I want a t-top conversion, but I have no idea how much that costs. I can't even find any shop that will do it, they all say it's a nightmare and that all factory t-tops leaked anyways. Are t-tops all hyped up, or should I keep wishing I could do the conversion.

 

Well I have never had to do a conversion for the t-tops but I love the t-tops myself. I had a 94 camaro with t-tops and now my 88 firebird with them. My 94 camaro didnt leak from t-tops but my 88 does when it rains hard.

 

How much is the actaully leak, like does it drip all around you or slowly or near the window or what.

 

Maybe the following link will provide some ideas about why shops would be hesitant (cost for a shop to do the work would be, well, expensive):

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...onversion.html

JamesC

 

Well the passenger side t-top is the one that leaks. When it does leak its a slow drip. Its not really a problem, just got some of my college papers wet. I think if I got new weatherstrips they wouldnt leak anymore. The weatherstrip on mine that didnt leak were still in great shape, these not so much.

 

I'm about to cut my t-tops off and put a hardtop on . Might put in a power sunroof, still debating on that.

 

I was actually thinking of doing something like that. I really hope it goes well and would like to see how it turns out.

 

I would put in a sunroof. I had one in my '87 and really liked it. It was really old but didn't leak much at all as long as I kept the gasket clean.

 

I was wanting to do a t top conversion on my car and then while i was at it do a targa top conversion(like the supra on fast and the furious where the whole top comes off), Ive seen people that have done it and thought it would be great for the summer. Ive also thought about a sunroof but i really dont know, I havnt seen a thirdgen with one yet, if anyone has any pics of a targa or sunroof you should def post em.

 

I like my hardtop, IMO i dont like how ttops look on thirdgens, I have a 4th gen with ttops and they seem to look better on the 4th gens.

 

Here are some old pics. The sunroof trim needed some new paint.
Wow, that antenna mast was UGLY! Forgot I had that on there back then.

 

I wish I did not get rid of my hardtop (91Z28) , now I have a (91RS) with t-tops and I can't stand it .

 

T-tops are hype... They're OK when they're out, but if the sun is out, like on a nice summer day when you think it'd be cool to have the tops out, the sun beats down in your eyes and you need a hat anyway. With the tops in, without the liners, the sun still beats down on you through the glass. The plastic tops are tinted darker, so they aren't as bad, but they have their own issues. About the only time they're really 'Cool' is when other people see the car with the tops out, or at night.

Did I mention they rattle, creak, leak, and make the body more flexible? Yeah, all that too. There's also that dance of unlocking the car, opening the door, rolling down both windows, opening the hatch, unlatching the tops and storing them in the bag, strap them down tight, close the hatch... Ok, now you can drive away. But when you get where you're going, reverse the process... Or just leave the car open and hope some hood doesn't steal anything that's not buttoned down, or toss their garbage in your interior.

I LOVED my first thirdgen with ttops. I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Until I took a corner and the water dripped all over my knee. It still wasn't bad though, just something to keep in mind. But then I got a daily driver beater thirdgen with ttops... The novelty wears off really fast when you have to deal with the annoyances EVERY DAY!

Now that I've got both a hardtop with subframe connectors, and a convertible, Ttops are kind of half-***, with every drawback in the book. Don't get me started on sun-roofs. I had one of those too, but the leaks were in a worse spot.

I LOVE my hardtop.

 

I own both, and I love my T tops, IMO they look awsome, its a blast to ride around with them off on a good day, and mine actually don't leak at all, so the only drawback is the time it takes to get them off and stored, which really isn't all that bad, imo. The car is undergoing restoration, so it won't ever be a daily driver again. My daily driver now is a hard top and I love that too, less maintanace, better shade no storage of tops required. Though hard tops have their drawbacks too. More surface for paint to fade, in an area where factory paint seems to fade pretty bad, the headliners droop and fall and hang over your head annoyingly (T top headliners fall too, but it dosn't get in the way as much). My hardtop actually leaks more than my T top car, but that is only because I've sort of neglected my hatch weather stripping.

 

I'll take the light leaks, the body flexxing, creaking and rattles, and the annoying 3 minute removal/install. T-tops are fun and girls love them. I've owned 6 Fbodies, only the first 2 were hard top. And if the sun bothers you, that's what t-top shades are for.

