Is it possible to rig up the roof so you can take it off whenever you want? Sorta like making t-tops, but the whole roof can be removed. Is it just a matter of cutting it off and clear the edges? Even if you can't get the top back on, Id still like to know if its possible.

cor

You can cut the center out all the way across, called a targa top. Or you could whack the whole roof off and make a fiberglass roof to put on (like a Mercedes).

Either way you need to do lots of reinforcing like a convertible conversion. Search under 'targa' and 'convertible' and you should get some ideas.

Yep called a Targa top. Main problem is that you will have to do some major reinforcing of the frame. A friend was just talking about it and he was told to have a rectangular box like structure welded under the car, then with the same materials build and weld an X type structure that bolts to the other structure. The reason of bolting it is so that you can remove the X to get to the fuel tank and other things under the car as needed. I would think this would be quite expensive to have a welding shop do, so this will be the most expensive part of the Targa top job. Good luck!

Phil

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GTDude
OVER 25 years GM experience

Yeah, that’s a targa alright, Pretty much a ttop without the ‘T’. There was a company that did manufacture targas for the fiero. I don’t know what the name of them was but I have one sitting in my basement. I think actually they were sold installed not as a kit. There was a guy on the forum named Cozmo who had a targa top’d fiero, see pics here
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20020825-1-014608.html
He sold that car about a month or so ago though. The top looks identical to the one I have. As for the bracing, I’ve heard square tubing along the rockers with the removable x-fame and then steel plate or angle up the firewall. I want to do this and then get a rollbar to tie into it to go behind headrests. Anyways good luck find one now and post any info you find out.

a targa top huh..well is there anyway to put in a t-bar for more strength? I mean, is there anyway to take off a section of the roof and still have the strength to hold the car up? And does the car collasp when you sit down in it?

quote Originally posted by C0RM0R: a targa top huh..well is there anyway to put in a t-bar for more strength? I mean, is there anyway to take off a section of the roof and still have the strength to hold the car up? And does the car collasp when you sit down in it?

yeah an x frame on the bottom of the chassis. Or go on a diet

Does anyone have any pics of what the bottom of the car might look like? Does this new metal go over the exhaust? How would you get to anything if theres another frame there?

Saw Cozmos Targa Fiero this summer before he sold it , looks even better in person . Many changes since the pictures that come up on the previous post on this thread .

Galen Smith
Red 85 Sport Coupe
Founder of Suncoast Fiero Club
Florida Fiero Council

I dunno what this fascination is with x frames. They are not needed. I spoke with an automotive engineer on this matter and strengthening the sills, a pillars and b pillars is enough to reinforce the car. To go all the way on the Fiero plate the fuel tank tunnel from the inside of the car as well. Those mods will give you a stronger Fiero than a 2X1 X frame and also better ground clearance.

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The Fiero Shop International

No X-Frame here, just 1" square down the frame rails and angled up into the rear fender wells.

3fifty, what kinda car is that?

Is it possible just to puta solid bar across the windshield and the back part? Sort of like t-tops with no tops. I mean, just having a reinforced bar across the top? Say if I were to get t-tops, would I need to reinforce anything else for it?

Aus: i was going to private message you, but i think this would benefit a lot of others to. how exactly is this strengthining of the sills, a&b pillars done? i was planning on having a friend of mine weld an x-frame for me, but i'd like to hear more about this. also, if i planned on adding a torque monster engine(4.9 ) later on, do you think it could hold up to it?

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[This message has been edited by Spektrum-87GT (edited 11-29-2002).]

quote Originally posted by AusFiero: I dunno what this fascination is with x frames. They are not needed. I spoke with an automotive engineer on this matter and strengthening the sills, a pillars and b pillars is enough to reinforce the car. To go all the way on the Fiero plate the fuel tank tunnel from the inside of the car as well. Those mods will give you a stronger Fiero than a 2X1 X frame and also better ground clearance.

Aus,
A bolt-on x-frame will help reduce the amount of twist experienced by the spaceframe during loading/unloading at any one wheel by providing at least some strong link between opposite sides/ends of the car. Chopping the roof frame rails off (ala targa-style) leaves no structure up top for the spaceframe to resist bending and torsion. Granted, it isn't a highly-efficient method, but it improves the strength of structures that can't be easily modified in other ways. The BIG question is, would it improve body strength enough to be noticeable? I think the Ford Mustang convertible (1st-generation Fox platform) used this method, and may still be using it on the current car.

The best method to reduce bending would be to increase the height of the sills, but that isn't easy in the Fiero because of it's low ground clearance on the bottom end, and the rocker panels and doors on the top end. The next best thing would be as you suggested, Aus: Use the center tunnel to increase rigidity, preferrably inside the cabin. It's the highest structural point on the car connecting front and rear halves after the roof frame.

I'm not sure about strengthening the a-pillar or b-pillar areas. What would this improve?

Any way you look at it, you'll end up adding a lot of weight down low trying to recreate the relatively lightweight structure lost up top. For any Fiero targa, it's all a question of how you like your pasta: Al-dente or mush?

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