Ladies & Gentlemen,
Past experience has taught me to not store the car with the top down. The material fold creases may be extremely if not impossible to remove after an extended period of time.
As well, should the storage area where the car is kept be subjected to water spray (ceiling leak, burst water pipe, etc.), the interior of the car could be ruined if it were months later that you discovered the issue.
And then there are the little critters like mice and squirrels that like to make nests in all of that folded up top material when the top is open. One of my last antiques cars had just such an issue. An expensive fix for 4 small holes chewed to nickle size and all in a row. At least the little devil was neat.
The manual says to not open the top when the temperature is under 40 degrees F. That is simply in response to the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid (gets thicker when colder, and thins out when warm), and has nothing to do with the build quality of the top mechanism. As well, all of those plastic hoses that feed the 8 hydraulic cylinders may well crack and spit, and certainly not fold as well, when below 40 degrees.
As for the storage cover striking the top on first opening, but not successive openings, ... its like my knees not working first time I climb out of bed in the morning. But shortly thereafter, they work like a charm, only to do the same routine the next day after 12 hours rest. If at rest for a period of time, all things will take a "set".
I know in my case, I open the top and leave it open for a week or so before I close it overnight, to allow the fold wrinkles to smooth out. I do this all season long until storage time, when the top is left up until the first time out in warm spring weather.
So I'm not surprised really that my cover clips the top frame when it opens. I open it so infrequently, to prevent wear and tear on the system. Does it clip the tonneau cover every time it opens? I don't know, because I frequently open the top from outside of the car, allowing me to fold the 5th bow back to prevent the clip with my hand.
Hi-Step'n370z, I think you have the right idea with exercising the top once every month in storage. It will keep the hydraulic seals of those 8 cylinders washed with fluid, so that they can't dry out and begin leaking (like what happens with a lot of AC systems leaks over the winter months when the AC isn't used). You just have to ensure that its done when the car's temperature is above 40 degrees F.
Gene
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