+1 I`ve never used mine either. no probs so far.

 

Usually always use mine (takes about 1 minute to fit) but have driven without it & no problems. I thought the point of the Z fold top on the S197's was so that it looked neater with the roof down & didn't need a cover.

 

It's not necessary. Mine has been sitting in my garage since I got the car.

 

+1 This is also something that I read before in some Mustang marketing material somewhere on the net.

 

I've never known any convertible that "required" a boot. Like others have said, if I was going to leave the top down for a couple of days in a row I'd put the boot on to keep crap out of the top well and to protect the underside of the top from sun bleaching. I didn't notice it on my Mustangs but on my Sebring you could tell I didn't use the boot a lot and drove a LOT with the top down.....the front inside of the top (exposed when down) bleached out considerably......

 

I have the boot and use it when I reckon the UV exposure will be significant. I don't want to replace the top because it's deteriorated or bleached. Most of the time the car is garaged when not moving, or it's in a parkinglot for fewer than thirty minutes.

I have a "California Pop Top" (eBay) that I put on when the car is sitting still outdoors for more than a few minutes, top up or down, and most of the time it's in the garage. Keeps the surfaces relatively dust- and dew-free, and on hot days keeps the interior a lot cooler. If my SO wasn't allergic to the sun, I'd never put the top up.