LaBLKv6Z

iTrader: (13)

My last three f-bodies were hardtops.

carlos64030

iTrader: (5)

A Trans Am without t-tops seems a little unnatural to me.

black_phoenix

iTrader: (27)

Same here, have a 98 t/a ttop and wouldn't want it any other way

LS1aiden

I love T-tops me personally im a hardtop guy and cant stand convertibles unless its like a corvette or supra type. T-tops are right in the middle i had a 91 trans am that was t-top too. I miss that car everyday! stock carb. 305 that sounded beautiful! My SS is also T-tops!

LeanPocket

iTrader: (6)

This was discussed more or less ina previous thread, although it only mention SS t-tops /HT's not all hardtop fbodies in general.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/chevrolet...camaro-rare.html

Technically it is more rare than t-top fbodies but i am not implying that it is worth more by any means. It's just not as common.

Ghostintheshell

KameleonTransAm

iTrader: (1)

^ Patrick Stewart rocks. Just sayin'.

ZTwentyAteU

iTrader: (12)

The only good thing about a t top car is its easier to weld the rollcage bahahaha

and yes my car is t top...

I like them both, i've had both.

HexT

All about the hardtop.

oChristiano

iTrader: (6)

Thats nice. I'll keep my T-tops. I've owned 2 hardtops and 1 T-Top. I'll stick with my T-Top. Nothing better than taking them out on cool Summer nights, hell even Winter and Fall. Nothing quite like cruising PCH with the tops off, your lady in the passenger seat and cool beach breeze.

MonmouthCtyLS7

iTrader: (6)

Same here....97,96 and now the 95

BoricuaHec01

My old V6 was a hardtop and told myself my next f-body HAS to be t-tops.

Chadlee2KZ

iTrader: (9)

I am seeing some posts on hows its a pain to take the t-tops on and off.... It takes like 15 seconds. One of the easiest things i have ever had to do actually

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

Those were not very good pictures to highlight when having this discussion, the tops of those pieces don't even show the spot welds that have been talked about.

To the left of the blue arrow you can see the two (yes, two) spot welds that hold the front of the side piece to the front of the car:


Here they are after being isolated;


There are six spot welds that hold on the rear section:



Having done this conversion myself, I can testify to the fact that these pieces are just slipped on over each end and then roughly spot welded into place. It's not like the roof is one solid piece that is fully welded together, it's just some spot welds and glue. My car doesn't have any more rattles now rather than when it was a hardtop and the performance in the curves hasn't changed.

BoricuaHec01

At first I thought it was going to be hard, I was actually scared to take off my t-tops at first thinking I might break em lol, but read the manual and it really does take 15 seconds lol.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

Pics not showing up.

Giovanhalen

If I buy another 99-02 I want a hardtop, so I avoid the bubbling sail panel.

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

Hardtops bubble too, it wasn't so much the panel but the adhesive used and lack of proper prep on the underside. Hardtops bubble around the perimeter of the doors and windshield as well as the rear portion like the t-top cars. My 99 Z28 hardtop looked like it had zits all over.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

As mentioned above, the hardtop is every bit as subject to this problem as the T-top cars. In fact, it's worse to have a hardtop car in this respect, because it's harder to R&R the larger roof panel and the panel itself is more expensive and harder to transport.

There is no way to escape this condition with a 1999-2002 car, unless you just never expose it to sunlight or intense heat. This would mean climate controlled storage and night driving only. LOL. Of course the darker colored roofs will get it worse, which represents every V8 Camaro from the applicable years (sans B4C, Z4C, and all convertible cars). But the V8 Pontiacs were built with body colored roofs, so if you found a white Formula or Trans Am it might be OK in a climate with mild sun and limited heat (I know of a couple Arctic white examples that have, so far, not seen flare-ups in my area).

Anyway, this condition is covered in great detail in the applicable sticky in the Paint and Bodywork section, and wasn't really the point of this thread from 2011. So I think we can put it to bed...