OK, so something that all of you, and I will encounter is having the driver side seat ripped along the edge from getting in and out of the vehicle. I was thinking of this after thinking about gull wing doors, I like gull wing doors, but I like t-tops. I'm sure you can see how this posses a problem. so, I had thought, "well, if I can lift the t-top with the door, it's work out much better." so yeah, I came up with that idea, just not sure how to do it, without making the interior of the car by the t-bar all ugly, i know I'd use some pretty strong hinges, and I know it's need support, probably one hydraulic hood support each. so the only problem would be working in a frame that will both secure and support the t-top but enable it to be removed when you're driving with the door shut. and it has too look good.

after these two problems met in my head, I realized that if you could just build a regular support to open the t-top like a hatch, and have your door open normally(or do a vertical opener which ever you prefer) you could get in and out of the car with ease, and you would never rip your seats again. but still, gotta work it through, gotta make it look good, and the t-top still needs to be able to come off, otherwise it's not a t-top, it's a bastardized roof.

now keep in mind I've never even touched a camaro, and I have no idea how t-tops work other than they come off and they're awesome. I will be a camaro owner very soon though, at least within the month.

anyway, I figured t-tops have a metal frame around the glass for stability, so, if you could fashion a hinge and support that safely clips, or fastens to the frame so that you could open your door, lift the t-top, hop in the car, then close the t-top then the door, but still have the ability to remove the t-top all together. again it's the removal that is the problem, I want to keep the t-top, but add functionality to it at the same time. I know, instead of all this work, it's be simpler to take the t-top off, but I'm not sure, can they be replaced from within? and wouldn't it be a pain in the butt. I don't know, if I'm being confusing just state a question and let me know what's off.

 

I'm not really sure what you're getting at, and if I am following you right, it sounds like more work than it's worth. There is a metal strip around the perimeter of the T-tops, but its nowhere near strong enough to do anything like that with. Your best bet would be to open the door, unlatch the T-top and then just tilt it up while you get in. Once your in, you tilt the top back down into place and latch it. Close your door and drive away.

To do a full gullwing door would be really cool. It would be a major fab job though. When you say you have never touched a Camaro, that isn't as big a deal as saying you've never turned a wrench. Unless your paying someone to do this, you would need some pretty advanced fabbing/welding/bodywork skills. Building a framework around the T-tops would not be difficult I think. The problems will come from the doors themselves. The doors on these cars are very heavy and will require a pretty beefy structure to support their weight once they are up in the air. The other problem stems from the fact that there is no frame around the window. You would have to build something to attach the door to the T-top to make it all one piece. I also suspect you would have to fab a brace from front to back along the top of the window right where the bottom of the T-top/latch mechanism is. This would kinda negate what your trying to do I think.

I don't know, I'd have to look at it a bit, and see what the inner structure of the roof is like on a T-top car around the openings I don't think its possible, but at the same time, I'd love to see it done.

 

well, with the full gull wing door I'd most like replace the door with fiberglass due to weight issues. even though alot of companies say their hinges are good for all doors I've personally seen what happens when you try to apply them to a heavy door. worst case the door ends up on top of you and you end up in the hospital for a couple days while they check to see if you broke anything.