair and the noise especially at expressway speeds. The car is very quiet and feels safer with the roof on. If we drove it around a small town or a park constantly it might be a different story. It is nice to know we have the option though. The car is a thrill to drive with the top installed.

 

[Rust]

My hardtop is on a shelf. It would take an hour to get it off the shelf & on the car. I have had the top on the shelf since I first brought it home. If is is not top down weather, I leave the convertible top up. no need to get the hard top down. But,,, it is there,,,,

 

[Aben2002]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob, I bought my wife a White 2002 Tbird about 2 years ago. It came with a matching hard top. We live in North Florida and I put the hard top on in mid November and remove it around April. The car had 23,000 miles on it when we bought it. We paid $20,000.00 dollars for it. I also purchased a factory soft boot for the car It was like new I found it on ebay for $775.00 plus $75.00 shipping and tax. We love the car. As time passes and there are fewer of these cars available the prices will go up. So find what you like and get it. I do recommend you find one with the hard top. It's worth it.

 

[tommyc]

I sometimes scratch my head when I think about the hardtop. I bought the car in January of 2018, and removed the hardtop about a month later. After that it sat on the rack (wrapped in a queen-sized vinyl mattress bag) for the next 4 1/2 years. I live in Florida so driving as ragtop is pretty much an option year-round.

The top sitting on the rack takes up a fair amount of space, which is something I didn't give a lot of thought to before buying the car. But space may not be constraint for you. And if you happen to live in a colder climate, I could see the top coming on and off seasonally.

Some people invest in elaborate winch systems to hoist the hardtop into the air in their spacious garages. That's an option I've never really considered. One option you DON'T want to try (so I've heard) is asking your wife to help remove or install it. Supposedly bad feelings have happened as a result. Again . . . hearsay.

There is a mating part that is known to break off and needs to be replaced if you want to use the hardtop. Here's a link to a thread with more information:

2002-05 Frustrations of the "hardtop link- 1W6Z7650611AA

No doubt this has been covered before, and as almost all of you already know, this is a discontinued part. I tried my luck and rolled the dice with Royal Oak Ford up in Michigan because they still had a "cartable" listing last night which was declined this morning - discontinued - shocker. So...

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

There are also some vinyl strips that owners are advised to apply to the body areas where the hardtop comes in contact. Here's a thread that gives some details:

Rear deck protective tape 2002-2005

I found rear deck protective tape for my 2003 Tbird. It is InvisiGARD #IPP-FRD-1004g from autotrimdesign.net for $59.99. Has anyone found something better or abandoned the strips altogether? Thanks Tim

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

But if you buy a car without the hardtop you can skip all this extra work.

The hardtop squeaks a bit while driving. Not terribly, but I've heard other owners log this as a complaint also. Having said all that . . . I like having it. It's on now and looks really nice. I'm contemplating having it painted midnight black because I think it would look even more stunning on my silver bird. Like this one:



Bottom line (IMHO), you will probably be happy without the top since you may use it as a convertible all the time. But if you find a good one that comes with a top it can be nice also. It just comes with some extra work and considerations. And those may not make it worthwhile to have the hardtop.

One other comment about the boot . . . mine came without it so I purchased an aftermarket one. I've only used it a few times, but I'm okay with the way it looks. It uses the factory snaps, and the back part tucks into the trunk. Some people don't like that but I don't mind the look. It's not on that much anyway. Here's the link:

http://www.roadstersolutions.com/product147.html

Good luck with your decision. These cars are needy but fun to have.

 

[CBBIRD]

My best days are always in driving my thunderbird since 2005 with the top down. During ohio winters I find it is more comfortable to have the hard top on my steel blue thunderbird. It also tightens up the frame and the car drives like a different car. An experience I enjoy during the winter, But the top is already off and I am now ready for summer. It takes less than an hour solo with the winch or 10 minutes with two people. Not a big deal. I have the soft top but only used it for a couple of years. I switched to the hard cover painted to match the car and I love the look. (See my profile pict) If you want to recieve a compliment every time you drive the car. BUY your Thunderbird.

