t top conversion

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 10:44 AM
  #21  
chrysler kid's Avatar
TECH Addict
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (14)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,720
Likes: 6
From: Mckinney Plano Frisco
Default

Originally Posted by Jon@Texas-Speed
Man, I actually have everything for the t-top conversion. I just converted my car to a hard top. I have the t-tops, weatherstripping, weatherstripping rails, even have the a-pillar moldings but one has a hole where I ran the wires through for my gauges.

Jon
did you just cut the roof off and weld a new one in? or did you modify the existing top
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 10:55 AM
  #22  
Donohue96M6Z28's Avatar
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (64)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,612
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, TX
Default

Originally Posted by SuperSport346
They want $1200? WTF? HerronZ28 used to charge 3-350. $1200 is Mf ridiculous.
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 11:08 AM
  #23  
Jon@Texas-Speed's Avatar
FormerVendor
iTrader: (18)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,043
Likes: 2
From: Lubbock, TX
Default

Originally Posted by chrysler kid
did you just cut the roof off and weld a new one in? or did you modify the existing top
I had another complete roof off a hard top car. I just cut the area over the side window out and moved it over to my car. After you get the weathershipping brackets in it looks just like the hardtop car did. Once the roof skin goes back on it will look like a factory hard top.

Here's a pic

Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 08:25 PM
  #24  
chrysler kid's Avatar
TECH Addict
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (14)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,720
Likes: 6
From: Mckinney Plano Frisco
Default

Originally Posted by Jon@Texas-Speed
I had another complete roof off a hard top car. I just cut the area over the side window out and moved it over to my car. After you get the weathershipping brackets in it looks just like the hardtop car did. Once the roof skin goes back on it will look like a factory hard top.

Here's a pic


bad ***. i dont think ive ever seen anyone do a t-top to hard top conversion on here before
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 08:51 PM
  #25  
00fastta's Avatar
On The Tree
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
From: DFW
Default

Well do any of you all know how to do a conversion in a gen II camaro...one of my engineering friends at TCU was asking me about it.

t-top conversion obviously.
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 09:37 PM
  #26  
TechCam97's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 34
From: Troy, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by 00fastta
Well do any of you all know how to do a conversion in a gen II camaro...one of my engineering friends at TCU was asking me about it.

t-top conversion obviously.
Second gens (as well as third gens) are different beasts all together. In the fourth generation, the F-Bodies are made as either T-Tops or Convertibles. To make a hard top, two pieces of metal are welded in to bridge the gaps where the tops latch. In the second and third gens, they were made as hardtops and, I believe, they were sent out to be converted. To do a conversion on either of these generations you'll have to find a T-Top donor car and cut the roof and swap it out that way. It's been done a number of times, just measure twice and cut once!
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 09:44 PM
  #27  
retardedpenguin's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 579
Likes: 1
From: Pearland, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by TechCam97
Second gens (as well as third gens) are different beasts all together. In the fourth generation, the F-Bodies are made as either T-Tops or Convertibles. To make a hard top, two pieces of metal are welded in to bridge the gaps where the tops latch. In the second and third gens, they were made as hardtops and, I believe, they were sent out to be converted. To do a conversion on either of these generations you'll have to find a T-Top donor car and cut the roof and swap it out that way. It's been done a number of times, just measure twice and cut once!
Yes.. In second gens the proper way is to cut the roof out from the spots where the roof is welded on at the sail panels.
Reply
Old Mar 10, 2010 | 11:20 PM
  #28  
00fastta's Avatar
On The Tree
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
From: DFW
Default

Yeah that's what he was talking about. He has an 75 donor car and a 81 body. I was just wondering if it is feasible to cut off the roof and attach the other roof to the car.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

10 Reasons Daily Driving a Swap Project SUCKS! (& 1 Reason to Do It Anyway)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'

 Brett Foote
story-2

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

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

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

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

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

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

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

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

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

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-9

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 12:55 AM
  #29  
edzsilverss's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Default

Don't do it. Mine is a t-top car and over time it will leak just like mine. I can't imagine it not leaking over time if you do it yourself. Just a word to the wise. BTW, how can I get mine to stop leaking? Driver side only. When it rains VERY hard it will leak like a bitch. it's coming in where the t-top meets the start of the rear part just before the back glass.
Reply
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 03:52 AM
  #30  
Pwebbz28's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (31)
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,248
Likes: 1
From: Denton, Tx
Default

New rubbers
Reply
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 04:02 AM
  #31  
Dirty 30's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (96)
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,840
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, Tejas
Default

yeah it leaks for a reason...

i guess i could still do one, i just dont do the fill-in body work stuff only the cutting and bending part
Reply
Old Mar 11, 2010 | 08:53 AM
  #32  
TechCam97's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 34
From: Troy, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by 00fastta
Yeah that's what he was talking about. He has an 75 donor car and a 81 body. I was just wondering if it is feasible to cut off the roof and attach the other roof to the car.
Yes, it's feasible. There are a couple websites out there that have covered it, but the easiest way is to blast the body and find the factory seams like retardedpenguin mentioned. There are some pics of the end result here.

As for edzsilverss - You can remove the factory rubber and apply some new weather stripping adhesive and tinker with the tops fitment by adjusting the parts that the tops latch into on the body. If you take some time and apply some new adhesive then you should be able to fix your leaks and make the tops fit a lot better.
Reply
Old Mar 12, 2010 | 12:43 PM
  #33  
LS69TA's Avatar
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (30)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
Likes: 0
From: Texarkana, Tx
Default

Originally Posted by Dirty 30
yeah it leaks for a reason...

i guess i could still do one, i just dont do the fill-in body work stuff only the cutting and bending part
Hey, might give you a holler towards the end of the year when I get back in the states and pick up another T/A. How much body work does it take to get it ready after everything you do?
Reply
Old Mar 12, 2010 | 01:41 PM
  #34  
LeadfootDuramax's Avatar
Launching!
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 262
Likes: 2
From: Houston, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by edzsilverss
Don't do it. Mine is a t-top car and over time it will leak just like mine. I can't imagine it not leaking over time if you do it yourself. Just a word to the wise. BTW, how can I get mine to stop leaking? Driver side only. When it rains VERY hard it will leak like a bitch. it's coming in where the t-top meets the start of the rear part just before the back glass.
Weatherstrips, realign the window and T-tops. Remove some of the interior panels near the water leak. Have someone spray water on the area from the outside while you are in the car. Look and see where it is coming in. This should make it pretty easy to determine why it is leaking and what needs to be done to stop it.
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2010 | 05:16 PM
  #35  
C Murda's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (24)
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,012
Likes: 1
From: Mass
Default

Originally Posted by Jon@Texas-Speed
I had another complete roof off a hard top car. I just cut the area over the side window out and moved it over to my car. After you get the weathershipping brackets in it looks just like the hardtop car did. Once the roof skin goes back on it will look like a factory hard top.

Here's a pic

do you have any more pics of going t top to hardtop? im curious as to what the t top car looks before the side bars are welded in....wondering why that sidebar in the pic shown doesnt seem to mount flush in the back where the main hoop is?
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:29 PM.

story-0
10 Reasons Daily Driving a Swap Project SUCKS! (& 1 Reason to Do It Anyway)

Slideshow: 10 reasons daily-driving a swap project might not be for you. Or is it?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-17 09:39:05


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'

Don't get dad new socks or a grill brush this year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 14:55:56


VIEW MORE
story-2
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 | 2026-06-18 10:26:23


VIEW MORE
story-3
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-4
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-5
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-6
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-7
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-8
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-9
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