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Forget the rheumatic elbow or callous on the bottom of the foot asaccurate forecasters of rain.

The less scientific folk who rely on washing their car to bring on thesprinkles can forget it, too.

Want rain? Get a convertible. We just finished driving the trio ofChevrolet convertibles-Cavalier Z-24, Camaro and Corvette. On each occassionit rained at least once.

Before commenting on the three cars, let`s summarize the pros and cons of convertibles in general.

They are best enjoyed on cool spring and brisk fall days or evenings with the heater locked in the “cook“ mode so passersby don`t realize exposedflesh is turning blue.

Top down motoring in a record heat wave has its drawbacks, even when youlock the air conditioner in the “freeze“ mode so passersby don`t realizeexposed flesh is sizzling at the medium well point.

Convertibles can be fun. About 9 p.m. when the thermostat has slipped toless than 90 degrees, a cruise in the country or along the lakefront is likeopening the door to Utopia.

About 3 p.m., when the temperature is hovering around 100 degrees and you hop in the car after the top has been down all day, you`ll encounter anothermoving experience when skin and vinyl or leather seat meet for the first time. Breezes bouncing off your face and winds rustling through your hair areinvigorating. Sun baking on the dome abondoned by follicles and grit floating through the air and settling on your chin, mouth and neck is another matter.

Of the three, only the Z-24 had a power-operated top. The Corvette andCamaro are operated manually, which means do it yourself, a pleasant enoughtask at 70 degrees but a bit more of a chore at 100 and rising.

As for the cars, the Z-24 has become a styling charmer. The rounded aerolook on the two-door coupes inherited from the Beretta has transformed theCavalier from the appearance of an economy model into a performance model. Theplastic rocker extensions add a sporty touch.

For 1988 Chevy added a convertible to the Z-24 line for the first time.In ragtop garb the styling is even better, though you have to learn to useyour mirrors because rear vision suffers a bit from the canvas top contours.

The only shortcoming on the model we drove was a gaudy exterior finishbest described as neon blue, which for some odd reason is preferred amongbuyers over red or black in the Z-24 convertible. That blue looks very good onthe Camaro, but it looked cheap on the Cavalier.

Long on looks, the Z-24 ragtop is even better when it comes toperformance. The 2.8-liter, multiport, fuel-injected V-6 engine develops 125horsepower very quickly.

Cars can be fast without being quick. The Lotus Esprit turbo (Autos, July 10) is fast, the Z-24 convertible is quick. The Z-24 jumps off the line. Nolag time, no hesitation, no waiting for a turbo crutch to give it a neededboost.

The 5-speed manual that`s standard was o nly a shade less smooth throughthe gears than the whisper smooth Toyota, Honda or Mazda. Automatic will cost you $415 as an option but will return the money at trade-in that the 5-speedwon`t.

Standard equipment includes tinted glass, bodyside moldings, dual remotemirrors, power door locks and trunk opener, power steering and gauge package, to name a few.

Our test car included the Z-24 option package No. 2, which for $1,270adds AM-FM stereo with cassette and clock, air conditioning, front and rearmats, intermittent wipers, cruise control and power windows. Add $102 for all-season radial tires.

Base price: $15,990.

Corvette: The King is coming in 1989, but the `88 is a rather royalperformer.

With the 245 h.p., 5.7-liter tuned port-injected V-8 and optional Z-52suspension package, you have a `Vette long on performance not only off theline but also around the corners, bends and twists in the roadway. With the Z-52 package you get fully indepen dent suspension, quick ratio powersteering, Goodyear ZR 17-inch tires, Delco-Bilstein shocks and heavy-dutyframe reinforcement.

After all the complaints about too firm ride and harsh handling in 1984,Chevy relegates that sports suspension package to the Z-51 designation forthose inclined to run rather than cruise in their `Vette coupe-not theconvertible.

The Z-52 suspension, at $970, is for those who want the ride and handling of a Pontiac SSE in a two-seat sports car.

With the tuned port-injected V-8, Chevy claims a zero to 60 mile-an-hourtime of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 155 m.p.h. But getting up to 60 m.p.h. is only half the fun. To ensure that you get back to zero in a straight lineand on the road, antilock brakes are standard. With antilock brakes, Chevyclaims a 60 to 0 m.p.h. stopping distance of 124 feet.

If you have $50,000 burning a hole in your designers, you may want towait for the ZR1 or King of the Hill `Vette coming out in the 1989 model year with nearly 400 h.p. generated from its 32-valve, 5.7-liter V-8 teamed with a 6-speed manual only.

If you can afford to let 5.3 seconds pass before you reach 60 and if youonly have $34,820 to spare, then it`s the `88 Vette. With the optional powerdriver and passenger seats ($240 each), gray leather buckets ($1,025),electronic control added to the air ($150), heated sport mirror andilluminiated visor mirror ($93), Delco Bose sound system ($773), and Z-52suspension, the test car ran more than $38,300. Add a $475 freight charge.

The coupe starts at $29,480. Chevy says one of three sales areconvertibles.

Though the top on the Camaro was operated manually, it was the easiest to fold away among the convertibles driven and the best looking once the plastic tonneau cover that hides it was in place.

You lower the rear seat backs, snap the release lever and raise the rearwindow portion of the top. Hit another release switch and the tonneau coverraises. Unlatch the front portion of the top and fold back and the top stores behind the rear seats. Close the tonneau cover and you`re off. It takes only acouple of minutes and looks clean when done. No snaps to fool with to release and refasten when removing or raising the top.

Good looks but even better performance from the 5-liter, fuel-injected V- 8 teamed with a 5-speed that`s getting noticeably less cumbersome. TheGetrag-developed manual showed few signs of balkiness or hangup so common inGM cars the last few years.

The 5-liter V-8 was converted from carburetion to fuel injection. Faster, surer starts and quickness off the line were immediate improvements. Quick?Hold on.

Performance matches, make that exceeds, the styling. In a couple ofyears Camaro sheet metal will be redone. Chevy went aero with the Beretta,styling that was borrowed by the Cavalier. It is hoped that Camaro won`t beanother clone of Beretta, which at one time was destined to replace Camaro.

But when the car is redone, Chevy should work on eliminating some of thesqueaks and rattles brought on by the softtop hardware as well as improvingsafety belt tension so the strap stops loosening on its own and drooping down your torso like it does. And not all Camaro enthusiasts are 6 feet 7 inchestall and can reach the pedals without moving the driver`s seat so close to thewheel.

The Camaro Sport coupe convertible starts at $16,255. For $1,747, you add the convertible option package that includes air conditioning, tinted glass,color-keyed body side moldings, color-keyed carpet mats, cruise control, tilt steering, power windows, intermittent wipers, power door locks, AM-FM stereowith seek and scan/cassette and digital clock. Power brakes and steering arestandard. The car we drove stickered at $18,649 to which you add a $414freight charge.