Call me crazy (especially since there's still plenty to do to the fastback), but the wife would like a sunny day cruiser 'vert. I know that it would take some kind of lotto win to afford a 'vert, and since it'd be destined for pretty day crusing only, why not whack the top off of bargain basement coupe? I wouldn't do this to a car of any historical or monetary value. It'd just be fun to get a <$1500 shell/parts car, throw a budget paint job on it, give it the fastback's driveline (see where I'm going with this fellas?), and a half-decent set of wheels and the wifey will be stylin. She doesn't care if the car wasn't original, she just wants something fun that she'll look cute in on a sunny day.

I know Mustangs Plus did this with the Ronster, and that they offer a kit that included bracing, a plate to fill the gap at the windshield, and the tonneu cover (which I would not be interested in).
http://www.mustangsplus.com/Merchant2/merc...ry_Code=ronster

Now, I figure I can handle the windshield header filler panel myself, and I can rig something like a dummied 'vert boot to fill the gap where the package tray was. What I wonder is how difficult it would be to brace up the structure. Keep in mind that this would be a low stress cruiser, not an open track car. Would some good subframe connectors and an export brace do it? More bracing in the floor perhaps? Can I do it without adding a roll bar?

What do y'all think? Is this a dumb idea? :scratch:

 

I'd think you'd need a "chassis strengthening kit" like Mustangs Plus uses in this tech page. Their part # is 04202, but I couldn't navigate their store well enough to find it... ~$350 is what they charge, probably only about $50 worth of sheetmetal there if you're a good "fabricator".

 

I know this is something different, but it might be easier:



http://www.m1stang.com/

And while I searched for that I also found this:



http://www.cobracountry.com/monster/home.html

Here´s one with the right engine: http://home.comcast.net/~cmos20/miata/

There used to be a place, http://www.marksmustangs.com that were selling conversion kits (Mustang coupe -> convertible), but I haven´t seen them in a while and the site seems to be down.

Instead of whacking the top off of a <$1500 bargain basement Mustang coupe, you can send it to me, there´s not many of that kind over here ;-)

 

Front torque boxes
Inner rockers
top floor support
lower center plate

Of course, if you want a top, that adds a bit more complexity that I won't even try to add up.

 

Great stuff guys! This is exactly the kind of info I needed.

Bob: That is fantastic. I figured they would have something that specific, but I didn't know if they'd insist on bundling it with all the other Ronster stuff.

HÃ¥kan: Cool, I hadn't seen that Cobra version before. All things considered, I think those conversions are a little weird, but alot of fun. One of those things where I'm glad someone makes something like that, but I'm not sure I'd build one myself.
That's too bad you can't find cheap stuff to play with over there. I know you love the mother country and everything, but I think you should pack up and move to Texas.

 

Yep, I agree.

<!--QuoteBegin-Blake
That's too bad you can't find cheap stuff to play with over there. I know you love the mother country and everything, but I think you should pack up and move to Texas.[/quote]

We just moved here in Sweden, but we´ve already talked about spending the summers in Sweden and the rest of the year in Texas when the kids gets a little older.

OT, but I took this pic through the hole in the hood of ultrastang´s ´03 Mach1 outside Glen´s garage in Rosehill, Texas.

 

We just moved here in Sweden, but we´ve already talked about spending the summers in Sweden and the rest of the year in Texas when the kids gets a little older.

OT, but I took this pic through the hole in the hood of ultrastang´s ´03 Mach1 outside Glen´s garage in Rosehill, Texas.

[/b][/quote]
That would be AWESOME!

I think I speak for the people of the friendship state when I say that we'd love to have you.

Great pic too!

 

I don't like the Miata Stang, but I agree with your philosophy on it Blake, and that Cobrata ain't too shabby, better looking than the Miata anyway.

Ok, so if I put my monster garage hat on for a second and ponder your idea Blake without considering "proper" for a second and the fact that the car will always be topless (without a red dot) and that like me you are looking for a cheap option, then the first thing that comes to my mind instead of investing in torque boxes and subframes and all the things on an actual vert, I would suggest considering a little ala Duke boys. Why not weld those doors shut and hop in? I mean that is certainly the weakest link when removing the top, an open door. The wife may not be to hot on that idea, but I bet it would solve the bulk of the problem for essentially pennies.

BTW, something tells me this punk would probably sell the hunk of junk he's leaning on for far less than $1500. YOu can see it in his eye's, he looks proud, but he's dreaming of a fastback. B)

 

Hahah! Too funny (with some hilarious inside jokes)

I sold that coupe for $3,500 11 years ago. (who'd a thought that I'd want it back a decade later, huh?)

My little 5'3" tall wife would definately not be down with the welded door plan, though I think it's genius.

 

Here is a good idea if you dont mind spending a little cash.

http://www.mustangsplus.com/Merchant2/merc...ode=retractable

 

[/b][/quote]
The retractable hardtop is the way to go, but way off track for a BUDGET job. If you do end up doing this though Blake, I would save the top and try to cut it off as instructed at least so that one day you might be able to reinvest and actually make it retractable, but have budget now.

Thought you'd like that. Yeah, I figured that while the plan would solve alot, the wife would present the biggest challange. Honestly though, I can see no other cheap yet safe option available. Have real vert prices really gone that high these days? I thought the fastbacks finally surpassed them at the top of the food chain? What about leaving the bulk of the top intact and making the meat removable, like most of the top, the sail panels and the back window, almost like a jeep has a roll bar skeleton but it wouldn't be a roll bar? Might look like crap though, may be worth a photchop to see, it could look darn neat, who knows.

Whatever you do, do not buy a coupe form this guy, he's a shady, awnry critter if ever I seen one, as evil as he looks, a real side winder.

 

Yikes! Would I really look that bad with a goatee (that one is photochopped for the casual observers). Guess it doesn't really matter since I'll never be able to grow one.

The retractable is out simply based on budget. If I could afford that kit, I'd just get a real convertible. I don't know if fastbacks have surpassed the value of 'verts yet, but I can't afford another fastback either, so id doesn't really matter.

 

Hey now, that's my actual Goatee grafted to your smiling countenance that you're dissin there. :nono: I don't think it looks so bad, shifty yes, but not bad. Think of it more as your Evil Doppelganger.

 

I didn't know Tim McGraw was a member here!