 

[biddle]

The car is very quiet and feels safer with the roof on.

Feelings lie. No roll bar on a car and that top will crush Iike an aluminum can or tear right off in a major accident.

 

[Swampy Meadows]

I live in Michigan, so the hardtop comes off the hardtop stand and onto the car in November. Come April it goes back on the hardtop stand. It's the best of both worlds--a two door coupe in winter and a ragtop in the summer. My convertible boot remains in the trunk unused. You can definitely live without the boot.

 

[Issyro]

Portholes! That's all I would have to say, it is the look to go with in winter months

 

[rjdimonda]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

Really good question. I think it somewhat depends where you live. I am in the Atlanta Area and our weather is pretty mild and I have my car always garaged. Taking the hardtop off and on is not exactly easy. The sucker is heavy and I think you need three people so as to not make a mess of things. Taking it off is easy but getting it on and getting all of the holes lines up without making a mess of things is very stressful. When I take it off this year, I probably will just leave it in storage, this way on mild days in winter I can put the top down. Also, if you are going to garage the car, leaving the soft top up keeps it in better shape than all folded. The person I bought my car from only drove it in the summer, took it off the day they bought it, and never had the hardtop on it till I bought it.

The benefit of having one is looks, the portholes are a real classic add-on, and the car is a little quieter on the highway cause the soft top fills up a space behind the seats and trunk, and the hardtop has more insulation, so a quieter ride, slightly, on highway. And I think many people think that the hardtop helps with resale and adds some value to the car. One wake up call for me regarding owning a convertible has been, don't drive with the top down on the high speed highway. You'll go deaf. So many people own trucks or SUV's or Jeeps with knobby tires that the noise is a killer. So if you were going to take a longer trip on the highway in the winter, I would prefer to drive with the hardtop on.

Now some folks have invested in lifts to get the roof on and off. Nice to have and this really would eliminate my major criticism.

Despite my misgivings concerning the efforts to own the roof, if I were to buy another car, I probably would get one with roof. It's about the classic look. But if you live in a warmer climate and want to avoid the stress of putting it on and off, as well as where to store the beast, go without it and don't look back. In the end it's probably more important to get the best cared for car.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

 

[M. House]

I have a 2004 that I refer to as "Garage Art" so I may not be the best person to give an opinion; BUT: I would suggest you base you buy decision based on cost and condition ... and last but not least your choice of colors...

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

I downloaded the owner's manual and then printed it on nice paper and had it bound at Alpha Graphics. Whole thing was under $5

 

[hotrodbuilder]

I sometimes scratch my head when I think about the hardtop. I bought the car in January of 2018, and removed the hardtop about a month later. After that it sat on the rack (wrapped in a queen-sized vinyl mattress bag) for the next 4 1/2 years. I live in Florida so driving as ragtop is pretty much an option year-round.

The top sitting on the rack takes up a fair amount of space, which is something I didn't give a lot of thought to before buying the car. But space may not be constraint for you. And if you happen to live in a colder climate, I could see the top coming on and off seasonally.

Some people invest in elaborate winch systems to hoist the hardtop into the air in their spacious garages. That's an option I've never really considered. One option you DON'T want to try (so I've heard) is asking your wife to help remove or install it. Supposedly bad feelings have happened as a result. Again . . . hearsay.

There is a mating part that is known to break off and needs to be replaced if you want to use the hardtop. Here's a link to a thread with more information:

2002-05 Frustrations of the "hardtop link- 1W6Z7650611AA

No doubt this has been covered before, and as almost all of you already know, this is a discontinued part. I tried my luck and rolled the dice with Royal Oak Ford up in Michigan because they still had a "cartable" listing last night which was declined this morning - discontinued - shocker. So...

