Golf Cart Black Top
 

I'm ready to order my golf cart and with the colors I picked, I think a black top would look good. Will a black top make it warmer in the cart?

yes

I've had a black top on my 2011 Yamaha since I bought it new. The cart is open to the outside, so with a black top the only difference will be the look it will give you. My neighbor and I alternate driving each week to play golf, his feels no difference with his cream colored roof.

The biggest difference is putting the top half of the windshield down when moving, creates a nice breeze. I also rode once with a fellow who had a 12" fan located in the ceiling just above your head, that was nice but they all seem too expensive. My neighbor has slots in his windshield and my cart doesn't and I just noticed those on Friday on the way home, I had to put my hand in front of the slot to see if any air was coming through. The only real way to beat the heat is to buy an air conditioned Atomic Cool Kartz. There is a dealer in Wildwood just past Sparr Home Center on 44. They have a couple of different models, I think they run from $9,000 to $15,000 new and you'll see one for sale on here about every couple of months.

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Our cart has a black top and I do not think it is hotter than the light top carts.

In a similar vein, I wondered about having heat barrier put in the attic, but decided that the saving in air con in the summer would be offset by the additional heating needed in the winter

If your cart has doors then it will get hotter, but I doubt you'd notice the difference if it is doorless

I suggest that you go to a country club golf cart parking lot and find a cart with a black top and put your hand on the top and bottom of the roof. Odds are the cart next to it won't be painted use the hands on test on each at the same time. You can be the judge.

Our black cart with top was no different In warmth in summer, and definitely did not keep any added heat on a sunny day in January. We like the painted top on our carts.

More important to choose a light color for the seats - they can get VERY hot in the summer!

Let’s think about this... we all know that black seats get much hotter in the sun than white, weather they are in a closed car or convertible, so why is there a question about a black roof not getting hotter than a light colored roof? ... but I agree with a prior posting completely, that to prove it to yourself, go to the dealer and check out two that are both parked outside, side-by-side in the sun.

PS - please don’t burn your hand proving it to yourself. (I am in no way making fun here, just offering a prudent warning)

Now, can we get back to talking about not walking your pet on the asphalt during the hot days??? (That IS in jest!)

Get the black top if the color fits better with the scheme of your golf cart. As long as you enjoy driving with the windshield flipped down on warmer days it won't make any difference. My wife and I don't agree with driving with the windshield flipped down because it messes up her hair. Me on the other hand, what hair am I going to mess up???

Heat rises so, while the top of a black roof WILL be hotter, it may not be noticeable sitting underneath it (unless the cart is closed in, when the heat will be trapped inside). Sitting directly on a hot, black seat, however...

Related / Unrelated:




Are Black Cars Hotter Than White Cars?

Essentially, Auto Trader took two nearly identical vehicles, one white and one black, and let them bake in the hot sun. When they measured the interior temperature after a few hours, they discovered the theory rang true. The black car's cabin measured a scorching 130 degrees Fahrenheit, while the white car's interior registered only 113 degrees.
They also decided to try answering a different question: Which one cools down faster once the air conditioning is cranked? Once again, they broke out the thermometer and discovered that the interior of the white car cooled to 84 degrees after 10 minutes, while the black car was still at 91 degrees.
Based on their test, it's safe to assume the color of your car can indeed have an impact on your comfort in the summer heat, with black cars heating up quicker -and cooling down slower - than white ones.

Hot is hot. Go for the looks. Not enough difference to make any difference.

My cart will be 8 years old in August and I don't regret the black roof at all. In fact, I don't even know it's black. As stated earlier, the biggest difference is in the seat color. Mine are black and there are days I have to lay a towel on the seat, especially if you're wearing shorts. Roof black is OK, seats black maybe pick a lighter color if you're concerned.

A car whether it gets hotter quicker or cools quicker is a sealed environment, that's apples and oranges when it comes to carts. If you're concerned that much, look in the morning Sun. I mentioned the air conditioned Atomic Kool Kartz, they have a color ad today advertising prices starting at $8300.

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