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05-15-2008, 07:05 PM
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#1
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Old Bridge Twp., NJ
Posts: 235
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Looking For A Customizing Shop
I wanna get a T Top conversion done on my Z/28... Anyone know of any place that'll do it reasonably??
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'00 Z/28 - *SOLD* 383 Stroker, H/C, Full Boltons
'06 GSX1300R - Full Yoshi TRS Exhaust, PC3, TRE, 17/42 Setup, Sm Airbox Mod, R6 Throttle
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05-15-2008, 07:27 PM
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#2
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Delran
Posts: 6,785
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your better off buying a ttop car and swapping your d.train in.
ttops stock leak, i can only imagine an aftermarket set.
you can get a good roller for the price that a conversion like that
would cost. then sell your car as a roller in return
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05-15-2008, 07:29 PM
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#3
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Resident Camera Guy
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: North Jersey
Posts: 10,971
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I highly doubt a shop will take on a task like that. Your best bet is reading up on the countless conversions done on LS1Tech. Theirs tons of good reads on their with step by step instructions and pictures.
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05-15-2008, 07:57 PM
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#4
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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didn't someone post a link with a shop in PA that does strickly t-top, targa, and any other top ever made? i'm sure they could do it, and do it right! i'll search for the link
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05-15-2008, 07:59 PM
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#5
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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05-15-2008, 07:59 PM
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#6
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Ayatollah of Rock N Rolla / Admin
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 12,573
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You might be able to talk Paul at RPM into doing this. I'm not sure if he wants the risk, though.
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05-15-2008, 09:56 PM
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#7
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NastyEllEssWon
your better off buying a ttop car and swapping your d.train in.
ttops stock leak, i can only imagine an aftermarket set.
you can get a good roller for the price that a conversion like that
would cost. then sell your car as a roller in return
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All 4th gen hard top and t-top cars are built as if they were T-top cars. All the support is there, just have to (basically) cut the roof panel off, install the hardware, and pop in the new tops. Many people get the setup from wrecked cars and install them.
- Justin
__________________
1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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05-15-2008, 10:28 PM
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#8
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston/North
Posts: 9,214
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Wait til Paul (SmokingSS) is around, he'll gladly take a sawzall to your car
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
dumbass.
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05-16-2008, 07:50 AM
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#9
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Old Bridge Twp., NJ
Posts: 235
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
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Just called East Coast TTop and they bluntly said "It can't be done" and "Take it to a body shop or something."
__________________
'00 Z/28 - *SOLD* 383 Stroker, H/C, Full Boltons
'06 GSX1300R - Full Yoshi TRS Exhaust, PC3, TRE, 17/42 Setup, Sm Airbox Mod, R6 Throttle
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05-16-2008, 10:12 AM
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#10
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Delran
Posts: 6,785
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i never said it couldnt be dont, but just the fact that there are t-top cars
out there already it would probably be cheaper to pick up a 4th gen
shell and swap his internals in. take about a weekend of work, and it
probably wouldnt cost anything for you either except for time, because
you can make your shell money back off your original car.
i never said anything about structural integrity or not, but now that
were on that subject if you do find someone to do the conversion
a good set of sfc's will help out a lot...especially with the mods in your sig
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05-16-2008, 11:14 AM
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#11
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Old Bridge Twp., NJ
Posts: 235
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NastyEllEssWon
i never said it couldnt be dont, but just the fact that there are t-top cars
out there already it would probably be cheaper to pick up a 4th gen
shell and swap his internals in. take about a weekend of work, and it
probably wouldnt cost anything for you either except for time, because
you can make your shell money back off your original car.
i never said anything about structural integrity or not, but now that
were on that subject if you do find someone to do the conversion
a good set of sfc's will help out a lot...especially with the mods in your sig
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I was thinkin maybe I'd want brand new parts instead of dry rotted weather stripping and ttops that may or may not leak. Are you the guy I spoke to on the phone? He pretty much made it clear that that's not what they do. On the website it says "Installation of aftermarket Ttops", I figured maybe a conversion is what it meant, guess not. I have UMI SFC's and am pricing out cages now. Thanks tho.
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'00 Z/28 - *SOLD* 383 Stroker, H/C, Full Boltons
'06 GSX1300R - Full Yoshi TRS Exhaust, PC3, TRE, 17/42 Setup, Sm Airbox Mod, R6 Throttle
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05-16-2008, 11:37 AM
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#12
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Hippy Mod, Bergermeister Meisterberger, Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ewing
Posts: 6,213
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I would keep the hardtop but that's JMO. I just ran out for lunch and sure enough my 2000SS dripped on me a couple of times.
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69 Z28 JL8 4 wheel disc brakes - being restored
09 Silverado Z71
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05-16-2008, 01:51 PM
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#13
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11 Second Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Edison, NJ
Posts: 4,619
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My car never had T-Tops. Can I have T-Tops installed now?
Unfortunately, No. There are no T-Top kits available & we know of no new T-Top kits being made for any car.
The newer T-Top cars are Factory installed only. If your car did not come with T-Tops from the Factory, then you might consider an Aftermarket Sunroof installation. Contact our Sunroof Department for details.
<<<<
From the site.
Also, my 98 just had a few drops too.
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1999 Z28 Convertible. 6 speed swap, wide cowl hood, full hockey stripes, and a whining 10 bolt.
2008 Sierra Vortec Max. 6.2 swapped, headers, Magnaflow catback, GMPP CAI, NHT optioned tow package.
2006 GTO, 11.48 @ 118.3
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05-16-2008, 02:56 PM
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#14
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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yeah but a hard top can be t-topped. kinda gayy those guys wouldn't do it. they looked real reputable. good luck though. i'd stay hard top as well.
