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ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
The other reason is too hide design flaws easily.
The trunk is a different shape and a normal spoiler will need to be tweaked to look normal and so will the lip.
I have a couple photos from my the paint and body portion of my convertible build that may help illustrate the point. ASC simply chopped the roof from an existing car and then made a couple spot welds. There is an enormous gap (wavering, not straight) between the trunk lid and fenders. There is also a height mismatch between the trunk lid and the fenders. In the pictures the height difference is 1/4" but that was with no weatherstripping. With the weatherstripping it was 3/8-1/2" I'm not a fan of the convertible spoilers so I knew I was going to replace it. I wanted to use a duckbill spoiler but it would require so much work since the body contour and fender height would be different between a fixed convertible and a t-top.
I had to make a new piece inside the channel and weld it in. I used the expanding foam to afix the top strip into position so it was in the perfect spot and level with the trunk lid. I don't have any pictures but I also welded a strip to the side between the top of the old fender and the new top that I made.
Another member (that seems to have left the thirdgen community) did a write up of mounting the high rise spoiler while using the existing side caps a few years ago. He kept the sides of the wrap around spoiler intact and cut the side caps of the spoiler to fit to the side caps of the convertible's fenders. His thread is here https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/conv...ml#post4875374
Another member (that seems to have left the thirdgen community) did a write up of mounting the high rise spoiler while using the existing side caps a few years ago. He kept the sides of the wrap around spoiler intact and cut the side caps of the spoiler to fit to the side caps of the convertible's fenders. His thread is here https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/conv...ml#post4875374
Bluezee is still around just sold that LS swapped Z28. He's got his Dads 92 purple haze vert listed now.
I had some questions about how he mounted his high rise that weren't handled in his thread so I reached out to him via (polite) emails, private message and replies in his thread way back in the spring. Never heard from him. Hence why I say he isn't active here.
I bought some stuff from him around Labor Day but then again he is local to me & I sent him a PM, then just called him.
He is not doing anything with cars right now & focusing on his family. I'm in sure in time he'll be back at it again.
Tibo if yours is done could you post a profile pic?
This is something I am considering in the distant future but I'm afraid of ruining the body lines. Hardtop lines are what I prefer so the idea would be to go back to them but it looks like you altered the fender to match the trunk instead of somehow altering the trunk to match the fender, which changes the body lines the wrong way. Of course this is a personal preference and not meant in a bad way.
But I'd like to see it regardless of how you approached it.
Tibo if yours is done could you post a profile pic?
This is something I am considering in the distant future but I'm afraid of ruining the body lines. Hardtop lines are what I prefer so the idea would be to go back to them
I don't know which angle you want to see it from. Can you post a picture of another car from the angle you want to see? I'm not really following when you talk about preferring the body lines of a hardtop but you want them on a convertible.
Originally Posted by Vanilla Ice
but it looks like you altered the fender to match the trunk instead of somehow altering the trunk to match the fender, which changes the body lines the wrong way. Of course this is a personal preference and not meant in a bad way.
But I'd like to see it regardless of how you approached it.
I don't think you could sink the trunk lid to match the height of the fenders. The trunk lid sits at the same height as the tonneau cover- which cannot be altered without lots of work. You would also have to sink the trunk's weatherstrip channel down which would mean cutting it out and welding an extension of a long strip of metal 1/2" wide and then welding it back in place. I also don't know if how straight or even the fenders were cut and if they were cut at the same height on both sides. I really think they just held up a template on the car, made a line and then cut it apart. These convertibles just don't weren't done to the same quality as a 4'th gen convertible or especially a Mustang convertible of the 80-90's. My dad has a 16,000 mile 96 cobra convertible and it was done so much better. Sad really.
I can take a picture from that exact angle on Monday. The car isn't done so it is still sitting in the garage. No tonneau cover on yet. I had to spot spray a few spots so I will need to re wet sand. I'll measure the height above the tailights as that might be the best indicator for if I raised the body line. I have a laser level I can try to use for this.
I put the new weatherstripping on the trunk and found out that for whatever reason the trunk lid now wants to sit higher. I'll have to re-use the the old piece (if I didn't throw it away) or buy a different brand. So no new pictures for now.
Everything is flush with the trunk lid so imo it just boils down to if you prefer the look of the convertibles with the high rise or the three piece factory spoiler.
11-29-2016, 12:59 PM
