igotslicksNchix

hey guys, i have no bag for my t tops, never had one. when and if i get the bag,(can i have pix of the bag anyone????) where does it go to be stored??? it scares me to think where the previous owner left the t's when he went somewhere. How hard do u think it would be to make or have made one of these bags???

mudaholic

bags cost around 50 bucks on ebay, you should have 2 mounting brackets over your gas tank, and two more in the rear of the car protruding from the trim panel.. the bag has 4 clips, they just latch onto these brackets...

pennylessz28

**** BAGS, I have invented the T-TOP Rack prototype >>

Going to be building a better abs plastic version that matches the color carpet and rear panels and blends right in within the next few weeks and be selling them.

BikertrashDude

my buddy got some plastic ones in his 86 TA that do the same thing as yours mike.
he also has a bag too.
i don't know how anyone would lose a bag or leave the T-tops behind.
i have been caught out on the road when i see some drops on the windsheild and i pull over put the tops on and two miles later.
its a summer storm...........
biker

MetalliCamaroRS

iTrader: (15)

Mike- How much will you be selling the finished product for? I'd consider buying one if the price was right.

Chris Luongo

Hey Mike,

I've been thinking of a similar upright-storage thing like you have going on---the bag is annoying to mess with.

It appeared to me that the well of the hatch simply wasn't wide enough to accomodate the tops---I was thinking to cut out the "shelf" on one side of the well and fabricate a larger version---there is still enough room between the frame rails to do it.

Or am I missing out on something? In your picture, it looks as if the tops are sticking up too far to close the hatch lid.

robertg

iTrader: (2)

I hate using my bag. I've had the tops sitting exactly like how Mike has his sitting in the Iroc.

There should be plenty of clearance for the tops, as the handle area could tuck up onto the center hump of the hatch area.

HrdRockA4305

Damn straight man the bag sucks!

That was one of my summer projects that kinda never got started. I hate using the bag too, I set mine kinda like that with a couple pieces of foam between them. I meant to make a rack, but kinda never did. I like how you did that. I'm thinking on trying one that uses metal pipes with that round foam insulation around them for padding. We'll see how it turns out. If I can't make anything decent and I like the ABS one you say you're gonna work on, I might be game for one if I can justify spending $$ on it. It'd be trick though, nobody else has got one.

SBlackfoot

I don't think the bag is that bad. My t-tops are in their bag right now (safely locked away in the garage for the night of course). In fact my only complaint is a tear in mine which I'll probably stitch back together if they ever let me take some time off work...

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

My 4th gen has a rack like that.. I wonder if they would hold a set of 3rd gen tops tightly enough.

-- Joe

igotslicksNchix

i think i'm going to work on a rack that would put the t tops on each side of the car, might look a bit neater that way.guess i'll just experiment.

lock

4th gen t-tops are quite different, I tried mine in my buddies and didnt see an easy way to make it work without major conversions. Might as well build a custon holder like he did. Jsut be safe and keep your t-tops locked down (however you do it), nothing worse then a t-top flying up and smacking your head at a sudden stop or rear end colision. I imagine it could be deadly.

pennylessz28

4th gens t-tops are smaller than ours, I have been studying them, all OF OUR T-TOPS WILL FIT UPRIGHT IN THE HATCH, just sit them in there, I was doing it like that with a blanket between them, but i wanted somethign just to be safe.

Hopefully I can make a mod and create somethign outta plastic with foma incerts to protact the glass and sell for around 100 -150 bucks. Sounds reasonable to me. And it will just sitt in the bottom of the well.

Don't believe me, go shove them in the well, they will fit just fine back there.

pennylessz28

T-tops won't fly out either, there is not enough clearance when the hatch is closed for them to fly out or even be lifted out from the passnager set.

robertg

iTrader: (2)

This is very true about the tops fitting in the back well. Mine fit quite well back there.

I make due with just bracing mine in place. I might make some straps using the factory hardware to hold mine in place.

I just don't like the bag, my velcro one sucks.

deadbird

I always thought the backseat was designed for the tops since normal people can't fit back there

HrdRockA4305

Yep. They fit fine, been putting them there for over a year and have never even came close to having any trouble. They can't fly out, they don't have room. I think I'm gonna hit Lowe's tomorrow for materials/ideas. Well maybe just ideas, I'm kinda broke right now until next week.

igotslicksNchix

i like the ideas i've heard think i'm gonna try sometin out like this. Sorry pennylesz, 100 bucks might be fair but i wouldn't pay it when i could make it myself, but i think you do have a good product on your hands. good luck with all of your t top endeavours.

86NiteRider

iTrader: (10)

I would buy one of your racks if you start to make and sell them. Keep us posted. I have had both bags, Velcro or Zipper. The Zipper is just fine. the Velcro sucks .

89Irocz23

a friend of mine has a 2002 camaro v6. His hatch area will the t tops go is kinda cool. They sit in a rack kinda thing, but the latch it self locks them in. The pins or whatever they are slide into a hole and lock in just like they do on the roof. Now if I could make something like that for my Iroc it would be sweet.

pennylessz28

I'm working on it!

igotslicksNchix

i'm soooooooooooooooo freakin happy! i was digging through my parts car, and in the hatch, under plastic tarps and blankets, THERE it sat. A T top bag. There for my taking. The parts car was given to me for free, so i just saved 50 bucks right there from it, not to mention the joy of ripping the car apart and keepin what i like anyone wanna buy parts? lol.

hot86z-28

what u got

igotslicksNchix

well, theres misc. parts, i'm pretty sure it's a 2.8 under the hood, questionable if it runs, and a cargocover, and a few other items, i prefer just for people to ask if i have it, cause i'm not exactly sure whats in there

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Here is a good pic:



What could be better? The bag even has a felt insert in the middle to go between the T-Tops to protect them....

