Ebody convertible hardtop?

[dave73]

Random thought, has anyone ever seen an ebody convertible with a hardtop? Basically a coupe with the roof cut off but with the ability to put it on and take it off? Saw a 65 mustang like this and it was very interesting

[cuda hunter]

Now that sounds awesome!

Wish JesusHChrysler was still on the boards.  Would like to hear some of his ideas on this type of thing.

Doesn't seem too difficult in my mind.  I have a Ramcharger with removable top.  Very simple construction. 

[dave73]

Yea I know right. The car I saw had a cage to prevent the body from flexing when the roof was off. Mustang itself was definitely "unique" but the roof concept was cool

[cuda hunter]

I would have to think that the same strengthening additions that are on convertibles would have to be on a hard top car. 
Which is what exactly?  Is there more reinforcement inside the rockers of a convertible?

would think that taking a roof off and welding an inside lip on both top and car that would bolt together would work well.  But on the top of the windshield would be a little more tricky. 
  There is plenty of metal to do a ramcharger type mount on the package tray.

[dave73]

Curious what's been done when ebodies have been converted from coupes to convertibles in terms of bracing

[cuda hunter]

Pics of my convertible hard top 77 ramcharger. 
Figure it would work the same way. 

[floorit426]

It sounds like it could be pretty cool. How much do you think the roof assembly would weigh?

[cuda hunter]

My ramcharger weights so much that I don't like doing it with 3 people.  It really takes 4. 

But if you install retractable hooks in the rafters in the garage you can just lift it off with one person. 

I would suspect on a cuda that two people could remove the top without too much issue. 

[dave73]

My ramcharger weights so much that I don't like doing it with 3 people.  It really takes 4. 

But if you install retractable hooks in the rafters in the garage you can just lift it off with one person. 

I would suspect on a cuda that two people could remove the top without too much issue. 

I'd do the rafter setup, similar to what they sell for jeep wranglers. Drive in, lift it off, drove out. Reverse to put it back on

The rear window would be an issue. Guy on the mustang just didn't run one ha

[RUNCHARGER]

You would need decent subframe connectors. Cutting it at the vinyl roof line would be a natural in the rear. Obviously you could lighten up the roof framework as it wouldn't do much good anymore, Probably pulling a mold off a roof and making it in fibreglass would be the thing to do.

[TheGanzman]

Ah - "The old is forever new..."  Back "in the old days", this was called a Carson Top - it's a fairly new concept, dating to 1935...

[dave73]

Ah - "The old is forever new..."  Back "in the old days", this was called a Carson Top - it's a fairly new concept, dating to 1935...

Ah you are right! When I think carson top I think of 50's fords and mercs in the tail dragger style and some 30's roadsters. Would be the same concept though. I just did a google search for "carson top muscle cars" and didn't find a single one. Probably directly correlates to muscle cars not being chopped and cut up to the degree that pre-60s hot rods are.

[Shoooter]

wasent it the old Lincolns who did something like thjs. where it went into the trunk?

[dave73]

wasent it the old Lincolns who did something like thjs. where it went into the trunk?

Yea I've seen those. Problem is, the trunks on those cars are as big as the roof itself! haha

[RUNCHARGER]

The Wife's POS, this top goes in the trunk as well.
Actually, if a guy got a bit of a ratty E-body, you could mount sub frame connectors, whack the dang top off and not worry about a roof. Pull the body plugs if you get caught in a rain storm. Nobody repros convt. A pillar stuff though.