Author Topic: Making a coupe into a convertible  (Read 12640 times)

outlaw17

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Making a coupe into a convertible
« on: January 02, 2010, 12:22:11 AM »
Im working on doing the body work on a 67 convertible for a friend that purchased the car a few months back and now that the car is alomost completely apart it shows some signs of something strange , it looks to me like the rear section of the body may have possibly been changed , the welds are not original and you can tell it has been worked on , it has new quarters but it just seems strange, the front section around the windshield pillar seems odd too but the fenders are still on so until they come off I wont be able to see whats been done around the cowl area . Is there anything that is obvious to only a convertible that would be next to impossible to swap out if this type of job was done ? Something I can look for that is distinct ?

ggtsvnv

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2010, 12:48:25 AM »
 I don't remember the measurment but the windshield on a convertible is shorter than a coup. Also the fourth digit in the VIN should be a 6 for a convertible. It should also be a 6 in the fourth digit on the trim tag after the "ST". Also a factory convertible should have an "X" brace under the car to stiffen it up. The "X" brace could be removed but most I have ever seen have not been removed unless the car was striped of its parts in the past.
Hope it helps

jimbo67rag

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2010, 01:13:04 AM »
Although i have not been under many 67 rag tops, i have never seen an x brace. Is this feature for real?  All i have ever known as far as differnces has been the dampners or cocktail shakers.

ggtsvnv

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2010, 01:35:11 AM »
Although i have not been under many 67 rag tops, i have never seen an x brace. Is this feature for real?

Yes it's for real, most parts houses sale a repo one; NPD has it as part # C-12806-1A. The unibody cannot handle the twisting too well without a roof, so the brace was used to strengthen the body up. I live in the dry west and most convertibles out here still have them, as did my matching #'s 68 SS350 I used to own. I do imagine that in parts of the country that are prone to rust they might rott out quickly being they are under the car.

jimbo67rag

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2010, 02:47:10 AM »
Thanks     Anyone know where i can get a view of this x brace. I am curious as to what it looks like. thanks.

Sauron327

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rare396bronze

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2010, 04:05:30 AM »
Also should have extra bracing behind inner rear quarter trim panel. Also round cocktail shaker's on all four corner's of the car.

jimbo67rag

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2010, 06:09:54 AM »
thanks sauron and rare, the shakers are long gone,i'll have to make a trip to the body shop and check for that x brace on the underside. I don't recall seeing it under there.

jimbo

KevinW

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2010, 01:43:21 PM »
outlaw, To make a coupe into a vert takes a lot of work and almost every panel is a little different. He are some pics to help you compare.

windshield frame


inside rocker construction


qtr window and top hinge point (looking forward on the pass side)


rear corner, pay close attention to the opening for the qtr window guts (kidney pan)


Luck!

JohnZ

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2010, 03:31:24 PM »
Here's the convertible X-brace as installed.

'69 Z/28
Fathom Green
CRG

william

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2010, 04:38:53 PM »
The VIN prefix is different for a convert:

12337 = 6 cyl coupe
12437 = 8 cyl coupe

12367 = 6 cyl convert
12467 = 8 cyl convert
Learning more and more about less and less...

KevinW

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2010, 04:40:15 PM »
Just to be clear, the pics I posted above are from real 69 convertibles.  You can use them to compare to the suspected conversion car.

jimbo67rag

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2010, 05:09:31 PM »
Thanks Kevin. The car we are looking at is a 67.

Jimbo

RS3SDL2MG

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2010, 05:10:39 PM »
I have alway's kinda wanted a convertible but don't know if I would like one if I had it , I would NOT turn a coupe into a covertible if I was to one day try to obtain a 1967 camaro convertible the route I would take would be either to take a 1967 firebird body and put camaro panel's on it or buy the worst RUSTED WRECKED BENT POS SIX CYLINDER CAMARO CONVERTIBLE ON EARTH to build one out of , the coupe to convertible coversion would be out !
1967 RS 327 (210) horse C-C ermine white 732 bright blue interior RARE 4P - DELETE

KevinW

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Re: Making a coupe into a convertible
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2010, 06:02:06 PM »
Thanks Kevin. The car we are looking at is a 67.

Jimbo

Jimbo, the pics I posted (and Johns) are the same for 67-69 camaros.  Only the outer skins were different.  Real 1st gens Convertibles also had thicker metal than coupes (rockers, rear frame rails, hinge pillars too I think).  On Johns pic, please note the "H" re-enforcing ribs the "X" plate bolts onto, that is only used on vert. 

 

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