I had a hard top before I bought the bird I have now...yeah it sucked not having t-tops but for some reason there's SOMETHING I miss about having a hard top...........


Would I attempt doing this? No, have I considered it? Yes. Like above, this isnt your simple TB Bypass Your sawzawing your friggin roof...if you NEED to get it done, I'd save up money and get it done by a shop, so that if it DOES leak or if anything IS fucked up, you'll have it warrantied.


A think you'll learn is warrantying will save your time, *** and money over and over!


And holy **** its 8:11AM and I'm hungover like ****

 

Dead. Wrong. Let me get you the thread. A GIRL from a v6 forum did it in a weekend, and it turned out quite well. Honestly, it turned out really well. Let me just dig that up for you guys.

Here's the link for the walkthrough:
Walkthrough

Here's teh link to the thread:
Original Thread

Here's teh pics in case they don't load in the thread:





I'd say the average person can do this. As long as you aren't retarded and can use a sawzall.

 

Did it to mine about 3 years ago and love it! I had an 88 IROC before with t-tops and I wanted them on the formula. Not too bad to do and they came out looking like factory - NO LEAKS either

 

I disagree. On hardtop cars, there are two braces that connect the sail panel area to the windshield. These braces look very rigid in tension/compression and will increase the torsional rigidity of the chassis (although by how much I do not know).

For what it's worth, I have a t-top Z28 and am considering to convert it to a hardtop car... just for the increase in chassis rigidity.

That being said, All t-top cars started out from the factory as if they were going to be a hardtop car. Then, after the car is welded together, those two braces are removed for the t-top cars. It should be no problem for you or a shop to do this conversion and have it turn out just like the factory t-top cars.

- Jim

 

leave it alone

 

Your completely right about the braces, I stand corrected. They are held in with minor spotwelds and I never thought they would add a significant amount of ridgitidy. Ive been in convertibles, hardtops and t-tops cars and have never noticed a real difference between a t-top car and a hardtop while the convertibles are quite flimsy. Are there actual numbers available for torsional stiffness?

 

This "rigidity" debate needs to END!!! Whistler chopped his into a targa top, put a damn near 300lbs friend on the windshiled and measured movement with a micrometer, there was none. So first rigidity question (added support to the windshield?) is answered NO, it adds no rigidity...

Second question, overall car rigidity from the added side supports... HELL NO! If you've ever done one (and screwed around while doing it) you know if you sit on them they will bend, can't be adding too much rigidity from a little bit of sheet metal (look at a hardtop that has rolled, they're usually bent)...

All these cars need SFC's anyways... Get those first regardless if you are cutting the roofs out or not. With SFC's you will have nothing to worry about.

I mean, for the love of God! All those flimsy pieces of metal are tying together is the a-pillars to the sail panel... SFC's tie together the entire subframe!!!

 

 

targa top FTW

 

hardtops look to sexy to hack it up.

 

Not flaming, I just don't understand that comment... To me, I see a hardtop and I just see a cheap piece of fiberglass covering over a t-top roof.

What is it about hardtops that people say looks good? I never envied my friends untill I saw them pop their tops off and cruise around knowing I couldn't ...

 

What he said

 

leave it alone

 

DEMONBIRD,
If you have a t-top car (even with SFCs), put your finger between the gaps in the t-top (between the windshield and t-top.. and between the sail panel and t-top) while you are driving down the highway. You will feel deflection in the chassis. These two braces are very strong in tension and compression, not strong in bending. However, the only loading that is put on them while you're driving is tension/compression loading.

Basically, they are of similar construction to the rest of the chassis.

If you measured torsional rigidity of the chassis (in terms of 1st mode natural frequency, something GM did when they designed these cars), I bet you'd find that those braces result in a significantly higher frequency than a car with just t-tops (ie. hardtop chassis stiffer). SFCs would increase that frequency value as well, but I bet the braces would have more of an impact. If anyone has data to prove me wrong, please provide it because I am interested in this.

OLDSCHOOLFORMULA,
There are actual numbers on the torsional stiffness of 4th gen f-body's, however, I could only find data on t-top cars. GM would have done this testing for all of the configurations though.

1st mode nat frequency bending = 23Hz (3rd gen is 18Hz)
1st mode nat frequency torsional = 20Hz (3rd gen is 16Hz)

A higher number here is better and means the chassis is stiffer.

Thanks,
Jim

 

I've known about that for awhile... I don't have deflection (even when cornering hard which my car is setup to do: Koni DA's, 35mm and 21mm sway bars). I honestly think you're feeling a loose t-top more than anything...

I also have been in friend's cars with NO SFC's who had NO deflection and some WITH deflection so I am not declaring one way or the other 100%...

Even if there were a slight rigidity increase, it would no where near compare to the enjoyability factor this guy is looking to get out of his daily driver...

We're not talking about a drag or autocross car here guys...

 

yah that is what i am talking about. I dont intend to make this car an all out drag car or autocross car. And even if i did.......i see t-top cars running 9s and faster and the same goes for autocross.

But keep the advise coming.......for and against. Thanks.

Brent

 

you just wanna be a balla like me. shotcalla like me.

for real though man, if you decide to do it, i don't see why you would regret it unless whoever does it for you does a shitty job and your car is fubar. just do some research and find the best person to take it to, which may mean paying a pretty penny but itll be worth it. on a side note i won the novice class today...whoop!

 

i'm not trying to be a dick but i hate comments like these.

if it's something he wants and he doesn't want to get rid of it because of the emotional attachment like we ALL have with our cars...why would it be benificial to sell his car and get a ttop car JUST to have ttops? i'd think it'd be A) less work B) WAY cheaper and C)more satisfying knowing that you did it yourself.

i just can't stand when people say sell your car and get another one...that's like the stupidest thing ever...there is nothing reasonable about that at all...

like PhantomZer0 said, Kristen (I think that's her name) from Firebird/CamaroV6 did it to her car in a weekend...

just my $.02

 

When I was single SO many girls (not car girls mind you) were impressed when I told them I cut the roof off myself

 

Even if some people do pull it off, what happens if you **** up? youre fucked