However, I do love the way hard top thirdgens look.

 

opposite for me, the first two fbodies I owned were t-tops. I've gone hard top since and haven't looked back!

 

id rather have a hard top over t-top only during the winter monthes :P summer is great tho

 

I love the T-Tops too...Personally IF a car is available with targa or T's thats what I will buy...I actually prefer them to a full convertible because they get alot less windy, are safer from a theft standpoint and dont wear out and need to be replaced like a convertible top would....I would NEVER buy a third gen without them.

 

Its not a dumb idea at all, IMHO. I'd LOVE to do a targa on my GTA. If your going to go through the trouble of having a t-top conversion, just do a targa conversion.

I think a targa conversion would be easier, if you used the original metal as the removable piece & not fabricated a clear/smoked glass (lexan?) section for it. In the background against the tree, it appears to be a smoked targa top piece.


TPI383 has actually done a hard top > t-top > 'vert > scrap (R.I.P.) conversion.... https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...onversion.html

 

i have mixed feelings about t tops.

the leaking from what i hear but i'm sure thats correctable with new weather stripping.

if you have a lot of power then its possible for the glass to break.

i'm sure its nice in the spring and summer. though if you're driving and it starts to rain, or even pour then you gotta pull off and put them back in.

i love my hardtop

 

I think T-tops are a bit hyped up. I use to want to change mine to T-Tops but after looking at the change it's self, weather striping, and still the possibility of leaks I kinda got out of it.
Truthfully I love my hard top in the summer keeps the sun off me, roll down the windows if I want air and up if I want to crank the A/C up plus in the winter don't have to worry about snow melting on the roof and pouring on my seat or anything electronic.
I like the targa conversion look kinda an upgrade from the t-tops. My only experience in a T-top was terrible sun blazing down on me, air was to hot and dry to even feel cold at high speed and the kid I was riding with was way to focused on looking "Cool". Also i knew about 2 people back in high school that flip there cars and they had t-top and it crunched to roof like a can, both sould have died but some got a hold of the passenger seat and held on and didn't get crushed but the pillar.
I have seen sunroofs in a thirdgen camaro and they look a little out of place but I think if you are going that way that maybe the best way to do it and alot of place will put one in.

 

Personally, I love my T-Tops in my 87. They leak occasionally, but nothing more than a few drips.
Theres nothing better than being on the highway with my T-tops off.

So its up to you, but IMO T-Tops are the way to go.

 

T-Tops are great on my 91RS. No liners and do not have a problem with the sun. They do not leak, squeak, rattle, pop, shimmy, or do anything else weird. I was not aware of any "hype" when I bought mine so I am glad that it did not influence me. I guess the people that have them that leak/rattle do not know how, or are to lazy to clean/replace the seals as needed. I would hate to see the way they maintain the rest of their car. If you want a T-Top get one. I do not think it is worth the price to have one converted.

 

I love my hardtop, I was looking for a t-top car when I bought it, and am so glad I didn't get one. My mom had a white T-Top car when I was a kid, and I remember now how much we hated it, well, and loved it at the same time. I live in the mountains, so most of the year the tops were in, they leaked, they made lots of noise, creaks, etc. My hardtop makes enough noise from body flex as it is.

 

I love my hardtop although on some really nice days I do miss my t-tops

 

i love my t tops but i wouldnt go through the work of converting to them if i had a hard top again.put a sunroof in if you really wanna look up just make sure you cut the hole the right size if you do it yourself
or just buy a t top car.

 

I have had t top 3rd and fourth gens as well as 3rd gen hard tops and t tops.

My current car is a hardtop and have had it longer than any other.

The cons far outweigh the pros for t tops in my opinion.

 

I would not have bought my '86 TA if it didn't have T-Tops. It's part of the style of being one of the Cool Kids

 

t-tops are nice but their actually a pain..when driving they squeak alot..they leak, and here in az the suns kills ur interior and you when your driving so they have to be tinted..id prefer a hard top..but for looks t-tops are pretty cool.

 

On a rainy day yeah, my left pant leg is soggy. And yeah, doing the T-top dance can be annoying. Oh and yeah, they are hyped.

