How would one go about getting this done to a 91 RS that has SFCs. The headliner needs to be replaced anyways (darn previous owner and cigarette burns). Do body shops do this as a service or is this custom work that is beyond the norm?

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, Jon (91 RS too many mods to list), getting new engine in summer

 

Why??!!!!!
If you want T-Tops buy a T-Top car!

 

Pardon my ignorance, but how the he!! did the previous owner burn the headliner with cigarettes?? Anyway, a while back there was a guy at camaross.com that put t-tops in a non t-top car in his garage. You might try searching archives over there.

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'88 Formula 350
Bright (VERY bright) red. Mods? yep, but never enough!
Check out the newest f-body site: http://www.lastgen.com/

 

as with any swap it would be best to get all the parts from the same car if u can, u will need a pair of t-tops and a roof from a t-top car with plenty of metal to weld . one of my freinds did this swap and it worked out fine, however another guy i know tried to do this swap half *** and his car bowed and the center of it was on the ground, he had to total it , so just be careful and support the body good when your cutting the roof apart.

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87 IROC-z 305 TPI 5spd Borg warner 9-bolt 3.45 posi 4 wheel disc,8.8 Accel wires , bosch platinum +4 plugs,gutted air box,k&n oil filter,synthetic oil 10w30

 

Maybe because I don't have the MONEY FOR A NEW CAR!!!!!!!!!
Okay, sorry but you just made the most useless post ever thanks for no help.
Now back to the subject:
I just finished restoring the car after it was broken into and totalled by the insurance co. This car has saved my life a few times now and I don't plan on getting rid of it. I'd love to have T-tops but I don't know how much it would cost or where to get it done.

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, Jon (91 RS too many mods to list), getting new engine in summer

[This message has been edited by JPrevost (edited January 25, 2001).]

 

Hey JPrevost,
I had my car done back in 1991. At the time there was an after market T-Tops. I'll let you known who the maker is when I get home. It cost me about $2,500. and had it done at a sunroof place in South San Francisco.

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90 Firebird SSA
Accel Super Coil
8mm Accel Ignition Wires
NKG Plautum Plugs
K&N Filter


Flowmaster
Bell Tech Drop Spindles
Edelbrock PanHard Bar
Lakewood Lower Control Arms
Wonderbar IROC-Z
KYB GR2 Struts
KYB Gas-a-Just Shocks
PST Suspension Polygrapite Bushings All Round
170 Degree Thermostat
36mm WS6 Front Sway Bar
24mm WS6 Rear Sway Bar

Trans Am Tail Lights
Trans Am Wrap Around Wing
Trans Am 16" Alum rims

Tinted Windows 90% 50%
Overhead Console
Power Windows
Power Locks
T-tops

 

Cutting and welding a roof severly affects the structual integrity of the car. Pretty much the same reason they don't pull roofs up on rolled cars and just total them. "I can do it but I won't drive in it!". I'm not going to say not to do it or try and persuade you to do it. God knows I try just about anything I can get my hands on even may have tried this. I'd atleast get Y type SFCs for this project incase you only got the ones that go along the rocker from the front subframe to the rear subframe. You have to be very careful and take your time and learn how to weld if you have to do it yourself. It may be hard to find a shop that is willing to do this anymore.

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1984 WS6 Trans Am Hartop
Former L69 Car under restoration
1984 Trans Am T-tops
4-bolt main 350, performer intake, headers, Holley 650, T-5, hayes clutch, dual elec. fans and 3.23's.
Daily driver and restoration
13.98 @ 101

 

You would need an entire roof cut off a donor. The car would have to be measured to death and supported on the pinch weld's while in process. Once welded back together at the factory seams, the car would have every bit of it's structual integrity intact.
But on a t-top car, that not much. Without frame connectors, t-top cars handle like a wet noodle. Plan on putting them on first. Doors, hood, dash, Interior, and fenders need to be off/out so you can get to the factory welds in the cowl just above the upper door hinges. Don't even bother putting it on unless your going to use factory weld placement. Especially in the front. I'm sure your local GM body shop have replaced them before. I've personnaly done one, about 6-7 years ago after ice fell off a roof onto the car. I remember it being a pain in the *** because so much of the car had to come apart, and measureing everything, but otherwise pretty stright forward.
If you do it make sure whoever cuts the donor off leaves you plenty of meat (front). Any body shop can do this easilly but save your self a ton of money in labor and have the car taken apart and towed in. Good luck

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Kenney
82 Trans Am WS7 notchback
83 Trans Am WS6 T-tops
72 Vista Cruiser 455
90 Olds Trofeo
80 K-10 w/snow plow
Painter @ Chevy dealer
GM junkie

 

Here is a web site with the aftermarket t-top. http://www.sunroofdoctor.com/green3.html
The top frame on mine was welded and rivited on.

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90 Firebird SSA (Bone stock 3.1)

Everything Below I've added

Engine: Accel Super Coil, 8mm Accel Ignition Wires, 170 Degree Thermostat, NKG Plautum Plugs, K&N Filter, Flowmaster 80

Suspension: Bell Tech Drop Spindles, Edelbrock PanHard Bar, Lakewood Lower Control Arms, Wonderbar IROC-Z, KYB GR2 Struts, KYB Gas-a-Just Shocks, PST Suspension Polygrapite Bushings All Round, 36mm WS6 Front Sway Bar, 24mm WS6 Rear Sway Bar

Appearance: Trans Am Tail Lights, Trans Am Wrap Around Wing, Trans Am 16" Alum rims, Tinted Windows Rear 90% Sides 50%

Interior: GTA power seats, Overhead console, Power windows, Power locks, T-tops, Sun shade, Pioneer P77DH, Uniden radar detector, Intellitronix - Fuel pressure gauge, Transmission temp gauge. (In pods)

 

Not that my old crx handled worth a d@mn in the 1st place,,, but cutting out a targa top didn't phase it.