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

There are also some vinyl strips that owners are advised to apply to the body areas where the hardtop comes in contact. Here's a thread that gives some details:

Rear deck protective tape 2002-2005

I found rear deck protective tape for my 2003 Tbird. It is InvisiGARD #IPP-FRD-1004g from autotrimdesign.net for $59.99. Has anyone found something better or abandoned the strips altogether? Thanks Tim

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

But if you buy a car without the hardtop you can skip all this extra work.

The hardtop squeaks a bit while driving. Not terribly, but I've heard other owners log this as a complaint also. Having said all that . . . I like having it. It's on now and looks really nice. I'm contemplating having it painted midnight black because I think it would look even more stunning on my silver bird. Like this one:

View attachment 26946

Bottom line (IMHO), you will probably be happy without the top since you may use it as a convertible all the time. But if you find a good one that comes with a top it can be nice also. It just comes with some extra work and considerations. And those may not make it worthwhile to have the hardtop.

One other comment about the boot . . . mine came without it so I purchased an aftermarket one. I've only used it a few times, but I'm okay with the way it looks. It uses the factory snaps, and the back part tucks into the trunk. Some people don't like that but I don't mind the look. It's not on that much anyway. Here's the link:

http://www.roadstersolutions.com/product147.html

Good luck with your decision. These cars are needy but fun to have.

I noticed the squeak too. I purchased the aftermarket stainless chrome trim kit and the squeak disappeared. I like the look of the stainless trim and the absence of squeaking is a bonus.

 

[Redbird 02]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

A car selling with a hardtop should command a $1,000 +/- higher price, all other things being equal. I bought my 2002 without the top, but bought a red one and a white one, which I use interchangeably in the summer when it is just too hot in Florida to go topless.

 

[PLE999]

As I am narrowing my search, I keep asking anyone I'd buy from if they have the Boot-cause they're super expensive, owner's manual-cause they harder to get and expensive, anything I'd normally ask about with regard to buying a used vehicle, and do they have the hardtop.

My question is this-how many of you out there actually ever use the top and should I let that enter into my decision (if they don't have it) if everything else seems good?

Thanks,
Bob

We bought our 2005 in 2021. It came from the factory without a top, but we don't miss it. Here in Vero Beach, we mainly leave the soft top down during the dry period, October to May. Winter is convertible season for us. It did come with a boot (Parade Cover) that was still sealed in the original factory bag. I opened it and installed it once, then put back in the bag. Now, it is on a shelf in the garage: When there is a sudden shower, and we must quickly raise the top, the Parade Cover is in the way. In the Summer, the A/C works quite impressively.

 

[Gforni]

We have the hardtop, but the paint went bad (previous owners left it outside for long periods/bad weather); had it repainted (white) and it looks great on. Recommend that you purchase your car with a hard top, as it will most likely add to the value at resale, AND, we leave ours on during the winter, off in the summer (soft top up or down, if driving), and it sits on a roll around hardtop stand. We have a big garage, so not a space issue, and it takes two people to install or remove (not difficult IMO). I would not leave my '02 out in the weather for extended periods of time with the soft top; they will not handle weather (sun/rain) for long. They will fade, and there is always a drip or leak somewhere...

Before and after photos

 

[silverhawk777]

I got the hard top for the retro look..it gets more looks and comments with the port holes. The hardtop will be harder to get as time goes by..for that reason I would buy one now

 

[vicsrc]

I live in Arizona and the hardtop goes on every summer and off every winter

 

[marvinlee]

Our top has only been removed a few times since new. My wife doesn't like the wind-blown hair and the noise especially at expressway speeds. The car is very quiet and feels safer with the roof on. If we drove it around a small town or a park constantly it might be a different story. It is nice to know we have the option though. The car is a thrill to drive with the top installed.

Also, the car feels, and probably is, more rigid with the hardtop on.

 

[bobk250]

Having the hardtop was manditory when I went looking for my wife's 2005 back in 2008, for the same reasons J&D said. However she really loved the porthole window which of course did not exist until the 1956 TBird. If you get the hardtop get a lift to make it much easier to remove and put back on.