Still, got nothing but love for my T-tops. Just added personality in my book. Only thing better would be if they were powered. My idea you can steal it though.

 

i hate my t-tops in the 86 and love the hardtop on the 92.

when i DD the 86, i would almost drown every time it rained. Nothing like driving home after a long day at work on a soaking wet seat with water dripping on your arm and head.

 

I love my hard top! I like that I never have to worry about leaks, and the interior is silent while I'm driving no creeks, rattles. I also don't have any of the whistling of the wind coming through the weather striping like the T tops have. The few times I have been in an absolute down pour in my GTA not a single drop made it into the interior. I also don't like the way they look on the third gens, they ruin the cars sharp sleek lines when they are off.

 

I love my hardtop. My old T/A had T-tops ('79) and it was awesome looking up at the moon through the T-roof, but I can do w/out that.

 

I have to say I love having t-tops. Sure they creak (Though I'm sure some WD-40 could fix that because it's coming from where the t-top "bolts" onto the car.) and they leak but they're awesome to have off when it's sunny.

Because it rains a lot here I just put some clear tape on the parts where the t-top meets the body and water doesn't get in. You don't even notice it unless you look close, not that it matters when your car looks like mine.

It's like having a convertible but still retaining the original look of the car. I've always hated how convertibles looked with the top up.

 

I don't really think a conversion would be that difficult if you were somewhat experienced at body work. thirdgen ranch even has just a t-top for sale for like 60 bucks.
http://thirdgenranch.com/-strse-726/...oof/Detail.bok

 

I have one of each, but have a project in the works for the t-top car. I picked up a pair of lexan tops at a swap meet last weekend that have some scratches in them. I am going to sand them and paint them the color of the car so it has the illusion of being a hard top. Will post pics when I get into doing the job.

 

I love ttops....the Z28 has them and the 70 Vette has them. So awesome to cruise around with.

My car doesn't leak too bad but doesn't see rain anyway. If I had to daily drive it and they leaked a ton I might think different. Or if I wanted a drag car or auto-x car as opposed to my weekend cruiser I would prefer the rigidity for sure.

 

My car is just a weekend cruiser/nice day cruiser, my t-tops don't leak, and the only rattles I get are from the doors.

T-tops aren't a make or brake deal with me, I like having them but I wouldn't be upset if I didn't.

 

I never want another t-top car. In fact, t-tops are a deal breaker.

 

no real issues with mine besides the creaking when the body flexes, and the girls LOVE the t-tops, so I can't complain about them

 

ok i change my mind, i got a 2000 SS with t tops, i freakin love them.

and the above is right as well. the girls love them

 

It bugs the absolute crap outta me when I hear the whole "rigidity" stuff. With some simple subframe connectors, you can make the car as stiff as you want.

Proof:



Its a buddy of mine's 86 IROC running *7's* through the 1/4 at ~180mph. They don't pop out, they don't shatter, its because the structure is strong enough.

Just my $.02.

The biggest problem with our cars is the fact that the front and rear subframes are held together with little more than sheet metal....

Having a Camaro/Firebird (especially a 3rdgen) w/o TTop is like having a hot girlfriend with NO *****... LOL

 

I'll agree w/ that. I had to pass up so many good cars because they had T-tops. I passed on several nice Camaros, T/As, and Monte Carlo SSs.

 

ROFL, I just about spit beer onto my computer monitor, lol!! that is one funny statement!

still, I prefer the hardtop myself.

 

My 86 was one of the few T Top cars that never leaked. But as Drew said now that I have a 88 vert it is much better than TTops. And my 92 hardtop is easy maintenance.

 

really? i think a thirdgen is just "out of place" without t-tops.

 

ya but somehow they still look really sweet when off, i dont know why but they just do.

 

Does anyone have any info on this car? Who did the roof? Are there closer up pictures of the weather stripping, roof etc? BTW, my GTA is a T-Top, and NOT having it was a deal breaker for me, and there aren't a lot of third-gens, especially GTAs, here so it took longer to find a car.

 

maybe try the link to the thread??
Mikey

 

I love the T-Tops on my 4th Gen, and I could go for either on my 3rd Gen... the only thing is they leaked like a SOB on my previous T-Top Iroc. but I also like the sun not beating down on me in the hardtop Iroc as well