[nojelly]

I am currently temporarily without a garage, and the best parking spot in my neighborhood just happens to be under a tree.

Seriously honestly, at this time of year in San Francisco, am I going to ruin the soft top if I regularly park it under that tree, or is it going to be juuuust fine, maybe as long as I clean it up a little bit?

 

[subshooter]

I am currently temporarily without a garage, and the best parking spot in my neighborhood just happens to be under a tree.

Seriously honestly, at this time of year in San Francisco, am I going to ruin the soft top if I regularly park it under that tree, or is it going to be juuuust fine, maybe as long as I clean it up a little bit?

I've had bad luck parking under trees. Sap drips on the car and birds like to crap on Porsches for some reason. And of course there is always the opportunity for a branch to break off and fall on your car.

Maybe get an outdoor car cover?

https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKU981EOC.html

 

[iiagdtr]

I am currently temporarily without a garage, and the best parking spot in my neighborhood just happens to be under a tree.

Seriously honestly, at this time of year in San Francisco, am I going to ruin the soft top if I regularly park it under that tree, or is it going to be juuuust fine, maybe as long as I clean it up a little bit?

Funny how our views change with our 4-wheel babies. Here in the south we always seek a shady parking spot except now I think twice. I've never had a branch fall on my vehicle but birds will be birds and sap may be the worst (there is a drop on my SUV that has ruined the paint there).

Anyhow before you depart your car honk the horn several times or raise a fist and yell at the birds before departing the parking danger zone. Also place those "Careful: Kids at Play" signs in the spots next to you help with the door dings.

 

[fast1]

I've had bad luck parking under trees. Sap drips on the car and birds like to crap on Porsches for some reason. And of course there is always the opportunity for a branch to break off and fall on your car.

Maybe get an outdoor car cover?

https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKU981EOC.html

View attachment 146873

For the reasons that you cite, I go out of my way to avoid trees.

 

[TheFlyingMouse]

Depends on the tree, but stay away from eucalyptus. They constantly drizzle thousands of tiny sap drops all over your car.

After a week of parking under trees at work, I now park in spaces between trees and let my zaino coating and sun shade/window film take care of the UV. On super hot days I will try to find a spot where shade will fall in the afternoon, but does not involve being directly under a tree.

Cleaning up sap sucks. Been parking tree free for just over a year now and I'm much happier for it.

 

[wasupdu]

Haha..Trees and power lines always seem to result in bird poo.. good luck :thumsbup

 

[lrcipo]

No way...expect bird poop and sap like everyone says. Its been my experience.

 

[chewbaccam]

If it's a toss up between the sun or bird poop/sap, I'm going to go with the sun. Bird poop and sap are a pain to deal with on a regular basis.

 

[ELP_JC]

I always favor shade over sun, but also learned the hard way that even if the car is not right under a tree, with a slight wind, sap gets to it anyway. So if the only shade is under or very close to a tree, now I think twice before parking it there. Guess I need to learn more about trees, to see which ones are a problem and which ones are not.

 

[Anand]

I am currently temporarily without a garage, and the best parking spot in my neighborhood just happens to be under a tree.

Seriously honestly, at this time of year in San Francisco, am I going to ruin the soft top if I regularly park it under that tree, or is it going to be juuuust fine, maybe as long as I clean it up a little bit?

Don't park a soft top under a tree. SF doesn't get that hot ever I think. Sap on a soft top? You will scrubbing that off for a long time.

 

[kiznarsh]

I'd avoid trees too. If you don't feel like putting the car cover on all the time, maybe a smaller one just for the soft top? I don't know if they have those but if you have to park under a tree, it's worth a look.

I'll take the sun over the sap/bird poop droppings all day, every day. Plus the sun fades your paint much more evenly.

 

[LarryB]

There's not much sap SF trees as long as you stay away from evergreens- pine, redwoods etc. I would clean and waterproof the top with 303. The waterproofing will make it easier to get off anything that lands on top. TAP Plastics on South Van Ness carries 303.

 

[KCZ]

Two big hemlocks crushed my Xterra during a T-storm. Because it was nearly new, my dumb*** insurance company decided not to total it. Seven weeks in the shop later, it proved to be unfixable.