Appearance & Detailing Interior & Exterior Appearance Modifications

Would anyone be interested in a T-Top Conversion?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 7, 2010 | 09:51 PM
  #1  
Lotus289's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: Toledo, OH
Default Would anyone be interested in a T-Top Conversion?

So with summer coming up I’m looking for a new project. As some people might have seen, I did a T-Top Conversion on my car a few years ago (Link in sig if you wanna see it). I’ve actually been itching to do another one, and my buddy that I did the conversion with has the same itch. We’ve had a few people contact us but they’ve all fallen though. So I’m putting this out there to see if there’s anyone interested in having their Hardtop converted to a T-Top. If you’re interested, we’ll send you a detailed list of all the parts and hardware required for this. You will drop your car off one day, and pick it up a few days later 100% finished. All of you old parts will be returned as well if you want them back. We will ask to keep the roof skin as a nice souvenir of the conversion. But that’s up to you; it’s your car, your parts, your decision. Here’s the hard part though. A few small stipulations:

- You’ll have to bring the car to us in Toledo, OH. If you wish to stay in the area, or even participate in the conversion (more than welcome to), you’ll have to find room and board locally. We can suggest some nice places to stay. The conversion will take a few days. We could work out a timeframe with anyone interested.

- You’ll have to bring all the necessary parts for the conversion as listed in our provided parts list. Paint and body materials will be provided by us. The roof structure will have to be painted. We can do it in black, or body color. We can do custom colors too; we’ll just need as much info on the color as you have to match it. If you want body color, we’ll need the year, make, model, and a picture of the RPO door sticker.

- There will be a liability waiver to sign. We’re not a business. We don’t have insurance for this type of stuff. We’re just two guys who love to work on cars and have the skill to do this. This is basically to cover our asses should any damage happen during the conversion. We’ve done 2 conversions already and haven’t broken / damaged a single thing. The biggest risk is cracking the windshield. We do some banging on the metal just behind the glass, but the roof structure will be supported to avoid flexing. Again, we’ve done 2 cars with this method and never cracked the glass.

The final cost we’ve come up with is $1200. And if you would like, we’ll throw in the Window Motor Relay mod for another $60 (strictly covers the cost of parts).

I think that’s everything. If I think of anything else I’ll post it up. If you are interested, or have absolutely any questions, please feel free to ask.


And just for good measure, here's a few pics of the finished product.





Reply
Old Mar 8, 2010 | 08:55 PM
  #2  
tmc2k1's Avatar
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 870
Likes: 0
From: Spring Hill, FL
Default

I wish you lived in the Florida area to do the body work on mine!
Reply
Old Mar 8, 2010 | 09:14 PM
  #3  
Lotus289's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: Toledo, OH
Default

Fly me out and I'm game! If the demand was there, and I had the resources, my friend and I have both said we'd love to travel to do these. But the cost would just be too high and neither of us would have the cash for it. And I know we could get yours fixed up perfect for ya too...
Reply
Old Mar 8, 2010 | 10:49 PM
  #4  
tmc2k1's Avatar
TECH Resident
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 870
Likes: 0
From: Spring Hill, FL
Default

Almost everyone I know (besides the guy who did mine) who did a t-top conversion lives far away from Florida. I'm just wondering if a reputable body work can do all the body work without too much trouble. The only doubt in my mind is the fact that most shops probably aren't too knowledgeable on t-top conversions and what it will take to look close to factory.

I wish I could fly you out here
Reply
Old Mar 8, 2010 | 10:51 PM
  #5  
caseypryan's Avatar
12 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 689
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
Default

can anyone do a hardtop conversion
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 10:56 AM
  #6  
Donohue96M6Z28's Avatar
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (64)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,612
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, TX
Default

$1200?!

You need to lower your price man, $1200 is insane. And if someone comes from out of town they'd be paying near $2k after all is said and done. I think you guys need to go back to the drawing board.
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 11:12 AM
  #7  
bww3588's Avatar
12 Second Club
20 Year Member
iTrader: (49)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,139
Likes: 10
From: Chillicothe/Lima, Ohio
Default

ill bring my car to Toledo, i live in Lima, but only if the 1200 included the parts.
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 04:49 PM
  #8  
Lotus289's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: Toledo, OH
Default

Originally Posted by Donohue96M6Z28
$1200?!

You need to lower your price man, $1200 is insane. And if someone comes from out of town they'd be paying near $2k after all is said and done. I think you guys need to go back to the drawing board.
Yup. You gotta remember this is nearly 60hrs of labor alone between 2 guys. Imagine what the cost would be at an actual shop at $60/hr. I know I've seen people do these conversions in a day or two. And I've also seen the quality and end result of these jobs.

As with anything I do / buy, I firmly believe that you get what you pay for.


Originally Posted by bww3588
ill bring my car to Toledo, i live in Lima, but only if the 1200 included the parts.
Sorry, nope. Anyone who wants it done will have to provide the parts.



I honestly don't expect anyone to actually want this done. No-one seems to have a grasp on how much work is involved in doing this. It's not just "cut roof, install glass." There's time to let fiberglass cure, time to let bondo cure, time to let paint cure, time to adjust the windows to make it water tight, etc...
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-1

Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-5

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-8

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 03:03 AM
  #9  
Iyyob's Avatar
On The Tree
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Default

It took me about 4 hrs by my self ... Not sure about the bondo n paint but thats what the other stuff took me I don't see 56 hrs for paint bondo n finish, just sayin 1200 or 1k with parts supplied seems fair to me I will say ur work looks great !!
Reply
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 03:29 AM
  #10  
Searching4Sierra's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Default

^^^what he said....nowhere near a 60hr job
Reply
Old May 2, 2010 | 11:31 AM
  #11  
94zGreen's Avatar
On The Tree
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Default

I live just about an hour away from Toledo, but do not have 1200 dollars lol
Reply
Old May 2, 2010 | 11:34 AM
  #12  
hlaalu's Avatar
TECH Addict
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,542
Likes: 0
From: Orange County
Default

$1200 lmao
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:34 AM.

story-0
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

Slideshow: We take a close look at the ONE and Artidiag 800BT2 diagnostic tools from Topdon and the reasons to buy one over the other.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 11:05:11


VIEW MORE
story-1
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 18:23:54


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-21 16:45:27


VIEW MORE
story-3
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-4
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-5
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-8
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-9
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE