Re-coupe??

[v8only]

I'm mostly messing around here. However....

Our convertibles started life off as a coupe.

If in theory I came across a good coupe in the junkyard and cut the roof off, how extensive would it really be to turn a convertible back into a coupe?

[ashley roachclip]

I would think it would be very labor intensive .
I seem to remember that there is a lot of re-enforcement added .
And all of that would take time in it self .

[K PONY]

Didn't "STORMIN NORMAN" do that with his black 87 GT convertible, but then again that was a drag car.

[gdniel]

Stormin Norman did just that, and a guy converted a Kenny Brown XS vert to a coupe also. I have tossed the idea around myself, but I enjoy driving with the top down.

[qtrracer]

Keep the vert and buy a coupe?

[anthonydalrymple]

Intriguing idea really..... It be more solid than a normal notch if done right. I think it's be labor intensive as heck; but wouldn't be very costly at all..... except the repaint part of it of course....

[negusm]

You would have the only true Fox body HARDTOP around.

Since you would probably remove the quarter window glass and b-pillar to allow the vert's rear windows to roll up and down.

IMHO, it would be more interesting if it was a removable hardtop.

-Mike

[v8only]

OH wow, that would be fun!!

What a neat idea.

[NAVYCAT]

Thats the same as removing the t-top and welding on a solid roof. mmmmmm

[v8only]

possibly, except that ttop cars are fairly rare. Convertibles are just rickity piles of ****, and as common as dog poo.

i'm not going to go through all that trouble anyhow. I do think it would be cool to do if I did have the budget.

[Marz]

Really all you need to do is get a coupe, replace the rocker panels with the slightly wider vert rocker panels (weld a bar in there for added bracing since you'll have them off), swap all the vert bracing on and you basically have the coupe version of a 93 cobra (without the added reinforced bar you'd add in the rocker panels).

The previous owner of my GT added vert bracing. Except for the vert rocker panels it's set up as a 1993 cobra.

[ashley roachclip]

SO if the vert is already a heavy pig , what would it be with a metal roof ?
....a really heavy coupe pig .

[v8only]

we'd have to pull all the convertible specific bracing. Everything that made the vert heavy would have to be pulled.

[ashley roachclip]

A 4 banger coupe is cheap

[Wilson]

Da***it, why did you have to bring this up? LOL.... I've always wanted a notch, and here I've got this 86 LX 'vert, already titled, 100% rust free, that already has an 8.8 and 87-up brakes, and a bad top! I'm sure I could score a rotted notch cheap or hack a roof off at the wreckers. LOTS of work but mostly labor.....great, something else to think about....why not add T-Tops at the same time?

[rancheronut]

sounds like a lot of work ,just to have a coupe

[slow84lx]

sounds like a lot of work ,just to have a coupe

agreed.

[v8only]

it's just the challenge of it mostly. same reason why people put mod motors in a fox...something fun and different to entertain yourself with.

Really, if one is a skill welder and has time and patience, I don't see what it would be so much work.

it's nothing I can personally do, but for a skilled body man, why not?

[rancheronut]

[B]it's just the challenge of it mostly. [/B.
something fun and different to entertain yourself with.
?

yep, i can understand that! that why i change things on all my rides. some people don't like it but i enjoy it.

[Smiley84]

i believe ur all forgeting the different angle on the front window on the convertable i had my 2 eightyfours coupe an convertable an there was a noticeable difference in the slope of the windsheilds it would mean ud have to chop the top as well!

[v8only]

that's most interesting. How did they get the different angle??

[Wilson]

Dredged up this 3+ year old thread because this idea keeps festering. Coupes aren't getting any cheaper and my 86 'vert is still sitting unused and rust/rot-free. The cowl area is damaged from a hood flying up (I assume) and a PO cut the dash mtg tabs off to install an 87-up dash, so metalwork needs to be done in that area anyhow. Although I welcome a fresh set of opinions on the feasability of this, what i'd really like to know is what the differences would be between a 4-eyed donor and an Aero? K-Pony's coupe has bright trim but on others it's dark. Does it depend on exterior color and/or year? Are the interior rear panels different or just the quarter windows and trim? Rear seats? Headliner/package tray? I'm thinking that with the 'vert and coupe stripped to the bones and side-by-side, what needed to be done would be obvious, and yes a helluva lot of work! Measure 30 times, cut once... I'm assuming basic roof structure/windshield pillars/rear quarter profile and glass was unchanged from 79-93. Sure, it WOULD be easier to start with a clean coupe body. LOL where's the fun in that? Thoughts?

[teddy1500]

why not use the coupe roof as a hardtop for the convertible? make it removable? you could have the best of both worlds.

[quikstang2]

Since you brought this thread back up...
I asked this question once too. Once.
http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?t=120525

It appears that there are a TON of differences between coupes & convertibles. Putting a coupe roof on is going to require a decent amount of skill. There's a few ways you could go about doing it, which are mentioned above.

I still kick the idea around myself too. Leaning more towards a removable hard top at this point... that's if I don't want to leave it at a permanent open top. Finding a way to graft a roof on while maintaining the vert doors and windows would look really cool. Not sure how the rear glass or sail panels would work out with having to chop the roof down a bit though.

[GT-350sln]

look at merscedes sl's of the 80's ad 90's and cadillac allante's. their removeable hard top had a permanent quarter window in them that was part of the structure. in other words it left with the top and a pover rear window came up if the soft top was used so it could work the same?