Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Well it's 2 A.M. and I had a crazy thought, I'd like to know if anyone on here has, or knows of anyone that's converted an original T-top car, into basically a full on coupe. Either by molding fiberglass over the top, or welding on sheet metal, of course while not cutting the main support beam in the middle of the top, if you'd call it a beam.

But here's something a little more neat I thought of, has anyone had a fiberglass T-top made, and painted it, basically how the older Corvette T-tops were.



I think this would look EXTREMELY neat on a Third Gen, and really just pull the look of the car together, I own an Iroc with T-tops myself, but think the whole car would look 100% better with them painted.

Basically the way I see it, when you seperate colors on a bulkier car, it just makes it look bulkier in general, for me, with two tone cars, and the T-tops, it always makes me focus on more than one spot of the car, and makes it seem larger in general.

I don't know if anyone would agree, but I think painted T-tops or a coupe conversion would really pull these cars together, and give it a nice cleaned up look.

I think the sport coupe owners would agree.

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Bump bump bump, I wanna know if anyone has painted their T-tops, or converted the car to a coupe! It'd be interesting to see.

Kevin91Z

iTrader: (1)

Yes a local guy here in SoCal had his t-top roof cut off, and a new hardtop roof grafted on. I think he spent either $800 or $1200. And sorry I cant remember his handle.

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Hm, if you ever happen to come across any pictures of it, please post! I've always wanted to see it done, T-tops are okay, but I'm not the biggest fan of them.

hotrodjames

check out the new Rad rides by Troy camaro project

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Man that is neat, I wonder if it would sacrifice the strength of the frame at all.

I'm considering doing this, I have a friend who's extremely good with welding, I could get it done dirt cheap. I'm just worried about how the frame would react to the cutting, and don't wanna dump mucho bucks into a fancy 10 point chrome moly roll cage, just because my frame wouldn't be safe.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Check out the notchback GTAs

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

I've seen a lot of them, a couple in person, and I pretty much dislike the notchback look. Nothing personal to the owners, I've just always loved American hatchback cars, they have sort of that 69 Mustang Fastback look, real sleek.

I basically posted this thread to see if anyone has gotten rid of T-tops, since I've heard of a few guys cracking them in hard launches in drags, and they will ALWAYS leak, I've been lucky with mine so far, only couple drops of rain.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

You are a mind reader!! Thought I fixed my leak--well it's not as bad but still there!#&$*!! So I told the bride I would like to just get someone to weld in some metal & be done with it!! She laughed & said " yea $pend more $$!! Should of gotten one without t's!!HAHAHA!! "
Sometimes she just doesn't understand........

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Find one post where someone broke/cracked a t-top on a hard launch

There are gobs of 'I know a guy who' posts but no actual pics of it

Hardtop conversions are just like a t-top conversion, just less common. Check the Body/Fabrication boards

T-tops only leak when the seals are shot, they arent adjusted right or the windows arent adjusted to them. Figure those 3 things out and youll live the dry life with a sweet optioned car

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Sure thing, I will go find a post from a late night at a drag strip.

Seriously.. Not everything happens on or near a computer. Let me tell you this though, when a 3,000 pound car launches the wheels in the air, slams the front wheels down, while having no roll cage, and the whole body of the car flexes, what's one of the weakest parts there that will break first, glass, or metal? Glass.

kevmann

There is a guy on here named (Manhatter) I think who did just the opposite. He took a hard top and made it into a t-top. I believe the thread is "How to t-top a car". It s a LOT of work.

kevmann

It can be done but I bet you could find another hardtop without a motor and put yours in for way less time and $.

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

That would defeat the whole purpose for me, I got real lucky when I found my Iroc, I've been under it and barely saw any surface rust, at all. The Frame is nearly mint.


If I want a hardtop really bad, or if my T-tops start leaking, I'll probably just buy a fiberglass race weight hardtop from Rod N Race.

kevmann

Yeah I see what you are saying. I wish I could say my car was virtually rust free. I am just saying it would be cheaper and less work. There are still a lot of rust free rollers out there. These cars are definately a dime a dozen but I love them. Being attached to mine is what keeps me from looking for another car.

novafirebirdguy

I know this isn't really what your talking about but. Before I bought my bird I had to have a t-top car but didn't like the fact that all the tops are black. I had the idea of wrapping some very thin sheet metal around the glass and somehow making it stay. Then paint it body color. But then I bought a black car so never thought about it again. But I don't think it would be to hard to make.
Alex

HCR13

iTrader: (5)

X2

I think if you have a 3,000lb vehicle with an engine strong enough to pull the front tires off the ground long and high enough to shatter t-tops on its way down, then you'd be cracking windshields way before you're getting wheelies... And if you were rich enough to spend that much $$ on an engine and suspension (because there is no way in hell you can lift a front end on a stock suspension...) to do wheelies, then you'd probably be smart enough to invest in frame strengthening... atleast SFC's...

bart91406

I personally think that talk of busting t-tops is about as real as the loch ness monster.

kevmann

I highly doubt it. There is quite a lot of wiggle room on those. Much less than the front widshield.

