My T Top Conversion
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Champaign, IL
My T Top Conversion Finally getting around to posting pics, I am not going to get in to a lot of detail, just posting pics and vids. If you have any questions just let me know, I will be more than glad to answer them for you 
Special thanks to the following:
Stroked 383 over at CamaroZ28.com for letting me do this conversion at his house and taking the pics
Gripenfelter for answering a lot of my questions and for his writeup
My friend Jason for letting me use his tools
Lotus289 for all his help
Everyone who told me it couldnt be done
Here is a list of all the links I used for references:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...s-topless.html
http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...%20Conversion/
http://www.dw-zone.com/t-tops/t-top.asp
http://gripenfelter.fortunecity.com/conversion.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...15&view=videos
Link to videos. I only ended up getting video of removing the roof and cutting through the frame. Hopefully this will motivate others that are hesitant about doing it to go through with it. The cutting was the easiest part!
Now for the pics!
Prepping the car
The first cut
Trying to pry up the roof
Better success using Lotus289's method
Roof GONE!
Cutting through the frame:
Special thanks to the following:
Stroked 383 over at CamaroZ28.com for letting me do this conversion at his house and taking the pics
Gripenfelter for answering a lot of my questions and for his writeup
My friend Jason for letting me use his tools
Lotus289 for all his help
Everyone who told me it couldnt be done
Here is a list of all the links I used for references:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...s-topless.html
http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...%20Conversion/
http://www.dw-zone.com/t-tops/t-top.asp
http://gripenfelter.fortunecity.com/conversion.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...15&view=videos
Link to videos. I only ended up getting video of removing the roof and cutting through the frame. Hopefully this will motivate others that are hesitant about doing it to go through with it. The cutting was the easiest part!
Now for the pics!
Prepping the car
The first cut
Trying to pry up the roof
Better success using Lotus289's method
Roof GONE!
Cutting through the frame:
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Champaign, IL
Pass side after cutting frame:
Making adjustments:
Test fitting weather stripping:
Getting closer!:
We used some kitchen sink caulk that Stroked 383 had laying around just as an extra precaution about leaks. We figured it couldnt hurt anything.
Making adjustments:
Test fitting weather stripping:
Getting closer!:
We used some kitchen sink caulk that Stroked 383 had laying around just as an extra precaution about leaks. We figured it couldnt hurt anything.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Champaign, IL
Prepping the car for fiberglass/bondo/paint
Notice the white face gauges (I still need to take and post pics of this install)
Fiberglass:
Well, those are all the pics I have so far. I still haven't completely finished the project, I need a new headliner and I still need to get everything cleaned up, the weather just hasnt been cooperating (I hate IL).
Notice the white face gauges (I still need to take and post pics of this install)
Fiberglass:
Well, those are all the pics I have so far. I still haven't completely finished the project, I need a new headliner and I still need to get everything cleaned up, the weather just hasnt been cooperating (I hate IL).
hahaha, the first two links are mine. Kinda. The photobucket page is of my friends '94 Firebird that we did as our first conversion. And the last link you gave for Gripenfelter's page was the one I studied for about 18 months trying to figure out how I was going to do mine.
I'm glad to see everything worked OK for ya!
Kinda. The photobucket page is of my friends '94 Firebird that we did as our first conversion. And the last link you gave for Gripenfelter's page was the one I studied for about 18 months trying to figure out how I was going to do mine. I'm glad to see everything worked OK for ya!
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Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Champaign, IL
The top on mine was really messed up. The paint was cracked all over the top and just really looked like ***. This conversion was actually cheaper than getting it repainted.
