I'm only thinking out loud from a post that 4bangen made about the 'vert cougar bird transformation. in there someone had said T-tops on a bird would be a great idea. I'd like to explore that idea here. First thing that came to mind when someone said it was "it'd need a donor car." Were there any foxes with T-tops? If I were to try it, I think I would go with something like the bandit type Camaro that had T-Tops or maybe a Regal. I'm actually thinking the Camaro T-tops would fit the later birds, and Regals would fit the older versions. I'd expect would have to cut the roof out (like the f&f supra, how it had no roof but still had rear quarter glass) and weld in the donor car's roof. Since the T-topped cars structure of the roof goes right through the Middle, wouldn't the car need some bracing afterwards?
I'm not planning this, or even thinking about doing it. but I thought it would make a god topic to discuss when it comes to how it would be made to work.
ttft
Not a great idea at all. The roof structure of the fox birds and cats isn't strong enough. Anything is possible but it would take more work than its worth probibly. Oh and just for consideration some older fox stangs had T-tops.
I say, if you welded enough reenforcement into the roof structure and did it right, it would be sweet. You'd have to really think about where and how big the re-inforcements would be, and even with that, i'd do the whole subframe connector thing BEFORE chopping up the top. Make sure the Chassis can handle the lack of rigidity first, and then go ahead.
I'd think your biggest concern would be the doors. Mustangs (and Firebirds, and Camaros, and G-bodies, and just about every other car that had T-Tops) had "frameless" door windows. These cars have full "aircraft-style" frames. Something would have to be done to the top part of the door to allow T-Tops
Negative Ghostrider....
Exactly.. The door would look mighty stupid with a 2 foot long section of window frame missing.
I HAVE ALREADY LOOKED INTO THIS THE CLOEST THING I COULD FIND WAS THE LATE 80 BUICK reagles and monte carlos just bab the center roof section in and there ya go..........alot of fabing
When somebody has to YELL (or curse) to make there point I generally figure that the point there making is so very weak even THEY feel they must do something to reinforce it… hence the YELLING (or Cursing.. same motivation). At that point, aside from finding it very annoying I generally ignore them as idiots looking to feel they are something other than.
As for the door window’s.. my 1988 bird is already “frameless” and I see Autocat has an 87, I assume his would also be frameless.
????
EVERY 83-88 Tbird Cougar has the big, honkin' window frame....
Yes the glas itself is not framed, but the way the doors are on these cars, T-Tops aren't really an option.
Your right... I'm still asleep
Jim,
Your bird isn't frameless and neither is mine. Carm is talking about the doors having metal that the windows roll up into. "Frameless" windows are just glass, when you open the door with the window down there is nothing above the beltline (like Subaru's and convertibles).
Wow, Chuck and Jim both beat me while I was typing. :hick:
lol all I can figure is I was thinking of the window as watching it while rolling it up from the drivers seat.. watching it go by on the way UP it appears frameless.. :hick:
I know frameless.. had Monti Carlo's for years.. just brain farted.
Convertible doors are frameless.......:hick: Would anybody know if there are actual part nuber differences on them or are they converted by CarCraft (much more likely)
Well the doors are hacked up at CarCraft... but think of this.. the door frame itself is what the weatherstripping is attached too. On frameless doors the weatherstripping is attached to the body,
On our cars you would have to cut the frame mold it into the body. then modify the window channel with some kind of weather stripping that could allow the window to lay onto it.. alot of work I think.
bah, friggin practicality. theres ideas.....then theres implementing em. sucks, a t top thundercat would KICK ASS
It's possible. I'm planning on doing it.
if you are refuring to me i forgot to take the caps lock off half way through my post .:shakeass:
i swear i think i remember somebody on here cutting t-tops into an old cougar they had and were gonna trash, but i cant find that thread for the life of me. it didnt look the best, but it may look better if u took your time, cus i doubt he planned much out with him trashingit soon and all. i'd also think it'd look better on a bird then a cat, but thats just a personal opinion