Date:         Wed, 1 Jul 2015 19:40:24 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Pop Top Color and Temps
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I didn't get in on the original very long thread on this subject.  But I'll
add this empirical observation.
Some years back, at a body shop that did their own painting, I asked about
painting just the top of my blue/gray (almost Dove Blue but a repaint)
white of silver to minimize heating from the Sun.  It was a bright sunny
day and the shop owner led me out into the parking lot.  He led me to a
silver car parked there and told me to put my hand on it.  And the silver
car was hot, very hot.  Then we stepped over to a white car.  And it was
very cool to the touch, surprisingly so.  Question answered:  Paint the top
white.
BTW, I never did have the top painted white, came up with a reflecting
cover made from a heavy duty emergency blanket.  And that worked great for
being parked a week at a time each year in hot Sun every day.