Just wondering, will having a t-top car as opposed to a hardtop make and difference in traction/handleing/. Would t-tops be effective on a high horsepower/torque street machine with proper subframe connectors?

 

Handleing characteristics are the same. Hardtop cars are just stiffer in general. They don't rattle as much. With subframes the strength of both vehicles is good enough for monster torque.

 

realistically a high power car would demand a cage so you would rule out all considerable worries. however two identical side by side the hardtop would be better for obvious reasons.

i picked up mine with a hardtop because it was the only coupe available in that year and engine. if i could have gotten t-top i would have.

 

i have had a 88 iroc-z 5.7 t-tops and a 88 formula 350 hardtop, stock for stock u could tell the hardtop was a bit fimer but i did not enjoy driving the car as much as one with t-tops.

sfc's are a good idea for either one.

 

I have an 89 T-top formula, my friend has a 88 hardtop firebird, his feels stiffer than mine, but its not that major of a difference like night and day. I good set of subframe connectors helps alot, the biggest thing is t-tops rattle a bit more than hardtops. But to get high powered in any of these car you need to stiffen the chassis up due to the unibody structure

 

I have a '91 T/A with T-tops (which will be sold probably this weekend) to compare with a hardtop '91 GTA. Both have SFCs, T-top has KB, hardtop has GW and Alstons. The difference between cars is very noticeable in certain situations. Up and down movement the difference is small. But torsionally (twisting from opposite corners) lets you know when you're in a t-top car. With the t-top car it feels like the front and rear are somewhat disconnected from each other. Another way to describe it is a delayed reaction between the rear following the front when in sharp curves.

The rattles between cars are about the same. But I can tell in every handling situation that the suspension in my hardtop is doing more work because the chassis is flexing less. The difference between cars is neither subtle or night and day but somewhere in-between.

 

my 85 t-top car with custom SFC is a little stiffer then my buddys 88 iroc hardtop with Comp. Eng. SFC. i dont think it really matters if its t-top or hardtop, they both can be very stiff and rattle free if setup right

 

A hard roof will always have better structural integrity than a t-top or convert. It is the main structural strength in the design of our cars. With the sfc's on both alternatives the difference will still be the same and always will be.

I like T-tops but our cars are loose enough as it is and noisy, so had to go Hard Top.

Felix