Solid or T-Top

[Garrard8]

I didnt see a place to put this so I will put it here.I currently have a 87 we4 that has t-tops.Sometime next year I plan on painting the car and have been thinking about finding a solid roof parts car to cut off and have it placed on my car.Some might find the crazy but I just hate the leaking and I beleive the seals are just crazy expensive.So thats what I at this time I am thinking of doing so I am asking you what you think.

 

[TURBOV8R]

Lemme know when you do,I'll buy your T roofs,I've got a mismatched pair!
BTW,not an easy task but I think someone on the board here done the same just recently.Do a search above on the topic,see what hits.Have fun,and welcome to the downward bank account spiral ride!

 

[Gary Wells]

I would sell it, take a loss as necessary, and go find a nice solid roof car. Not only not an easy task, not a cheap one either. Might have a hard time finding a buyer, too, if you ever have to sell it.

 

[gmpower]

can you do the work yourself? I would think patching a solid roof from a donor car would cost much $$$$$... But I do love the look of a WE4 hardtop!

 

[gmpower]

BTW.. I would also patch a solid roof on my ttop GN if it was affordable or I could do it myself.

 

[JOHNDEEREGN]

I would sell it, take a loss as necessary, and go find a nice solid roof car. Not only not an easy task, not a cheap one either. Might have a hard time finding a buyer, too, if you ever have to sell it.

x2

 

[85mustangkiller]

Just my opinion, but I love my T-tops. Sure they make all kinds of noise but I cruise around with them off all summer who needs a/c, but I do have a/c for back up

 

[usetaboost]

if u want ttops, buy ttops. if u want hardtop buy hardtop! sell it to someone that will fix it instead of ruining it

 

[Garrard8]

I dont think it would ruin it.My car needs all sorts of attention and this was one of the things I was concerned about.I bought the car back in August in Ohio from a dip sh1t that just about ruined it(I think he just taped the windows and sprayed the hole car silver,,trim and moldings and all.)It does have a t60 front mount intercoller 40psi injectors 3000 stall conv.I hade to put heads on it but all in all its mechanically sound for now.I am starting to put a plan together to get the car to look good as it runs.There is a little rust where the seals are on the drivers side t-top so thats what started making me think about converting the top.I have a body repair education and so does my freind that would be helping so I would be doing the work myself.Might I also say I am a big fan of this site and visit often.Thanks and may the comments continue.Thanks John...

 

[TURBOV8R]

SILVER we4?!? You made the best mod to that car you could,you got it away from him before any more mass destruction could take place!

 

[seeyabye]

I have a We-4 that is t-top also; eventually I will cut the top off and make it a solid roof. I hate the squeaks, rattles, wind noise, and leaks. I have replaced all the seals a couple of years ago and they are bad again! I love my car and would never sell it, and I have already put much more money in it than I can ever sell it for. I don't car about the value of the car, so I am going to convert mine.

 

[LBNJWE4]

if u want ttops, buy ttops. if u want hardtop buy hardtop! sell it to someone that will fix it instead of ruining it

+1

I would do some research also, I think they only made 100 or so WE4s with t-tops. Check with Brian Weavy on that.

 

[bmackinnon]

My car had T-Tops cut into it by Cars & Concepts in Flint, MI when it was brand new!! Rattle and wind noise is ridiculous, although they don't really leak... I have checked into doing the exact thing you are considering and two different body guys, who are highly regarded in my area, have both seperately told me that it's not a difficult job at all. I fully intend to RETURN my car to hardtop status when I get the time, money, and inclination.... I say go for it if that's what you want to do.... :smile:

 

[usetaboost]

Now that car I would DEFINITELY do it!

 

[TURBOV8R]

+1

I would do some research also, I think they only made 100 or so WE4s with t-tops. Check with Brian Weavy on that.

Really?

 

[kingots2004]

sell it and find a hardtop car.or get a regular regal and make a gn clone.

 

[toofastforyou]

"Garrard8", if I were you, I' do it, especially if you intend to keep the car and spend some money kinda "restoring" it. Although they're a nice option to have on a sunny day, t-tops have been known for leaking, making wind noise and eventually ending with (sometimes severe) rust problems around the tops central mounting frame piece, the top of the windshield as well as the floor of the cars where water leaks in from the tops and accumulates, soaking the carpet and...well, you know the result. Not only you have to change the top, but maybe the floor pan too! Also, if you race your car every now and then, a solid roof car is more rigid. Have it done at a professional body shop who will remove the old top at the factory seams and find a donor car for the new solid roof and reinstall it as if it came like that from the factory. Once that's done, a good used or maybe new headliner should be easy to find. I don't remember who did this, but I saw a thread not too long ago about a nice GN that had been converted from t-tops to a solid roof it was so well done that it would have been impossible to know if the owner wouldnt have said he did it.
...So GO FOR IT, and get rid of those leaky t-tops!...


Claude. :wink:

P.S: Maybe you could get a good used solid top and a correct, matching headliner from Brian at GBodyParts.com Online...

 

[LBNJWE4]

Really?

That's why I said research, I know of about 5 around here alone. But 2 of them have already been cut up and parted out! Brian told me that figure when I was disgussing one of the ones that got cut up.

 

[turbofish38]

Don't forget that on T-top cars if the roof and pillars are cancered out than you probably have rust in the floor pan also. No sense in fixing two sides of the car if it's not in the budget. At some point you have to decide when to stop digging in the money pit.

 

[85mustangkiller]

Ok, thinking I got lucky with my car no major rust yet, just some were the paint chiped from flexing. I do know about the leaks, went to the car wash(hand wash) went to take off and got drinched in water. Avoiding the T-Tops when I was it now, they get hand wash no power wash. Another thing i had to do was take the drivers sunvisor out. It was so lose when I would take off it would almost hit me in the head, heard this is a because of the T-tops. O-well gives the car some character