I have an opportunity to get a GTA that is in very nice shape. The only problem, is the 91 GTAs never came with t-tops. I know several people have converted their 4th gen cars to t-tops, but I wondered if this could be done with the 3rd gens? Anyone try this? What all would I need? Thanks.

 

I wanted to put T-Tops onto my hard top Firebird so I went around town to get some estimates. I went to 4 body shops... 3 of them said they wouldn't do it because of the liabilty isssues (roof caving in wrong during a crash or something) and the 1 that would estimated it at $700 (which didn't include any parts, just cutting).

In the end, I decided it wasn't worth it.

 

I would just get a power sunroof put in, A) You don't even have to get out of the car to open or close like T-Tops. B) I don't know about anyone elses area, but that would be pretty original for a 3rd gen around here cause I haven't seen one yet.

 

It's a little different for the 3rd gen cars. All of the 4th gen cars are T-Tops cars from the factory. When you cut off the composite top of a hard top 4th gen, the t-bar with the holes for the t-top rails are already there. On the 3rd gens, I have no idea.

 

A sunroof will weaken a car even more than aftermarket t-tops. Under the hardtop, there's a steel bar that runs down the center of the roof, and with t-tops you still have that bar. When you put in a sunroof, you cut right through that bar, and the ONLY strength left comes from the tin panels.

Although I have no way to prove it or even verify it as truth, my understanding is that the t-top cars came with additional structural supports in the chassis and B pillars, which is why all of the verts were converted t-top cars.

Keep in mind that if you go with an aftermarket t-top conversion, you'll be dealing with impossible to find parts real soon. Ask anybody that's got C&C t-tops what finding parts is like.

if you have a factory t-top roof put onto the car, there is major labor involved, and whoever does it better know what he's doing, or you'll have a mess. One of the Knight Rider kit dealers is offering conversions for something like $7k complete, or $3k with all parts supplied by you and no paint work.

 

Just an end note: If I was hell bent on a 91 L98 with t-tops, I'd either buy an LB9 and do a motor swap, or I'd buy an earlier GTA and do a bumper & ground effects swap.

 

GM no longer sells the center molding/rail assembly that the T-Tops slide into. Where I'm at you can't find a used one without it being rusted where the water channels are.

 

I just looked into this piece being discontinued. It seems the late '85-up center piece is no longer available from GM, but the '82-early '85 piece is. The part number is 20192907

What is the difference in the center piece for the early/later cars? I know the latches on the ttops are different on the other end but thought the middle was the same? Hope this helps

 

If you do enough reinforceing on the undercarriage like a frame wrap, you could do a targa top.

 

Frame Wrap, I've never heard of this. What is it?

 

They do alot of frame wrapping for cars with hydraulics. They take metal and reinforce all the stress points, and then take a high tensile streght sheet metal and run it with the grain againts the way the stress would be applied. It not expensive but its not cheap. This can double and triple the strength of you frame. Its used alot to keep the chaisis from twisting on drag cars also.

 

I had a sunroof put on my firebird hardtop, and NO there is no bar in the middle like like you said. The t-tops only got he bar, the Tbar is very think and sits lower than a hard top.

 

Not true... I drove around without a head liner for a few months, and there definatley WAS a bar. Now, the T-Top Roof bar is much thicker than the hard top, but there is a bar there.