What to do to keep a ttop t-type together on good tires with power

[1badbuford]

After talking to a few people I have a few reservations about putting slicks on my car due to body twist. It is an 87 t- type with t- tops.
What can you do short of a full cage to keep the body twist down? Should be in the low 11's or high tens by the time I'm done.
Thanks

 

[pacecarta]

HR rear bar,

 

[1badbuford]

What about the seat brace kit? With the rear sway bar?

 

[Bweavy]

What about the seat brace kit? With the rear sway bar?

Any Bracing you can do will help with a T-top car.

 

[forcefed3.8's]

HR bar and I built a rear seat firewall out of 16g steel, and bolted it every 5 inches with 3/8" bolts. Really stiffened the car. I have been in the 10's, 9's, 8's for 6 years with no cage until now. I do have slight waves on the driver's 1/4 from the launch buckle.

 

[1badbuford]

HR bar and I built a rear seat firewall out of 16g steel, and bolted it every 5 inches with 3/8" bolts. Really stiffened the car. I have been in the 10's, 9's, 8's for 6 years with no cage until now. I do have slight waves on the driver's 1/4 from the launch buckle.

Can you send me a pic of the rear seat brace ?

 

[1badbuford]

Only good looking Rear seat brace I've seen is the tin man , site is http://tinmanperformance.net/crbst_3.html
Any feed back on this one? Or is there something better out there ?I know that a firewall was mentioned above , could probably incorporate one of those in with this deal.

Thanks

 

[pacecarta]

the tinman is a copy of the GNX brace (also found in the pontiac GranPrix)
gbody parts also sells that one http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=743&osCsid=4fb462a760c5d4039de0b084f1aea2cf

if you do the rear seat firewall with thick enough steel or 1/8" aluminum the gnx brace is not needed
the firewall covers the entire open area of the rear seat and secures it at all sides and the existing brace

 

[1badbuford]

the tinman is a copy of the GNX brace (also found in the pontiac GranPrix)
gbody parts also sells that one http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=743&osCsid=4fb462a760c5d4039de0b084f1aea2cf

if you do the rear seat firewall with thick enough steel or 1/8" aluminum the gnx brace is not needed
the firewall covers the entire open area of the rear seat and secures it at all sides and the existing brace

I was hoping someone had a firewall already done and ready to go, I know for other cars like mustangs they have a couple of vendors that have firewalls pre-fabbed. . Guess I will pull the back seat out and etch a template and go to a metal shop around here . If anyone in Houston sees this and knows of a good cage/ and sheet metal fab shop let me know....
Thanks

 

[pacecarta]

hueffman has a rear firewall kit
buickgn.com

http://buickgn.com/trunkfirewall.htm

 

[Bweavy]

the tinman is a copy of the GNX brace (also found in the pontiac GranPrix)
gbody parts also sells that one http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=743&osCsid=4fb462a760c5d4039de0b084f1aea2cf

if you do the rear seat firewall with thick enough steel or 1/8" aluminum the gnx brace is not needed
the firewall covers the entire open area of the rear seat and secures it at all sides and the existing brace

http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=839&osCsid=0415eccb410e126f15a5b7ebbf857928

 

[1badbuford]

http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=839&osCsid=0415eccb410e126f15a5b7ebbf857928

Does that stiffen it up? Or would additional bracing be required ?

 

[Bweavy]

Does that stiffen it up? Or would additional bracing be required ?

This is the best way I can explain it. This will give you a visual. Imagine you build a shed wall from 2x4's . You can rack the frame wall left & right pretty easily. Then you secure a piece of plywood to it. Now the wall is stiff & can't be racked. Sort of the same idea. This is usually how I explain it over the phone when some one askes me about it.

 

[1badbuford]

Got it....

Just asking a lot of questions to see exactly what all everyone is doing, I would hate to screw up the car with torque .

Thanks to all

 

[Bweavy]

Got it....

Just asking a lot of questions to see exactly what all everyone is doing, I would hate to screw up the car with torque .

Thanks to all

If your making a lot of Power be safe & go with a cage. If you ever want to restore it you can remove. Better safe then sorry.
You have a lot of good advice here, braces, HR bar, etc . Hr bar will not hurt it. The braces will not hurt it.

 

[kidglok]

Hr bar in mine + roll bar no issues as of yet. I also have the rear seat braces but who knows if they do anything