HrdRockA4305

Well, the things I don't like about the bag are:
-Takes a long time to get them in and out compared to the rack style holder
-Straps that you have to mess with
-Big long zipper you gotta mess with
-Having to bend/reach in the far forward makes my knees hurt, and if you bump the car and its a bit dusty you get crap all over your clothes, bad thing if you're on your way into work.

When I first got the car, the first thing I said about the bag was "Now really, couldn't GM have come up with something better than a freakin bag strapped down to the hatch floor?"

hot86z-28

well on the zippers i never zip mine up, it's just a waste of time, i drive around with the tops off all the time and the zippers dont need to be zipped, i think the bag is more protective then just laying them in the backseat.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

HrdRock, your're looking at it from totally the wrong point of view. It's should be not what is more convienent for you but what protects the T-Tops the best. I don't have a hard time at all using the bag, I just take my time to make sure that the tops are in there straight and it will zip right up everytime. I'd take the bag ANY day over the stupid slots on the floor, I think all the 4th gen's should have stuck with the bag. I mean, they just plain move around too much in the slots and they can bang against each other too easily.....

igotslicksNchix

some people have no patience

BikertrashDude

if your bag is already hooked on to the top hooks and it is already open then it takes you what?? 30 seconds to put the tops in the bags??? sorry i rather do that then lay them loose. what happens if you have to break hard or something and the tops go flying and break and you end up with the inside full of glass??
it's too easy to put the tops in the bags.
think about people that had manual convets' that they had to crank down and them cover the retracted top with a cloth top by using buttons. that is a pain in the butt.
biker

HrdRockA4305

Haha nope, I don't have much patience.

I've been doing the "tops in the cargo well" thing for more than a year now. They don't get beat up at all, and they always stay in place. The hatch would stop them from flying out under hard breaking... trust me if it were possible for this to happen it would have by now. I have stuff padding them, and even if by some remote chance something happens to them, like I drop one or something, I have a spare set anyway.

So, it protects them adequately and is more convenient for me. They never bang up against each other or move around, not for me anyway. So thats what I do.

stuart69427

mike, thats a great mod! Really good idea too! I didn't have abag either when i got the car, and didn't know the difference in them when i bought one on ebay. I got one from an 82 that was velcro and is reall tight around the t-tops and takes me like 3 minutes to get them in there and it snags all the time. Really annoying, but better than putting them in the back seat

jocww

hey if u guys dont want ur bags sell them or give them to me cuz i want a bag

HrdRockA4305

Update: I was struck by inspiration today, went to Lowe's, and built a "rack" for the tops outa PVC pipe and foam insulation. I'll take a pic or 2 tomorrow. Its kinda neat, I mean its not killer, but it works extremely well. Cost 7 bucks and some change to make. I'll tell ya how I did it when I post pics.

pennylessz28

No Offense, you're stupid as crap. The 4th gen t-tops don't move at all. They are held very tightly in place.

Mine are also helpd very tightly in place in the rack i mad and they dont' bump together or anythign. Proper spacing and its a tight fit so it is held firmly in place.

coolguywalt

I bought a set of the 4th gen holders off ebay and I think I can get our tops to fit witha bit of Dremel work. Our t-tops are about 1-3/4" widewr than theirs so all you would really need to do is dremel out the area to make it so that the hatch fits in a slot cut out on the other end of the holder and we also would need to Dremel out a bit at the bottom so that they would lock in place.

kretos

my car came with the original t top bag(zipper) and its awsome never had a problem

neubauej

I like the bag for several reasons;
- with the tops upright in the well, my vinyl hatch cover doesn't fit
- I have subs in the storage well
- the straps on the bag hold the tops still when driving "spirited"
- I think it looks nice, just putting them in the hatch looks sloppy to me
- The bag seems to protect them really well

Just my opinion...

DigitalMonarch0

You wouldn't happen to have a pic of your subs AND your t-tops in the hatch at the same time would you?

I am trying to decide if I want to build a box for the back or just sell the DVC's sitting in my garage.

neubauej

No, I don't, and it's in storage right now, and I wont be able to get to it untill may . However, my box comes up flush with the back of the hatch plastic (where the motor is), and angles down to be flush with the rear deck. I just put my tops in the bag, and turn the bag around (the trim part with the key on both tops tward the front of the car), and it fits perfectly. I also relocated the strap brackets from the back wall of the cargo well to the sub box, so I have something to strap it to. It works pretty good for me. If you still want a pic, I can get one when I take it out in May.

DigitalMonarch0

Awesome, I may take you up on that.

89cmrodriver

humm crazy that u brought this up, im going to start making my rack tomorrow since my zipper broke.

BigMike1610

i did upright storage a year ago :lala: your plans look a bit better though

87 B4Z TPI 5Spd

I test drove a 91 V6 Firebird last summer. The tops fit into a plastic slotted holder at the bottom of the well. I thought it was factory, and never gave it a second look. Sure looked stock. I'm guessing now it was an aftermarket addition. Has anyone else ever encountered a stock-looking holder in a late 3rd gen Firebird well?

coolguywalt

I would love to find out where they came from, it might have been one of those "T-Savers" some dude used to make....someone has got to have one somewhere