Hello
I find myself wanting a 88-91Camaro iroc-z,
Sadly I live in Sweden and there are for the most part only targa and t-top were hardtop is rather very rare with automatic transmission. So i'd rather buy one with t-top.

So my question is, do T-top cowl shake or warp the body? If so would I need to put a stiffening brace or something on it?

 

For me, t-tops are a must on a 3rd gen. Sub-frame connectors should also be added to all 3rd gens anyway, hardtop or t-top in my opinion.

 

You and me both!

I have owned 3 T-tops and 2 Hardtops and I feel boxed in in a hardtop, but not in a T-top even with them on.

Just my

 

Only F-body that'll do for me has T-Tops, back in the day when it would have been a daily driver then no, but as a fair weather car it is for me now, absolutely.

 

Back in '91 when my RS was my daily driver, I had a steel roof and liked it.

But the T/A is a toy and a cruiser. If there are a few extra squeaks so be it. I love my T-tops!

 

Not that I ever take them out anymore, but to me t-tops make the car -- it's one of those signature features. Cars without them don't look as good IMO.

 

I wouldn't have a T-top if it was given to me for free...

 

I personally don't go quite that far, but I too prefer a hardtop. Loved the T's when I was younger but as I've gotten older I find that I just never took them out.

 

Really. We probably take them out 9 out of 10 trips out with the car.

 

I absolutely agree with this, but I think I know why that is the case. If the 3rd gen had T-Top holders that locked them snug and secure in a matter of seconds like the 4th gen, then it would be a different story. But dealing with the bag, I just don't have the energy anymore. So they stay on...

- Rob

 

I wouldn't have a Thirdgen without T-tops unless it was a race car.

 

Yep, #1 reason why I never take them out on the 3rd gen. Used to take them out all the time in my '02 since it was so quick and easy. Even has the seal around all sides of the glass so you don't have to burn your hands taking them out when it's hot outside.

 

I've never had a 4th gen with T-Tops, my 95 Z didn't have em so I didn't have the luxury of those nice storage slots, my C4 is a pain in the *** to take the targa off so usually it's off for a couple weeks, I don't bother with the bags on the T/A, I just pop them off and leave them on a blanket in the garage. The C4 or the T/A only come out on "No rain in sight" days lol

 

I know it's an unpopular opinion but my car has t tops and I honestly wish it was a hard top. unless the car is mint, chances are those t tops have been leaking water into the car for 30 years now. I just cut out all the rotted t top channels and roof sections and welded in new metal and channels. Honestly dreading trying to get the new gaskets to seal once the car is painted. so much hassle that could be avoided with a hard top.

 

T-tops all the way. Only reason I bought it 30yrs ago.

 

That's a huge exaggeration lol. Any car that has been taken care of is fine. My 92 GTA has 245K miles and the factory t-top seals are like new.

 

I kind of miss having them in my GTA.

My prior 3rd gens were both '90 Formulas. Neither of them ever leaked a drop, even at 20 years old.

 

Every third gen I’ve owned (all have been trans ams) had t-tops except one (a Camaro),I like the t-tops,but to be honest all of them leaked to some degree in the rain,and all the cars I’ve owned were well taken care of cars with decent seals. The reality is most people don’t seem to take the tops off for the most part. The hardtop cars are definitely stiffer than the t-tops,but if you install good subframe connectors that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

 

What’s the secret to getting them not to leak? I had a low mileage 88 Trans Am and even it leaked during hard rain. My legs would be wet when I drove it. Lol.

 

Not leaking (in my experience) is just getting them adjusted properly. Too tight or too loose will leak. Sure, eventually the seals give up, but even new seals can leak if not adjusted properly.

 

I don't know for sure, but I'd heard there was a design change prior to my 1990 Formulas. I've always heard that the later ones were much less prone to leakage.

The only thing I ever did was to regularly lubricate the rubber stripping that the glass panels sat on. I even did this when my first 1990 was a new car, because I heard that leakage could be an issue.

 

ive always lubed the seals with a lil Vaseline and it definitely helps. TBH though these cars have been known to leak some straight from the factory.

 

For 20 years I've been using Eagle 1 tire gloss on literally all of my plastics and rubbers on all my cars.

 

actually hardtops look better,flex less and have more headroom but these are all opinions,much like yours is.

 

agreed 100%,had one t-top car and the novelty wore out in days.pain to store,leak when they are in,less headroom(im 6'4") and essentially unusable with them out.im also a hair bag and hate my hair flying around.i never adopted the hat and buzz cut look.....

 

debatable. sure there's some exceptions and a well kept car may not leak but i'd bet money that 9 out of 10 t top owners have experienced leaks to some degree.

 

i had t-tops in an iroc,they leaked.my neighbor had a gorgeous formula,meticulously cared for.they leaked.
my other friend had at least 3 1982-1986 z28s with t-tops,they all leaked and one was bought new.i think
he had a very brief period of them not leaking in the first year or so.i guess it could be a co-inky-dink

 

So what are you trying to so?

 

i like how the T-Tops look,in and out but any third gen ive had or my friends have had had leaking t-tops.
i guess that's it,if someone has a way to make them not leak,awesome.Ive got a hardtop now so i don't
have to deal with it any longer.

ps:i really like your car,t-tops and all.red rules

 

Thanks. And I get it. I worked at a Chevy dealer in the '80s. I've seen IROCs right off the trailer leaking. Don't even get me started with the more "particular" owners who complained about squeaks. And it wasn't just the unibody F-cars. The Monte SSs we'd get with T's were no better.

