Hi guys, I am purchasing an 82 TA that is a hardtop car. I really want to do a nice clean T-Top Roof Swap. I was kicking around two options. 1) use a Cars & Concepts T-Top Roof because I was advised it’s less invasive. 2) use a regular factory roof from a ttop third gen cut at the A and C pillars and swap that on. Have you guys ever done this to a car, and if so can you give me detailed information on the step by step process and pictures if you have them. PM me and I’ll give you a cell number to send the pictures to or you can email me. mrbohn23@yahoo.com. I’d really appreciate any advice on the topic.

Thanks,
Matt

 

My advice: Dont do it.
Take your time shopping around and find one with t tops already (they were extremely common), or learn to love your hardtop (no roof leaks to worry about). Or install a sunroof, but that is not a popular option on this board and will probably result in people toilet papering your house or drive by shootings from all the hatred it would generate.

 

thanks for the advice. I’ll see what other tips I get. I love T-Tops and this particular hardtop car is nice.

 

That sounds like "Teaching a horse to dance" ! IE Way to much trouble than it would be worth. I saw a car show where they did said transformation...PITA, IMO.

 

If you are dead set on putting T-Tops in this particular car, the best bet would probably be to get the full C&C setup from a donor car and install it just like a C&C T-Top conversion would have been done back in the day. If you replace all of the seals, take careful measurements and do it right, it would be as good as any other C&C T-Top conversion. Now, whether or not that is better, worse or equivalent to an original T-Top car is debatable (Some like C&C, some don't).

 

IMO, it would be the first stop, on the train Ride, to "Parts Car" status!

 

After just doing extensive rot repair along the t top rails in my car, I would kiss that hard top you have before going to bed tonight

 

It's one of those projects that you really need to know what you are getting into and have the skills to see it through. Otherwise, yes.

 

This would be a very ambitious project for a highly-experienced body man/sheet metal worker which would also involve glass and interior work. Unless that description fits you, I advise finding another car that already has the options you want.

If you go ahead with the project, which I feel would be of great interest on this site, start a build thread so forum members can follow along.

GL with whatever you decide.

 

Many experienced bodymen know how to do this. Personally, I like hardtops...

 

If you took the car to a shop and asked them to convert it, they wouldn't install a T-Top kit in this day and age.

They'd cut the roof off an existing T-Top car and put it on yours.

You have a hard top, I would take the advice given earlier. Learn to love it, or sell the entire car and find a T-Top car.

And don't go C&C if you have a choice. While the C&C has some nice advantages in terms of its rigidity; seriously, there are like a billion aircraft grade rivets holding it in with a massive H shaped brace. C&C cars are probably as stiff as a hard top car, which is about like comparing two wet noodles and asking which one is less flexible. They also have a decently sized channel for water.

But they do have some down-sides too. T-top seal adjustment is done on the T-Top, and the only thing holding is a plastic bezel. There's a much larger steel hole behind it, but that still depends on the plastic not squeaking, and let me tell, you, they squeak. Parts of these tops are significantly harder to find overall. You get into a wreck and the glass pops, you'll probably have to have a custom lexan piece made.

Honestly, in days past I would have considered cutting the C&C top off the car and replacing it with a hard top.

 

Yeah, it would require the entire roof, A-pillars and B-pillars, too, not just the top of the roof, and not just cutting into the top of the roof. So removal of the windshield and hatch, of course. Like one of these two examples:



I'm pretty sure people have replaced rusted-out t-top roofs with good t-top roofs, or to rebuild crashed cars, rather than scrap them, so this would be no different than that. I remember pictures and write-ups, I think here on TGO. Not common, so I don't know how difficult it would be to find in a search. But as long as professional body people do the work, not hacks, then there should be no reason this can't be done.

But before any cutting is done, the installation of subframe connectors would be imperative, I'd think.

As for C&C or factory, good luck finding a C&C roof to chop, unless you've already tracked one down. I think a factory t-top roof would be the better one to work with. The glass panels would also be much easier to come-by, too. And don't forget to get the little door support pieces from that donor car.

It would take a lot of time and cost a lot of money, so it would only be worth it to YOU, if you really think it is.

 

So, I knew I'd find a picture if i looked.

If you check out this thread, this is the C&C T-Top H-brace I was talking about. This thing gets rivited in across the entire A and B-pillar. And essentially becomes as strong as the original roof was. (which is still like a wet noodle)

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/exte...sion-cars.html

 

As an owner of a C&C t-topped Monte Carlo, I will echo the thoughts of selling yours and buying a t-top car. Honestly, the fact that yours is a clean car, doesn't amount to a hill of beans. There are clean t-tops Camaro's out there too. Go find one.

If you are good at body work, you can probably do this fairly easily. But the fact you are asking the questions you are, I have my doubts. If you are going to bring it to a shop and have a shop do it... at $75 an hour for labor, it would be cheaper to sell yours and buy another clean t-top example.

Different strokes for different folks.... in saying that I will never own another t-top equipped car.

 

Not hard to do for a Pro. Would definitely use an original T-top though. Never after market...