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TR4/4A Too hot to drive a convertible

jimstr4

Senior Member
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So here's the question, I live in Wellington New Zealand which lies nearer to the South Pole than the equator.
We have temperate weather here, with no snow in winter just lots of wind.
Actually not as much wind anymore.
This years summers has been very hot, much hotter than previous years.
Hardly any homes have air conditioning.
We have very high levels of UV hence you get burned quickly, especially this year.
The sunburn is the biggest problem when driving a convertible.
How much of the year can you drive your cars in the northern Hemisphere.
Is it practical to own a TR4 in very hot climates?
I might have to go for midnight runs, LOL.
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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I'm somewhat closer to the equator than you are (33N vs 41S), and I drive my TR3 year-round (when it runs). I wear a leather cap to protect my head and, if the sun is really bad, install a "bikini" top with the windows cut out of it.

For winter, it's a heavy leather coat & leather driving gloves.
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
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So here's the question, I live in Wellington New Zealand which lies nearer to the South Pole than the equator.
We have temperate weather here, with no snow in winter just lots of wind.
Actually not as much wind anymore.
This years summers has been very hot, much hotter than previous years.
Hardly any homes have air conditioning.
We have very high levels of UV hence you get burned quickly, especially this year.
The sunburn is the biggest problem when driving a convertible.
How much of the year can you drive your cars in the northern Hemisphere.
Is it practical to own a TR4 in very hot climates?
I might have to go for midnight runs, LOL.

What about the South Island.... is the climate pretty much the same?
Specifically Queenstown and Christchurch.
 

CJD

Yoda
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Sorry to hear about the wind being "not as much" anymore. We're gonna need lots of wind when we come down to get our Cup back in a couple years!
 

poolboy

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I'm from South Louisiana but now I live in rural Southwest Mississippi. It gets hot and humid. I suspect driving a TR4 wouldn't be much different than driving a TR6 year round...surrey soft top removed except for a few of the cold months...like now.
It doesn't matter to me how hot it gets as long as I don't have town traffic to deal with.
 
Last edited:

Geo Hahn

Yoda
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I live & drive in the Sonoran Desert (southwest U.S.) enjoying all temperatures but especially sunny & hot.

The best thing I have found for summer conditions is a top with a zip-out rear window. I first experimented by cutting the rear window out of my old TR4 top with an Xacto - liked that so much I went with zip-out versions for both the TR4 and Jaguar.

Lots of air flow + shade for those hot sunny cruises.

The other relief I carry is a spray bottle of water. If humidity is low a spritz of H2O mist is quite cooling. Don't forget to put sunblock on your knees.
 

M_Pied_Lourd

Darth Vader
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Yes, often it is very hot/humid up here in the summer (+35 C ) and I agree, they way to deal with it is to zip the rear window out (on my TR6). It is quite comfortable cruising with the top up and the rear window zipped down. I am thinking of investing in a bimini style top for my TR3A as well.

Cheers
Tush
 

charleyf

Luke Skywalker
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I live in Northern California that would be about 400 miles north of where Randall lives. I am guessing that our temperatures are more comparable to yours . But it does get very hot here in the summers with the temperatures between 100 and 117 degrees. We occasionally have cancelled rides scheduled in the summer months due to the heat. Our saving is that we are surrounded on three sides by mountains and can get out mid morning and head for the mountains where it is much cooler. Then the problem is returning to the heat in the valley. A few times we have had an early supper before returning to the valley. We are looking at early morning rides that end at a favorite lunch spot to try to beat the heat.
We can pretty much drive top down all year --when it isn't raining - like today. Actually I have two TR4's both with the surrey top option. One has the hard top affixed and the other is open. My wife does not like the cooler rides so we then use the hard top on those days when she goes. That keeps me in the driver's seat year around.

 

BillyB62

Jedi Trainee
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I second Randall's suggestion of installing a "bikini" top, although the manufacturer I got mine from calls it a "Bimini" top. I affords all the benefits of driving in the open air (roof is mesh), yet blocks out 90% of the sun so its not constantly beating down on your head. It truly has changed my summer driving experience for the better. The Bimini top is made for both the TR3 and TR4. I have no financial interest in the product but have worked with Jay at LBC products to get the word out at a couple of car shows in the Northeast U.S. - where he has made a few sales. After the disastrous floods in Houston last year, Jay went dark on me and no longer answered my text messages. I see now his website (lbcproducts.com) seems to have shuttered at well so I'm unsure of his company's status....too bad, wonderful product!

Bill
TS63273L
 
OP
J

jimstr4

Senior Member
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Queenstown and Christchurch can be hotter than Wellington. It the ferocity of the sun that's a problem rather than the temp.
We have a hole in the ozone layer above New Zealand so more UV therefore more sunburn.
I googled Triumph Bikini top and got a whole lot of young women in bikinis.
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
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Jim- Thanks for the info on Q'Town and Christchurch. I'll be there at the end of the month.
By the way, Wellington is a fantastic city, wish I had time to get back.
 

Got_All_4

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Ya I'm watching this post. We're having a heat wave here next week. Suppose to be -20 Saturday and go up to 35 on Monday. Makes me to start thinking about taking the cover off the pool and drop the hood on the TR3.
 

M_Pied_Lourd

Darth Vader
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-35 C here tonight....

Cheers
Tush
 
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