Cockpit heat - while parked?

[LittleFish]

How is everyone keeping their cockpit cool while the car is parked in the sun? Do you put up a sun shade in the window? The covertible top (inside) is hot, seats are smoking and I have a permanent burn on my right hand from my MGW shifter! What are the tricks? My car only gets parked in the sun a few days per week at the office and at lunch, otherwise I am driving and heat is not too much of an issue. Thanks for any help. Dave

 

[Toddh]

A window shade is required equipment in Dallas, TX., but it only helps so much. The black top really soaks up the sun, and I don't think there's much you can do about it other than park it under a carport or inside a garage. My car will stay cooler with the top up, window shade in, and windows cracked, but I'm sure it still hits 140F inside the car this time of year if it's in the sun long enough. So I don't drive it if I know that I'm going to be doing something where it's just going to sit and bake for a while.

I think there's some kind of thing that you can buy that will circulate the heat out of the car. Can't remember where I saw that, but it's some kind of device that blows the heat out of a cracked window when the temperature inside the car hits a certain level. Don't know if those things work or not. I haven't seen any of them in Texas that I can recall and one would think that if they worked people would use them.

 

[Viperfreak2]

A light colored car cover and cracking the windows is the only way to keep the heat to a minimum. Still, the SRT's side pipes will radiate the heat inside the car when parked. I've noticed this on cool nights. It's really bad. Some cars have a way to power down the top with the key fob, it makes a huge difference to let the heat out before sitting down!

 

[Skip White]

These Cars do radiate enormous amounts of heat from the exhaust, and the whole power train, into the car. Its terrible. I think a window shade is a must, as the damage the sun will do to this car is terrible. I'ts bad enough that the paint and top are being ruined by the sun, but the inside also, now thats bad. I get caught a little in the sun now and then, but if anyone parks on of these cars in the direct sun, all day long, most every day, then I would say you would have a very used looking car in about a year or so. Yes do keep the windows cracked, that helps, tint the windows, that will help very much so.

Skip White

 

[MikeV]

Although not a viper, my 95 M3 has the same problem when sitting in the sun for too long. The black leather soaks up the sun QUICKLY. What I usually do before I head into work for the day is throw a t-shirt over my seat. I also crack the windows about 1" and vent the sunroof. I find this helps, although its still pretty hot on sunny days.

 

[LittleFish]

Thanks for the info, I was thinking about putting a golf club head cover over my shifter!! I think I'll go for some heavy tint and a window shade. Are there any window shades that are better than others or custom to the viper?