2003-2005 Is a hardtop necessary?

[tommyc]

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

View attachment 26977View attachment 26978

That color combo is stunning! Great choice!

What did it set you back to have it painted?

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[PPA]

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 do not have a hard top.. Had 02 ten years. Not on my list. I have had a bunch of convertibles and do not see need for it. Just my opinion.

 

[Bobwheeler]

The hard top is an icon of this car and is considered part of the whole package and expensive to get larer. So the real question is, how important is it to you? Collector value? Optional winter cover? Optional appearance cover? Feel good 'cause I have one? It stores easily on it's caddie and stays clean with the dust cover. So unless you have some compelling reason to NOT have one, include it in your search.

 

[bobk250]

The hard top is an icon of this car and is considered part of the whole package and expensive to get larer. So the real question is, how important is it to you? Collector value? Optional winter cover? Optional appearance cover? Feel good 'cause I have one? It stores easily on it's caddie and stays clean with the dust cover. So unless you have some compelling reason to NOT have one, include it in your search.

The hard top is an icon of this car and is considered part of the whole package and expensive to get larer. So the real question is, how important is it to you? Collector value? Optional winter cover? Optional appearance cover? Feel good 'cause I have one? It stores easily on it's caddie and stays clean with the dust cover. So unless you have some compelling reason to NOT have one, include it in your search.

When I suggested to my wife (now deceased) that she might like a car like the 2005 Anniversary version she insisted it had to have the hardtop with the porthole. When I found a silver one used in PA she loved it.

 

[Pcrpete]

I have one for my PCR, which for that model, is very much part of the design (<- see photo on right)
I always use it on long road trips, much quieter, and I put it on in the winter
Also, love the look
There is nothing wrong with the rag top, it fits well, is waterproof and looks fine, but part of this car is that hard top, at least for me

 

[hotrodbuilder]

years
We have the hardtop on our 50th Anniversary bird. It has only been off twice in 11 years. We also have the manuals, original boot and hardtop caddy with cover. The car is kept indoors under a cover. We enjoy the quiet of the hardtop at freeway speeds. We also installed the cockpit stainless trim package which eliminates the squeak sounds sometimes made by the hardtop mounting surfaces. All in all the complete package works for us.

 

[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

This time of year, on the central Atlantic coast of Florida, it is usually too hot or too rainy to have the top down. But she still drives with the top down whenever she can. Certainly, it is down from October to May. We usually put the top up when in the garage, just to keep the interior from getting dusty. We also put it up when parked somewhere, in order to shade the interior. We don't have a hard top and don't miss it. When we bought the car 2 years ago, the boot was in the trunk, still sealed up in the factory bag.

 

[purplewg]

I will throw a wrench in this discussion. I have an 03 that the top has never been off of. lololol

 

[doug7740]

I wonder what affect that has on the condition of the soft top being folded for 20 years.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Uncle_Nick]

My 05 did not have the hard top when I got it. My son found one for sale near me for a really good price. It had the hardtop caddy and a shelf that I appears to go under the rear window. Remarkably it was the same color as my T-Bird. When the previous owner died, the car it belonged to was sold without the top. (I like to think they found each other again.) The thing is, I have never installed it, it just sits on the caddy in the garage. I do not have a helper person handy to help me wrangle it. I live near Houston, Texas and mostly drive it with the top down. In my opinion it is already quiet with the top up. In fact it is quiet enough with the top down that conversation is usually still comfortable at highway speed. I did see someone's post about making a sling and winch to store it in the garage above the car and lower it with one person. I scouted for the parts. I just have higher priority things to do. So, yes I am happy to have it. Maybe it will make a difference to the next (potential) owner, after I die.

 

[Ken B]

I have an 04’ Tbird merlot w/light sand interior & soft-top in the St Louis ,Mo area. The 1st 2 years I owned the car my neighbor helped me position/install the hardtop-took about 15-20 min. But the last 2 winters in St Louis have been relatively mild & so never even installed the hardtop at all which I prefer. The Tbird looks awesome with or w/o the top. Only downside is the soft/top has more opportunity to accumulate dust, etc but I like the trade-0ff! PS-Meguiars or 303 convertible top products do a great job keeping top clean &/or repelling water/stains! Ken B
Dardenne Prairie, Mo

 

[PPA]

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

Bob. i do not have/want one for mu 02. Garage kept. Seems a pain to put on/remove/store. Do not drive it in Illinois winter.
Have owned other type convt. NEVER would have wanted hard top. Your call, but, who wants more STUFF TO STORE?

 

[Dmitry]

I am a brand new owner of a 2003, and we just drove it without the hard top yesterday. I don't see myself putting it back on. This will be a summer/sunny weather car for us. I am now looking for a hard top stand and a bag to store it. The car does look cool with the hard top on, but I doubt we'll be driving it like that, unless there's a need. I can se how having the hard top on may elicit a sense of security, but the Owner's Manual clearly states that it provides little to no protection in case of collision. As mentioned above, it'll probably fly off the car, if it's hit hard enough. I'm hoping it won't take passenger's and driver's heads off with it, if that happens.

 

[lizstafford]

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,,,,

i also have the hardtop but never have put it on. I have ugly clear tape around the edge of the soft top and wonder do I need it at all. Can I just remove it?

 

[Uccello Tuono]

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

It's a good question, and I was interested reading the several replies. I have a 2004 bought in 2016 with 18K, currently has 44K miles. I'm in North Texas with (usually) mild winners but brutal summers, so actually don't drive very frequently in convertible mode. Sometimes at night, or around town, but mostly drive with the ragtop up. When I first bought the car, I also bought a winch system which is supposed to make removal easier, but it's really too difficult to use. I have a large double-door closet in the garage and probably three years ago put the hard top in there and it hasn't been out since. I actually think the car looks better with the hardtop, but every time I think about installing it I decide not to as it's such a hassle. I'm sure I'll put it back on someday. To your point, certainly don't need a hard top depending upon what part of the country you're in. However, even though I rarely have used it still very glad to have it. The porthole windows are so distinctive that I just think the car looks more Thunderbird with the hardtop.

 

[DADDYBOATS]

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 had squeaks also, but found that one of the front torx bolts was not tightened enough. Been fine since that

 

[nicholas]

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...

Hi James, I also recently bought a 2004, with the hardtop. After some creative use of angle iron, some carabiners , and a custom winch arrangement, the top now sits above the car in the garage, out of the way, ready to put back on again. Haven’t done this yet so can’t comment on what’s going to happen after getting help from my wife?. I suspect that it will stay up there, as, living in Canada I don’t plan to use it in the snow months, and leave the top down most of the time for the rest of the year. It’s good to have though, and may come in handy for the in between seasons when the salt has washed off the roads. Also use a custom boot, which looks great, and keep’s leaves and other debris from getting in.
Nick.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

I like the hardtop option because it give you 3 cars basically, a top down convertible, a rag top car when the top is up and sedan like comfort with the hardtop on