I've got a t-top camaro & firebird,, I can't feel and wet noodle handling they are supposed to have for some reason.

With all the needed metal & tops from a doner car, some patience, and a little welding, it wouldn't be that hard to do (not exactly easy either).



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My Firebird

Part Breakdown Diagrams

 

Wet noddle theory: Stock for stock

I own an '82 hardtop and an '83 t-top.

I've had the '82 since '86 and always jacked it up under the torque boxes in the front.

I got the '83 in '97. The '82 was off the road so i took the tires off it and put them on the '83.

Both are WS6 cars.

I come up to this s curve i've gone around in the '82 a thousand times in the '83 and the front end pushes sending me into the other lane. Lucky for me, no one was comming.

After shaking out my pantleg i protest WHAT A PIECE of **** this car is.

The car had been alighned a week or so before also.

So one night a few weeks later im playing around with the '83 and had it jacked up by the front torque box. I opened the door to get something out of the car and WHAM! The door popped so hard it almost knocked me over. This does'nt happen on a hardtop. My hardtop car's doors open and shut fine no matter where it's jacked. So then it dawned on me why i went skidding through the s curve. Weak car.

Since then i've been carefull with the '83 but have come to this conclusion:

Without frame connectors,

Hardtops are "Loose"...Oversteer
T-Top's are "tight" ...understeer



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Kenney
82 Trans Am WS7 notchback
83 Trans Am WS6 T-tops
72 Vista Cruiser 455
90 Olds Trofeo
80 K-10 w/snow plow
Painter @ Chevy dealer
GM junkie

 

Yeah, without SFCs T-top cars are trash for handling but I think yours is an extreme case possibly the frame rail of the gearbox has cracked like it does on a lot of these cars.

I don't do handling manuevers like I used to do in the hardtop with my T-top car. For one simple reason, no SFCS!. I'm not afraid of sliding off the road (I used to take the hardtop to fuel starvation levels) I just would like to aviod chronic T-top leaking do to a tweaked chassis.

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1984 WS6 Trans Am Hartop
Former L69 Car under restoration
1984 Trans Am T-tops
4-bolt main 350, performer intake, headers, Holley 650, T-5, hayes clutch, dual elec. fans and 3.23's.
Daily driver and restoration
13.98 @ 101

 

Guess I have special cars then,,

I've yet to have a handling problem with either of mine,,, coming down a cloverleaf at 65mph(marked for 30mph) or so on the gas has never posed a problem for me, granted,,, it not a full on 65 but it doesn't break traction. As far as the @ss swinging out on tight turn,, I blame the posi and a heavy foot,,, plus,, I kinda like a power slide

Might just be I've never experienced the 'greatness' of a hard top. It's hard enough to stay in the seat as it is,, I don't know if I could handle any harder turns than what I've got,, I can only hold on to the shifter so tight. (upgrade the seats,,, I know,,)

 

the solution is, get sub frame connectors and put em on. take off the t-tops, let the wind blow through your hair, and drive it the best you know how. thats what it is all about.

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click below to check out MY FORMULA PAGE!
http://www.formula350.com

or click below to email me
astralbaby11@hotmail.com

 

Hi,

T-top cars have reinforced a and b pillars, hardtops don't. I *think* the rocker panels are also reinforced on the inside with a kind of honeycomb effect, too. This conversion NEEDS SFC's, guaranteed.

You can do this conversion. I priced it out recently, got a price of $1,200.00... plus the cost of a decent donor car. And good quality SFC's.

The body shop (owned by a good friend, if it matters) strongly suggested not to do it. Loyalty to your present car aside, it would be significantly cheaper just to buy a t-top car and the end result is a proper job, decent fit, etc. Since he owns 2 'vettes and a 70 Chevelle SS 454 and has 25 years experience, his opinion is worth considering.

The entire roof will need removal / replacing, the body will need to be held exactly firm in perfect alignment during the removal and installation. Since no 2 cars are exactly alike, you will have some fit problems... how close the tolerances are on both cars will determine that. He even suggested finding a car of the same model year; assembly lines wear with time causing slight variations in the cars.

I'd say your best bet would be to look into the aftermarket ones listed above in an earlier post OR buy a t-top car.

Good luck,

Ed

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'84 Z/28, L69

 

I'm probably not going to do it just because I need the car and performance comes first in my book. Well first is a nice clean car, then performance, then nicer parts :-). I didn't know that the T-top cars hade special front pilers and bracing. I thought they just had the extra metal brace in the middle only on the roof. Guess I learned something new. The option is still there because I just got a great part time / full time summer job that is paying $23-27/hr. I should be able to afford my current rent, school, 330hp vortec crate engine, and a new paint job. Thanks for the link though and the insite. Like I said before, SFC are a must and I already have them. In fact I'm about to get the Global west versions because they seem to compliment the alstons really well.

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, Jon (91 RS too many mods to list), getting new engine in summer