Why Mr. Solara? Why?

 

On the way to work this morning, I saw a Toyota Solara with a vinyl top. I just stared and said, "Why?"

You might be thinking, "So what, Jay?"

First of all, I think you would have to go back to the late 70s or maybe early 80s to find a Toyota that left the factory with a vinyl top. Toyota never, ever put a vinyl top on a Solara. That means somebody went to an automotive upholstery shop and paid good American dollars to have that done. 

Again you might be thinking, "So what, Jay?"

Here's the thing. A vinyl top is the worst of all worlds. It's all the maintenance issues of a convertible with none of the benefits. 

Then one might say, "Jay, a convertible top doesn't require maintenance. You just wash it with the rest of the car."

Vinyl tops and convertibles need cleaning, conditioning and protection. It's important to wash with a soft bristle brush - nothing too abrasive. Your local auto parts store likely carries a soap intended for convertible tops. Then apply a specialized UV-blocking protectant or repellent. If the material isn't clean and protected, it will dry out and crack. With a vinyl top, that means you go from bad to worse. With a convertible, that means your top is no longer keeping out water.

In addition to all that, it's a very dated look. Vinyl tops were allegedly popular because they gave a car a more high-end look at lower cost. Personally, I've always thought they looked stupid and did nothing but provide rust a place to form.

I realize this is an awful lot of thought to devote to the roof of a Toyota Solara. But that's how my brain works. I see a vinyl roof on a Toyota on the way to work, ask myself, “Why would anyone do that?” and two hours later I'm reading about convertible-top care and the history of vinyl roofs.

So, I still don't know what possessed Solara guy to put a vinyl top on a perfectly good coupe. Whatever the reason, I'm sure Solara guy and I are never going to agree.