DJ_91RS

You may have got a good deal, but is it really that good of a deal if you want to "convert it" to a coupe? A friend of mine has a real stout T-Top Camaro and has never cracked a top. As far as them leaking, I have never had a car with them that leaked, or made excessive noise. Guess I must be taking care of them good. If you are making, or plan on making that kind of power, add sfc's and some sort of cage (6 point/8 point) to stop the twisting. Don't think you would break a t-top anyway...it should "pop out" before it broke, it might get ran over by someone behind you though lol

Dave

weswisehart

Looks like we have opposite problems I want mine to be a T-Top.

madhatter

iTrader: (1)

the process is the same, the strutural brackets between the roofs are the same. the coupe gives more structural twist support. but it is the cage that will really tie it together. its not hard to swap. check out the link below

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

HCR13, not to be rude, but what you said completely contradicts everything that drag racing is based on. People buy aftermarket suspensions to keep the wheels DOWN, right? Yeah.

So think about it, if there was no way in hell you can lift the wheels with a stock suspension, wouldn't EVERY drag racer in the world stick with a stock suspension?

Seriously, it's not hard to believe at all, think about that also. When 3,000+ lbs come slamming down, the weakest part will give way. Believe it or not, some people have shattered T-tops on these cars. I guess glass is no match for 3,000 pounds of flexing metal..

Believe what you want.

Harwood

There's probably alot of 6 cylinder cars sitting in wrecking yards rotting away with either T-tops that COULD be transplanted or coupes that you'd probably be able to sneak.

If you keep your ear to the ground, you may find someone wanting to go the opposite way and your welder friend may be able to make some coin off the trade off.

Mine was once a coupe, I'm still trying to fix t-top leaks, but my car wouldn't be the same as a coupe. Very little trumps touring with stars overhead. I think if you have a solid T-topper, you're not using it to it's full potential if you want to switch. :P

Painting of the t-tops sounds like a really good idea. But with my car I've got pretty deep tints and they match up pretty well. On that red Corvette w/o the tints, it really did pull the car together and you're right, somewhat make it look smaller.

And if someone did crack a t-top on a launch. Thats sweet. Too much knowledge under the hood and a lil' too little of Lexan. Happens to the best of us, though. My 305 couldn't cause a crack in a plumber. Can't wait for the 400 build to finish.

HCR13

iTrader: (5)

a suspension is not designed for the sole reason of keeping a car from making wheelies. There are way too many variables in suspension geometrics to even get to, the point was frame strengthening usually goes with suspension "modding". I've heard countless stories about people just cracking windshields on overtorqued engines, doing autocross with out SFCs, hell even just jacking up a car. Even in drag racing, I haven't heard of a t-top shattering. Windshields would break way before a vehicle got to the point of being capable of shattering t-tops...

hvinny

I've never heard of them breaking in the car from twist, What I heard of was them falling out and busting on the track from twist. I'm sure some poor adjustment was involved there too and... again... I didn't see it first hand. It was just the personal claim of someone I know. In a way, I doubt it because the car only ran like a 13.6 ET.

After market Suspension and/or modding is not to keep the car from lifting, it's to get better traction and faster 60' times. In short, transfer more power to the road. That's either on 4 wheels or 3 or even 2. The point is to hook up hard and put the power to the ground.

I too once had a 87 L98/700R4 about three years ago. Stall Converter, mild cam, headers and 125HP shot of juice. The previous owner raced the car religiously without SFC. The main reason I sold the car is it would not drive straight no matter how many times on the alignment machine. to me, it wasn't worth restoring and I didn't have the money to send it to a pro with a frame machine. It still makes a fun weekend warrior but I wanted one a little straighter. A friend owns it now.

At the top of the doors where the door glass contacted the seals, you could see a tear about an inch long on both sides. It was a coupe.

It's the key reason the one I'm working on now won't see any modding or the track till I get the SFC, Strut tower braces, etc. and possibly even a cage in it. I don't think it will ever be fast enough to need a cage but couldn't hurt to keep it square.

zraffz

Uh I wouldn't disagree more. I have presonally noticed significant flex in my t-tops when I dump the clutch in my trans am (roughly 400 ft lbs) and a friend has put a 468 into a camaro and had stress marks in the t-bar support and shattered his front windshield due to the weakness of the t-top.

Shadow Z

iTrader: (2)

Finally a person with common sense! I quit replying to this thread even though I'm the topic starter, because some people are just plain ridiculous.


I'm not Mr. Professional Drag Racer or anything, but I doubt most of these guys have been to tracks, or witnessed first hand the force that 3,000 pounds of car slamming down can put on a piece of glass, especially when it's mounted snugly.

I guess some people have this imaginary idea going on in their head that glass can withstand more abuse than steel.

zraffz

Well now for the logical side of this "theory" (since everybody is probably thinking BS that can't happen).
We all have unibody vehicles that (without Sub frame connectors) are allowing significant chassis flex. Us guys with t-tops have nothing supporting our roof from flexing right to left other then a front & rear windshield and the glass t-tops. The t-bar isn't doing too much either, it is only being supported from three sides (inner, front and back); offering no support to the outter side of the roof.

and to get back on topic, I have heard of people chopping the top half off the roof off and welding on new one. I wouldn't recommend sheet metal or fiberglass if you are looking to get anything more then just a different look.

Personally I plan on caging my t-top IROC to provide the rigidity that the sub frame connectors might not be giving me.