I've been lucky. Mine are 99% water tight. No rubber seal is impervious to all weather. I can get a drip or two in a driving rain, which I got caught in once. But mine are pretty darned good. But that's partly in how I use the car. It SELDOM sees rain. At shows, I have a plastic cover for just such occasions.

I don't find removal or storage all that egregious. And I find the open air benefits to be well worth the trouble. But as we've seen, opinions vary.

 

I don't think t-tops hurt the appearance at all. But as for flex, no doubt they would.

I've always heard the leakage complaints. I'm really not lying, mine never leaked a drop. Because I always heard these complaints even back in 1990 when I bought my first Formula, I was also sure to keep the rubber clean and lubricated, so maybe that helped. I parked outside back then, and after 8 years and 167K miles, it never leaked. Bought my second '90 Formula in 2003 and kept it until it was just shy of 20 years old as a daily driver. Never a leak. Maybe I was just lucky.

Pretty sure there was some design change in 1989 or 1990 that was said to help a lot.

 

i will also honestly admit every one of these cars was pre 1990 so that could be true.i don't mind them,i just hate leaks and i love the later models as well

 

I like T-tops. Especially on a beautiful day when its not 100 deg. Don't have to daily drive the car so a little leak in a major flood situation doesn't bother me.

 

dmccain, that is an awesome picture!

Every time I see a car with the tops out, I'm envious. Mostly too hot in the summer in SC, but great for much of October - April.

 

Here in Ms too bro- thanks.

 

that is a stunning car,truly spectacular and yes i do like the look of t-tops .im not super thrilled with converts either,some
of them are beautiful but in general im not a convertible guy.i just don't like the potential rot,rattles,leaks etc. the t-top iroc
i had was awful for leaks but it was a hard miles car.the other cars my friends owned were much nicer but had similar issues.
if i found a clean t-top car when i bought mine i would probably own it.i looked at a couple and they were all rough and rusty.
i do like them,other than the potential leaks,rattles,seals and possible rust areas.

 

Out of 4 t-top cars ive had only one absolutely did not leak at all- my 91 Z28. My current car leaked once under a flash flood that happened while at a car show. No doubt t-top cars can be problematic and certainly not as tight and structurally sound as a hardtop car. But I love my t tops

 

I'm glad I'm not the only hardtop fan here...

 

my neighbor bought a 1988 trans am brand new and the day he drove it home it started to rain and the tops leaked. He was really angry and took it back to the dealership,the service dept told him that they all leaked to some degree and he should expect a few drops. I guess it’s like convertibles. You just accept it as part of the experience. I’ve never been in one convertible yet that didn’t leak.

 

I've had both t top car and non, never had a leak. At this point, whether they leak or not is irrelevant IMO. These cars are ~30 years old. They should be looked at and nursed. If you need a rainy day - daily driver, get a cruze or something (stay away from japanese TOYlets) As far as the look goes, there are verts, t-tops and hardtops, whatever YOU LIKE. The chassis rigidity can be measured, and using the herb adams 10ft beam method, there is a measurable difference between hardtop and t top. The difference would only be significant at the limits of use. Although good by it's time standard, the bottom line is that ALL of this generation has a flexible chassis, and even if you have a hardtop you really need to get it pinned down if yer doing anything energetic in them. If you just wanna drive it around and have people wonder what it is, stock in any form is good.

 

There’s absolutely no reason one of these cars can’t be used as a daily driver. I’m doing it right now and these are “new” cars to me.lol. 30 years old is nothing. My third gen doesn’t even leak a drop of oil or transmission fluid.
My other cars all have fins and I drove one of those for 20 some years as a daily driver and the only reason I don’t now is because society has gotten worse and you can’t leave it for any length of time unattended,not the cars reliability. I had a 67 Dart GT that had 280k on it with the original engine and torqueflite trans before it got hit and totalled. Never had to smog. It either and all the parts are readily available. Even had factory air. That was the only thing I ever had to fix.
It’s far cheaper to maintain an older car than some ugly modern plastic piece of crap when it
breaks down. If you personally like a “Cruze” then that’s wonderful. But it’s not for me. Life’s too short for me to drive ugly cars. It’s not just about getting from one place to the other, it’s about the experience of driving something beautiful that gets you there.
As far as the leaking of the tops are concerned there seem to be more folks saying they leak then those who say they don’t. I’ve had some really nice low mile trans ams,one with only 45k miles,and even it leaked in a heavy rain. Not saying some didn’t,but I surely wouldn’t buy a modern car because of that. My friend had a new mustang convertible and It leaks in the rain. It’s just part of owning a convertible

 

I'd take a Toyota or Honda ANY DAY over a Chevy Cruz. They're just BETTER cars, period. ..

 

straying from the topic, but yeh,, welcome to America....

 

My first Firebird was a fully loaded 1986 V6. It was a hard top and I loved that car. Some punk hit it from behind while parked. I had it fix, but it wasnt the same. So in 1989 the dealer I used had 3 black, 2 gray interior and 1 black interior Formula 350s coming in. The black interior one was sold. But I didn't care, I slapped down a wad of cash on that Formula 350, fully loaded with T-tops. yes they leak, but I would still own a t-top over a hard top Bird. Still have it today, I have a thread on the Body board, just repainted back to black.

 

Nantasket Beach !