Converting a 65 coupe to a comvertible!!
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: February 2, 2004
Posts: 7,648
Likes: 675
From: Insane
It's not fun. It is a big job. Cutting the roof off, sure, that's fairly easy, but you have to also take out the front glass and strengthen the A pillars to hold up without help.
Further, taking off the roof requires a lot of extra structural additions. Namely, a cross brace behind the back seat, and a heavy transmission tunnel plate that gives the body more strength and less likely to sag/twist. Strut tower to cowl braces are also required, and it is a good idea for a crossbrace under the K member too.
All to keep the car from twisting into a pretzel without the roof.
Once that's done, you have two options: Manual or powered.
Manual, you can get just a frame, somehow, whether that's made on the spot or purchased from a kit, or grabbed from a donor car. Weld up the pivot points, throw the frame on, adjust it, put the retraction cables in, and fold it up. If it works, yay. If not, well, you got work to do.
Powered, that's a bit more to do, if you go original. Plumbing the hydraulics, getting power to it, a switch, and pounding the heck out of the front of the rear wheel wells to get it all to work. Matter of fact, you may need to do this anyway regardless of the power or manual.
And getting the pistons in it... and you'll need to acquire a convertible interior for the WAY different quarter panels, plus the seats.
Your better bet is to sell this one and actually get a convertible. There's a reason it's not done, it's INSANE to do as a one off in price, complexity, and difficulty.
IF, however, you want to make it a hard top, there are kits for that... or were going to be... or you can make one yourself if you're talented enough... to have a removable hard top a la '55-57 Tbirds.
I think I said so in another thread, but google is going to be your best friend:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient...w=1920&bih=911
One of the links:
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ion/index.html
As you can see, quite the job, and it isn't even finished... just getting it *ready* to be a convertible...
Again, I'd not do it, I'd sell and get another one that's already a convertible. HOWEVER... if you choose to do this, best of luck and I hope it is awesome when it's done!
Further, taking off the roof requires a lot of extra structural additions. Namely, a cross brace behind the back seat, and a heavy transmission tunnel plate that gives the body more strength and less likely to sag/twist. Strut tower to cowl braces are also required, and it is a good idea for a crossbrace under the K member too.
All to keep the car from twisting into a pretzel without the roof.
Once that's done, you have two options: Manual or powered.
Manual, you can get just a frame, somehow, whether that's made on the spot or purchased from a kit, or grabbed from a donor car. Weld up the pivot points, throw the frame on, adjust it, put the retraction cables in, and fold it up. If it works, yay. If not, well, you got work to do.
Powered, that's a bit more to do, if you go original. Plumbing the hydraulics, getting power to it, a switch, and pounding the heck out of the front of the rear wheel wells to get it all to work. Matter of fact, you may need to do this anyway regardless of the power or manual.
And getting the pistons in it... and you'll need to acquire a convertible interior for the WAY different quarter panels, plus the seats.
Your better bet is to sell this one and actually get a convertible. There's a reason it's not done, it's INSANE to do as a one off in price, complexity, and difficulty.
IF, however, you want to make it a hard top, there are kits for that... or were going to be... or you can make one yourself if you're talented enough... to have a removable hard top a la '55-57 Tbirds.
I think I said so in another thread, but google is going to be your best friend:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient...w=1920&bih=911
One of the links:
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ion/index.html
As you can see, quite the job, and it isn't even finished... just getting it *ready* to be a convertible...
Again, I'd not do it, I'd sell and get another one that's already a convertible. HOWEVER... if you choose to do this, best of luck and I hope it is awesome when it's done!
Last edited by houtex; Feb 19, 2012 at 06:55 PM.
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Joined: February 1, 2004
Posts: 3,751
Likes: 0
Don't do it! Find a Convertible to restore, or buy one of the new-build convertible bodies. Waaay too easy for a can-opener job to go awry, and there are so many nice Verts out there waiting for love.
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