Can I make a Hardtop A drop top?

vetteeatr · 09-01-2002, 07:33 PM

Basically just wondering if i keep my 88 GT that i wrecked slap on a whole front end since i crushed mine will i be able to later on just take liek everythign fromt eh doors back and mak eaconvertable by taking the pieces off another wrecked convertable? Would i have to use a 8 cyl or is all teh elcetronics the same for everything besides the engine?

SO basicalyl can i swap bodies?

Any problems?

Can i keep my current interior and jsut place the shell over it or will diffrent years be slgihtly off im gonan be using a 87 to 93.

Thanks

bigblockcoupe · 09-02-2002, 11:53 AM

ok first off are you talkig about turning the hartop into a convertible or just using the parts from the hardtop to build a convertible it would be a heck of alot cheaper to buy a convertible than trying to make a hard top into a convertible you cant just unbolt the body from the frame like a pickup cab it's all one piece. some parts from the hardtop will fit on a convertible the fenders,nosepiece, hood are about all you can use the doors won't fit the windshield is different you can't put a hatcback on a decklid the front seats, carpet, dash, and door panels will fit. the backseat is different in design and size so you can't use it the under dash wiring is the same for all mustangs 4cl or v-8 but the computer harness and headlight harness are completely different as well as different for cars with airbags and mass air. if you have any questions about specific parts or conversions feel free to e-mail me.

vetteeatr · 09-02-2002, 01:30 PM

Well you see I currently own a hardtop hatch. Unfortunately i wrecked it and basicalyl destroyed teh whole front end. I was thinkign i coudl put a fiberglass front end on there. and teh rest of the body is in pretty godo shape but has probelms in certain plcaes. So later on i woudl buy like a 4 cyl vert or something that has been wrecked or somethign is wrong iwth it for very littel then bascailyl transfer everythign from teh doors and back to my frame and so forth. I woudl keep my front en dnad allready have all the wrigin for the V-8 as thats whats in it now.

Do you see any other complications?

Bascailyl jsut eh doors and back from teh vert and the front will be a full tilt front end.

Alot of work has been done ot the suspensiona nd everythign actaully and i didnt really want to dissasemble then put it all back to together not to mention if i was to buy a more liekly heapr 4 cyl vert later tehn i woudl encounter more problems i woudl imagine as certain parts probalyl woudlnt fit.

Thanks For all the Help

bigblockcoupe · 09-02-2002, 01:41 PM

if it is smashed pretty good it would probably be cheaper and alot less of a headache to find a 5.0 mustang with no motor or trans or a 4cyl. car complete and just swap everything over now i would suggest finding a 5.0 donor car because the 4cyl swap is not for the weak of heart and will take plenty of time to complete and make it right i say this because the actual motor and trans is the easy part but when your swapping out all the wiring and you have to change fuel lines from front to rear and if you want to use the 8.8 rearend you will need to swap the brake line that runs from the front of the car on the passenger side to the rear up between the control arms to make it work and there are several other things that make it a time consuming project but a 5.0 donor car would save you alot of time you will just have to look for a car check out local auto auctions and not just the big public auctions hit the wrecker yards most of them have an auction monthly and this is a great place to pick up some great deals i can't begin to tell you of all the awesome deals i have found at places like these.

HotRoddin · 09-02-2002, 02:22 PM

I'm not sure i'm reading your question right but remember that a mustang is a unibody car ... that means it has no seperate frame. You can't just remove all the front end sheetmetal and replace it with fiberglass because that sheet metal is the structure of the car. Without that sheet metal, (raditor support, aprons, unirails, wheelhouse assemblies, side rails) there is no strength. All that sheetmetal is what takes the place of the frame. Also when you get hit that hard they have to put the car on a rack and pull the chassis back to factory specs ... not a cheap process ! and never try to make a vert out of a hardtop without strengthening the rocker panel area ... verts have extra metal in the rocker panels to make up for not having a roof, which is part of the structure that gives strength to the car. You can usually change fenders, hood, deck lid and bumpers, but other than those, most everything else is welded in place and should only be attempted if you really know what you're doing. So to sum up this long winded responce (whew) What you're proposing doesn't sound at all cost effective.

