BrawlyZ28Camaro

Why would it be more "stable"?

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

my 3rd gen had ttops. so does my SS. no way id buy an fbody without them.


theres a black hardtop SS i see once in awhile and it does look great though.

Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

Its all good, I'm talking more like in the daylight though. I like the fixed roof look better than one with the T's installed.

You are right about the nitetime...tops off and lights on is quite appealing as well.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

Sorry to burst your bubble, but there has to be something else making the car seem more "stable," and having a hardtop is not it.

I like both TTops and Hardtop F bodies, but you know a hardtop F-body is actually just a T-top car with a sheet of metal covering it and solid interior ceiling?

There is no increase in structural support.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

This.

Tommyv8

iTrader: (8)

You ladies who talk about the horrible PITA of taking off the t-tops make me laugh. It's as easy as tying your shoe and takes about the same amount of time. And no leaks, even after 9 years and over 200k miles.
My wife had a hardtop '01 Z28 (my '02 has t-tops) and I noticed no difference in ride quality or handling. The only difference was her inability to enjoy the air on a nice day. Like some have said it's especially nice at night. She traded that car for another Z28 with t-tops.

dutinsss

iTrader: (2)

my '02 SS is a hardtop. i think it looks a lot cleaner but i'd much rather have t-tops. i've never owned one but i would think that if they started leaking you could just replace the weather stripping or whatever else seals them.

Red Orange 96

iTrader: (2)

Yeah....I exert more effort just in shifting the damn car lol...&i dont mind shifting.

coolmanvette75

iTrader: (2)

my 94z is a hardtop and i love it

ReCoil

iTrader: (3)

Hardtop has more head room which is what I prefer, and squeaks less.. However, I think the look with the T-Tops removed cruising in the sun is really cool.

coastalcamaro

The hard top has an extra ridge of metal that runs along the top of the windows in the roof, that the t-top car doesn't have. Thus, more rigid. I have a hair pin curve near my house that the pavement is a little uneven. When I accelerate through the curve is when I could tell the hard top car is more stable. That's just my opinion, not the law!

coastalcamaro

Do a search on here for T-top conversion. There is a post with pic's where a guy is cutting away the additional structural support on the perimeter of the roof. But don't get me wrong, there is nothing like cruising with the t-tops out. I loved mine!

Latch

iTrader: (8)

A couple thin pieces of sheet metal spot welded on aren't going to provide structural support.

02Z28ZO6

iTrader: (2)

While you may not see it, the bodies on these cars will twist in hard corners, just a little bit and this is true for about any car made. A T-Top car will twist a little more because it is not as solid on the outsides of the roof. Look at the roof like a ladder, a normal ladder with 2 sides or outer supports and the rungs in between. Pretty stiff design right?. Now picture a ladder with only one support in the middle and no sides (T-Tops), less rigidness and alot more twist right? The difference is very subtle and most people will never notice until you compete on a good auto cross course or high speed canyon race, something with very fast or very tight corners. If GM intended T-top cars to be race cars, they would have been an option on the 1LE. They do look awesome and I love the t-tops on my street car but would never consider a T-Top car for a hard core racer.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

HT Formy here

While I agree, what provides the basic structure for a unibody car? It isn't much of a difference, but saying there's no difference just isn't true.

aothepresident

iTrader: (17)

Haha, I have to admit, I am one of those who is sometimes too lazy to take them off.

Latch

iTrader: (8)

I would certainly hope the unibody isn't held together with thin sheet metal and spot welds.

Also, EVEN IF those meaningless pieces of metal barely attached to the car improve rigidity by 1% or 2%, you seriously think anyone can feel the difference in cornering? That's like the people who slap on a strut tower bar and say OMG NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE! Or someone who installs a smooth bellow and says he can feel a difference in the seat of his pants.

I have to wonder why people are so defensive of their hardtops... like they have to assure themselves that they didn't make a mistake in not getting T-tops. "Oh yeah I'm so glad I settled for a hardtop it's so much stronger! Those spot welds do a great job keeping the car together!" Then they go for a drive and see the guy cruising with the tops off and they think "****! Should've got T-tops!"

LS1_Sean

iTrader: (1)

totally agree.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

lol, I never said the unibody was held together by spot welds and thin sheet metal, I'm saying that it's not like these cars are held together by a large frame with a body on it....it's a unibody car that's held together by the body panels (the sheetmetal is what I was getting at). I'm also not saying that this will make a huge difference with the rigidity with the vehicle, but even if it is a 1-2% like you said, it is a difference, whether measurable or not.

I'm not getting defensive by any means. I don't agree with others saying that my hardtop makes these cars go from a wetnoodle to a F1 car (not that extreme, but you know). I doubt that anybody can tell a difference driving a well set up hardtop to T-top car back to back, or even tracking them.

I don't have regrets. I like the looks of a hardtop much more than a T-top car, I like not having to worry about leaks/noises, plus I think the look of an f-body with the tops off looks....off. I also wouldn't hesitate to race a T-top car, whether straight line or auto-x'ing. My main point was that there is some extra rigidity to be gained by the supports up top, whether or not it'
s measurable or not.

EDIT: I'd like to add some pictures of the pieces that are "barely" attached to the car.



And removed:

babbage1109

iTrader: (11)

Who needs sub frame connectors...I've got a hardtop