home brewed convertible?

BB71Challenger

BB71Challenger

comparing distributors and
i heard a while back about some kind of kit to make a challenger or barracuda into a convertible. seeing as how even /6 ones are going for outrageous prices and i just want one to drive not as an investment, has anyone given serious thought to doing this or know someone who has?
 
imo theres only 1 way to make a car a vert(or atleast 1 "right" way) and thats to get the windshield piller and upper rail and the top parts from a parts car vert
 
Theres more to it than chopping the roof and installing the lift motors. I know the doors were different on the last one I had and I believe the floorboards are vert only also. [smilie=e:
 
i know rear panels seat likely the wing windows(a bodys) are the main issues but cosmeticly the windshield chrom and hookup area...sheetmetal wise theres braceing you dont see(ALOT OF IT) the rear deck suport points for not haveing a roof..the windshields are generaly diferent thuse why you would realy need to cut the window frame off of a vert and use the top 18inches

yes ive done alot of reasearch on the subject for 2 cars..1 is my 68 fishy...2 is my 58 ford....
the best way to see what is "required" to make the swap is to literaly find a wrecked one on someone restoring one that will let you go over it with a fine tooth comb and take lots of "side by side" measurements to see EXACTLY whats diferent and where....most production cars have either the dimples or areas setup for a vert in the floor pans and rear wheel wells those areas you just need the braketry to weld into your car and the suports..the windshield area there isnt any way around it you need the top 18 inchs of a vert window frame as this are is "vert only" and has extra structure in it not to mention sealing points latching points ect.
if it was me and i was "ready" to do a vert i would have several things on hand ALL swap parts required to finish it..preferably a rotted out vert parts car 2 frame rail conectored the car thats going to become a vert 3 a very larg library of pics of a "stock" vert car to help me to put all of the issues to rest
 
i never knew about the floor pan diffrences but i knew and forgot about the glass, its not rounded but squared off so seal i guess. i know they sell a kit with the skeleton and the lift mechanism but i dont know about the windshield pillar and such. i have only first hand experience with 3 converts (2 challengers 1 cuda) and they all had standard gauges but they were different than all the other standard gauges i have seen. the glass and quarter finish panels for the interior would be a problem i am thinking. i guess i better just get one the old fashioned way, get off my ass and go find one [smilie=e:
 
seriously sometimes the only way to save a vert is to cut and paste all the good vert parts onto a non vert...but realy you need a doner no mater what(or multiple doners)
 
There are no floor differences, per se, from 'vert to hardtop, even on the B and A bodies the floor "skins" are identical.
The main difference comes in, as mentioned, ANY place where the convertible top attaches and in the rockers, which basically take the stress where a top can't on a 'vert.
Technically, even the rocker area is the same in the 440 4 speed hardtop (or B body Coupe) E and B bodies as their 'vert counterparts.

In A bodies, the 'vert, 340 and 383 hardtop manual tranny cars, (3 or 4 speed) share the identical floors, rockers, framerails and torque boxes.
Even some 318 manual tranny cars came through with the re-inforced torque boxes and rockers.
ALL of the few '69 A body 440 cars I've seen have the same structural reinforcements as 'verts.

If you want a cheap 'vert, get a garage to store it in, pick your body of choice, weld in framerail connectors, remove the top and have fun.
Better yet, impress a few folks and make the top so it can be taken on and off. :D

Mark.
 
Mark Nixon said:
There are no floor differences, per se, from 'vert to hardtop, even on the B and A bodies the floor "skins" are identical.
The main difference comes in, as mentioned, ANY place where the convertible top attaches and in the rockers, which basically take the stress where a top can't on a 'vert.
Technically, even the rocker area is the same in the 440 4 speed hardtop (or B body Coupe) E and B bodies as their 'vert counterparts.

In A bodies, the 'vert, 340 and 383 hardtop manual tranny cars, (3 or 4 speed) share the identical floors, rockers, framerails and torque boxes.
Even some 318 manual tranny cars came through with the re-inforced torque boxes and rockers.
ALL of the few '69 A body 440 cars I've seen have the same structural reinforcements as 'verts.

If you want a cheap 'vert, get a garage to store it in, pick your body of choice, weld in framerail connectors, remove the top and have fun.
Better yet, impress a few folks and make the top so it can be taken on and off. :D

Mark.
Click to expand...

i wonder how hard it would be to make a folding hard top convertible like some of the newer cars have. probably a technical nightmare but it sure would be something to see!
 
mark belive me i tossed around the idea of a hard top pop top..and in theory it "shouldnt" be to hard since it would realy be the same setup off a RC..btw what was diferent in the rockers of verts vs /6 A's?(besides the torque boxes)

as for the "retracta top" like the new cars and 57/58/59 fords tooo much mechanical
 
There is a company that advertises in MCG that does the conversion. And I think there is another that sells kits..

from memory, the ad states that they do more than chop the top and add the lifts...
 
Convertible glass, top latchs sunvisors are all being repopped now.
Some of the trim, But not the belt molding (I beleive)
000rims-small.jpg
 
69.5CUDA said:
....btw what was diferent in the rockers of verts vs /6 A's?(besides the torque boxes)
Click to expand...

On the A bodies I've cut apart, the rocker area on a 'Vert/"Performance" car has another thickness of rocker skin on the inside, starting at, or near, the door opening area, extending back under the window.
It's internal and hard to see without cutting it apart.

Recently I torched some '69 Swinger 340 framerails (both fronts and rears) off a 4 speed car and I'm telling ya', it was a beetch.

Mark.
 
hmm thanx mark...guess i will have to keep my eyes open a bit when cutting up...gues "performanc" would be formula S onlys? or would a 273 4brl count?
 
Interesting that you should bring up the 'S' 273 cars, 69.5, because I can't honestly remember having looked at a 273 4bbl, 4 speed car (SOME were 'S' cars in '67) and taking note of them being re-inforced the same way.
Guess I'll have to look next time I see the one I know of.

Mark.
 
hey! thats my grille, that guy stole my grille! [smilie=l: o wait no its not. beautiful car, only thing it needs are white stripes and white interior [smilie=e:
 
Homebrew convertible eh? [smilie=e:



This --> [smilie=a:


And


This --> [img]http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/pdf/English/0548160_160_CC_3b141.jpg[/img]


I've done it lots! [smilie=e:
 
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