zzzzzzz are you still awake ? lol

09-01-2002, 07:33 PM	#1
vetteeatr Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Olney, Illinois, USA Posts: 212	Can I make a Hardtop A drop top? Basically just wondering if i keep my 88 GT that i wrecked slap on a whole front end since i crushed mine will i be able to later on just take liek everythign fromt eh doors back and mak eaconvertable by taking the pieces off another wrecked convertable? Would i have to use a 8 cyl or is all teh elcetronics the same for everything besides the engine? SO basicalyl can i swap bodies? Any problems? Can i keep my current interior and jsut place the shell over it or will diffrent years be slgihtly off im gonan be using a 87 to 93. Thanks __________________ !988 GT World Windsor Sr.'s, Harland sharpe rockers, 3.73 gears, pulleys, no ac, hurst shifter, 10:1 pistons, BBK full length headers and H-pipe with flows. Under extensive work for porting and fly cutting to accept my new cam and to match my soon to have systemax intake DROOL Best E.T. 13.20 with edelbrock RPM intake and 70mm TB

09-02-2002, 01:30 PM	#3
vetteeatr Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Olney, Illinois, USA Posts: 212	Well you see I currently own a hardtop hatch. Unfortunately i wrecked it and basicalyl destroyed teh whole front end. I was thinkign i coudl put a fiberglass front end on there. and teh rest of the body is in pretty godo shape but has probelms in certain plcaes. So later on i woudl buy like a 4 cyl vert or something that has been wrecked or somethign is wrong iwth it for very littel then bascailyl transfer everythign from teh doors and back to my frame and so forth. I woudl keep my front en dnad allready have all the wrigin for the V-8 as thats whats in it now. Do you see any other complications? Bascailyl jsut eh doors and back from teh vert and the front will be a full tilt front end. Alot of work has been done ot the suspensiona nd everythign actaully and i didnt really want to dissasemble then put it all back to together not to mention if i was to buy a more liekly heapr 4 cyl vert later tehn i woudl encounter more problems i woudl imagine as certain parts probalyl woudlnt fit. Thanks For all the Help __________________ !988 GT World Windsor Sr.'s, Harland sharpe rockers, 3.73 gears, pulleys, no ac, hurst shifter, 10:1 pistons, BBK full length headers and H-pipe with flows. Under extensive work for porting and fly cutting to accept my new cam and to match my soon to have systemax intake DROOL Best E.T. 13.20 with edelbrock RPM intake and 70mm TB

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09-02-2002, 11:53 AM	#2
bigblockcoupe Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: broken arrow Posts: 212	ok first off are you talkig about turning the hartop into a convertible or just using the parts from the hardtop to build a convertible it would be a heck of alot cheaper to buy a convertible than trying to make a hard top into a convertible you cant just unbolt the body from the frame like a pickup cab it's all one piece. some parts from the hardtop will fit on a convertible the fenders,nosepiece, hood are about all you can use the doors won't fit the windshield is different you can't put a hatcback on a decklid the front seats, carpet, dash, and door panels will fit. the backseat is different in design and size so you can't use it the under dash wiring is the same for all mustangs 4cl or v-8 but the computer harness and headlight harness are completely different as well as different for cars with airbags and mass air. if you have any questions about specific parts or conversions feel free to e-mail me.

09-02-2002, 01:41 PM	#4
bigblockcoupe Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: broken arrow Posts: 212	if it is smashed pretty good it would probably be cheaper and alot less of a headache to find a 5.0 mustang with no motor or trans or a 4cyl. car complete and just swap everything over now i would suggest finding a 5.0 donor car because the 4cyl swap is not for the weak of heart and will take plenty of time to complete and make it right i say this because the actual motor and trans is the easy part but when your swapping out all the wiring and you have to change fuel lines from front to rear and if you want to use the 8.8 rearend you will need to swap the brake line that runs from the front of the car on the passenger side to the rear up between the control arms to make it work and there are several other things that make it a time consuming project but a 5.0 donor car would save you alot of time you will just have to look for a car check out local auto auctions and not just the big public auctions hit the wrecker yards most of them have an auction monthly and this is a great place to pick up some great deals i can't begin to tell you of all the awesome deals i have found at places like these.

09-02-2002, 02:22 PM	#5
HotRoddin cranky old man Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Longview Texas Posts: 683	I'm not sure i'm reading your question right but remember that a mustang is a unibody car ... that means it has no seperate frame. You can't just remove all the front end sheetmetal and replace it with fiberglass because that sheet metal is the structure of the car. Without that sheet metal, (raditor support, aprons, unirails, wheelhouse assemblies, side rails) there is no strength. All that sheetmetal is what takes the place of the frame. Also when you get hit that hard they have to put the car on a rack and pull the chassis back to factory specs ... not a cheap process ! and never try to make a vert out of a hardtop without strengthening the rocker panel area ... verts have extra metal in the rocker panels to make up for not having a roof, which is part of the structure that gives strength to the car. You can usually change fenders, hood, deck lid and bumpers, but other than those, most everything else is welded in place and should only be attempted if you really know what you're doing. So to sum up this long winded responce (whew) What you're proposing doesn't sound at all cost effective. zzzzzzz are you still awake ? lol