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05-16-2008, 03:08 PM
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#15
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Ayatollah of Rock N Rolla / Admin
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 12,573
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05-17-2008, 08:39 AM
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#16
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Old Bridge Twp., NJ
Posts: 235
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Thanks WildBilly...
__________________
'00 Z/28 - *SOLD* 383 Stroker, H/C, Full Boltons
'06 GSX1300R - Full Yoshi TRS Exhaust, PC3, TRE, 17/42 Setup, Sm Airbox Mod, R6 Throttle
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05-17-2008, 10:06 AM
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#17
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12 Second Club
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Haddon Twp NJ
Posts: 2,213
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my t-tops dont leak
________
Teen video
Last edited by 69BirdX; 04-02-2011 at 11:54 PM.
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05-17-2008, 08:08 PM
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#18
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
yeah but a hard top can be t-topped. kinda gayy those guys wouldn't do it. they looked real reputable. good luck though. i'd stay hard top as well.
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I haven't looked at the site, but I'm guessing that's a generalized statement, not directed at 4th gen F-bodies only. Most cars would require too much custom work to convert, but the 4th gen F-bodies were all built as T-top cars. You don't have to cut any structural integrity out of the car in order to convert it.
- Justin
__________________
1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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05-17-2008, 10:46 PM
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#20
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Old Bridge Twp., NJ
Posts: 235
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Yea I get the idea, and there really isn't a ton of customizing involved. I woulda just felt better having a pro doing it, just for piece of mind.
__________________
'00 Z/28 - *SOLD* 383 Stroker, H/C, Full Boltons
'06 GSX1300R - Full Yoshi TRS Exhaust, PC3, TRE, 17/42 Setup, Sm Airbox Mod, R6 Throttle
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05-18-2008, 07:46 AM
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#21
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,151
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
yeah but a hard top can be t-topped. kinda gayy those guys wouldn't do it. they looked real reputable. good luck though. i'd stay hard top as well.
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I haven't looked at the site, but I'm guessing that's a generalized statement, not directed at 4th gen F-bodies only. Most cars would require too much custom work to convert, but the 4th gen F-bodies were all built as T-top cars. You don't have to cut any structural integrity out of the car in order to convert it.
- Justin
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Looking from a shop owners viewpoint, my guess is a shop can't make enough money to warrant the potential risks involved.
A decent shop would likely insist on new GM parts, at least key parts like the weatherstipping ($500+? and the shop only makes like 10% on that). Then add what would be likely a minimum of 10-12 hours labor ($1200+? there is no book time to reference for this) plus paint ($1000? time & materials) I might guess a minimum customer cost would be in the area of $3000. Of which the shop might make $500 after costs & overhead.
Now, if they leak then that shop will never get that car out of their bays - it'll just keep coming back wasting hours of their time. The paying customer won't want to hear the OE ones leak too. Chasing a water leak can take hours. And I am not even getting into the potential liability of altering the structure of a car.
So no, it is not kinda gayy a shop wouldn't do it. I imagine if Paul or Josh saw this they might tend to agree. Sure it could all go easy & well and everybody is happy. But the potential downside is probably too much for a shop to want to take on, especially if this is a one time deal and not something they do on a regular basis.
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Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
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05-18-2008, 10:18 AM
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#22
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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thats what waivers are for! why would you need paint? and i'm pretty certain parts pull more than 10%. i don't know exact discounts but we get close to half off list price.
i just thought it was weak that place, which seemed real reputable and all about ttops and what not, blew him off like that! i wouldn't want to hack up a roof and hope it doesn't leak, but if its your "specialty", i think it should have been handled a little differently.
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05-18-2008, 10:33 AM
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#23
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,151
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
thats what waivers are for! why would you need paint? and i'm pretty certain parts pull more than 10%. i don't know exact discounts but we get close to half off list price.
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Not 50% off dealer parts - I'm not talking auto zone parts. Waivers? Please. I woudn't want to be around when the shops liability carrier denies the claim after it all blows up because the kid wrecked it. Again, I'm trying to explain why most shops would run away from a job like this.
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Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
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05-18-2008, 10:45 AM
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#24
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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no, dealerhips give close to half. maybe its 40 or so, i dont pay that much attention, and not everything ofcourse, but most stuff would be way closer to half off than 10 percent. and i do understand what you are trying to address here, i'm just pissed at that shop for being so rude when they seemed so reputable. looks are deceiving.
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05-18-2008, 04:38 PM
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#25
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
Looking from a shop owners viewpoint, my guess is a shop can't make enough money to warrant the potential risks involved.
A decent shop would likely insist on new GM parts, at least key parts like the weatherstipping ($500+? and the shop only makes like 10% on that). Then add what would be likely a minimum of 10-12 hours labor ($1200+? there is no book time to reference for this) plus paint ($1000? time & materials) I might guess a minimum customer cost would be in the area of $3000. Of which the shop might make $500 after costs & overhead.
Now, if they leak then that shop will never get that car out of their bays - it'll just keep coming back wasting hours of their time. The paying customer won't want to hear the OE ones leak too. Chasing a water leak can take hours. And I am not even getting into the potential liability of altering the structure of a car.
So no, it is not kinda gayy a shop wouldn't do it. I imagine if Paul or Josh saw this they might tend to agree. Sure it could all go easy & well and everybody is happy. But the potential downside is probably too much for a shop to want to take on, especially if this is a one time deal and not something they do on a regular basis.
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No need for paint, and you aren't altering the structure......but the water leak potential alone would prolly keep a shop away.
- Justin
__________________
1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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