t-top to hardtop conversion?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 87
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From: Los Angeles
t-top to hardtop conversion? Some people do the hardtop to ttop conversion but what about the other way around?
What parts would be needed to do this and how much would it cost?
Could I get it done and have it be exactly as if it was originally a hardtop and where could I get it done (if anyone knows)?
What parts would be needed to do this and how much would it cost?
Could I get it done and have it be exactly as if it was originally a hardtop and where could I get it done (if anyone knows)?
TECH Addict
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Glendale, CA
Um... what is your logic behind doing this?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
10 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,524
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From: ATLANTA
Originally Posted by BigBlackZ28
Um... what is your logic behind doing this?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
I see where hes coming from, I wish my car was a Hardtop also, the top would be painted the same color as ur car instead of just Black. Would look like a different car. I dont see why this would cost so much, I would definatly do this to my car if it was within reason as far as pricing goes.
Originally Posted by 770boy
I see where hes coming from, I wish my car was a Hardtop also, the top would be painted the same color as ur car instead of just Black. Would look like a different car. I dont see why this would cost so much, I would definatly do this to my car if it was within reason as far as pricing goes.
Of course, you could always paint it the color of the car. Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Originally Posted by BigBlackZ28
Um... what is your logic behind doing this?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
Hardtop cars start off as TTop cars at the factory. You will get no more rigidity from a hardtop than you would with a t-top. Why not just put the shades on it, lock it up, and forget about it?
It has nothing to do with rigidity. I just like the hardtop look more and I want a painted roof to match my body. Plus I hardly ever take the top off anyway.
If it could be done for a reasonable cost I'd do it in a heartbeat. It seems that no one has really done this before though and I don't think I could justify spending 2K+ on this.
Of course it probably won't be easy to find a clean lower milage white 6speed hardtop within a reasonable distance either so it would probably be just as hard to get a different hardtop replacement car too
Anyone know where I can get more in depth info on this swap?
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What you're talking about doing would be a pain in the *** to make it look right. You would have to buy the support bars that go on the outside where the t-top goes (if you can actually get them) and then rivit those inplace. Then you would have to find a donor car that you could cut the fibergalss top off of and then cut EXACTLY so it looks right. Then fiberglass that in place and paint. Dunno what a body shop would charge to do the work or if you are gonna do it yourself.
What you could do is find another set of t-tops and find a hardtop car and cut the hard top off, cut the top to be the same size as the glass in the t-top, take the glass out of the t-tops and replace it with a fiberglass you cut. Paint the fiberglass to match the car color. You would then have glass t-tops and clolor matching t-tops
That would be completely original. I am thinking about doing that when I do my t-top conversion in the spring.
If you do that get the center t-top divider and paint it the car color also and use that with the fiberglass t-tops.
What you could do is find another set of t-tops and find a hardtop car and cut the hard top off, cut the top to be the same size as the glass in the t-top, take the glass out of the t-tops and replace it with a fiberglass you cut. Paint the fiberglass to match the car color. You would then have glass t-tops and clolor matching t-tops
That would be completely original. I am thinking about doing that when I do my t-top conversion in the spring.
If you do that get the center t-top divider and paint it the car color also and use that with the fiberglass t-tops.
Last edited by solid95z; Dec 25, 2003 at 01:23 AM.
TECH Addict
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,189
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From: Glendale, CA
So wait, the rule was passed? Us t-top guys need a 10 point cage to race? Is this for all ETs or just 10 second ones?
There was a lot of debate about this earlier, just curious if anything new has happened in regards to it.
There was a lot of debate about this earlier, just curious if anything new has happened in regards to it.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Back from the dead....
OK, how about this?
What if you had a hardtop car and a t-top car, each wanting to switch to the other roof type. Could you have a shop just chop the roof off both and switch them?
OK, how about this?
What if you had a hardtop car and a t-top car, each wanting to switch to the other roof type. Could you have a shop just chop the roof off both and switch them?
that is too funny 
I actually want to do the t top to hard top conversion because I am getting tired of my tops leaking. And by the way the hard top is more structually sound than a t top car is.
it would be nice if someone came out with fiberglass T-tops that would just slide into place on any f-body, that way your car would look (almost) like a hardtop with the ttops in, but you could still take them out whenever you wanted just like the glass ones.
I'd buy em
I'd buy em
subscribing to see where this goes...