Sun roods and moon roofs are ok but the T top is so much better for open air driving.
The T tops don't leak if properly installed and cared for. Damaged or imporperly installed seals are what leak and can be fix.
The only down side to the T tops is the cost for some of the hard to find parts.
The tops store in the rear trunk or even behind the seats. Storage is not an issue.
Sun roofs are hand pop ups like in the Fiero and Moon roofs are generally electically operated.
Only thing better than a T top is a true convertible.
I have had T tops since 1987 and have no regret of ever putting them in. A warm night drive around the local lake system here it is a stress reliever. Kind of like riding a Harley in a way.
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08:39 PM
Songman Member
Posts: 12496 From: Nashville, TN Registered: Aug 2000
A factory T-top car will have straps in the trunk to fasten the tops when they are out. As often as not, I just put mine behind the seats. It is a snug fit but they do fit there.
------------------ The 6th Annual California Coast Run October 24-26, 2008
First you have to find someone with a roof section for sale. Very difficult to do. I have sold three myself but haven't had any in a few years. They normally go upwards of $600 for the kit. Then you have to install it or pay to have it installed.
Personally, I would never attempt it although quite a few here have. There always seem to be T-top cars around for sale even though there were not very many made. I just bought my 4th T-top and got it cheap too!
There have been quite a few recent threads about this subject. Some of them have some good links about installing T-tops.
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09:18 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
If you like open air driving then a T-top is much better than a sun roof. When you take the tops out and look up, all you see is sky. With a sunroof the roof is over your head and you have to look to the side to see sky. It's a totally different effect.
I like my T-tops but I miss being able to just pop the sunroof open for a little ventilation in the spring and fall seasons. I store them behind the seats, works fine. Good thing, my trunk is cut for the flowmaster and cat. All in all they're worth it but it wouldn't necessarily be a huge selling point for me again.
------------------ '85GT Indy clone 4.9 4T60E '78 Toyota longbed, parts runner '89 Bonneville daily driver '87 30' Kit Classic TT, living in it.
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11:05 PM
joshh44 Member
Posts: 2166 From: Nanaimo, B.C, Canada Registered: Aug 2007
i love T-tops. you can jump over your door and hop inside the car. i have t-tops on my 89' camaro. and i love em! pop em off on a nice sunny day. its so much more open. its also alot more fun i think. but you can just pop it up alittle like the sunroof like the fiero. which i like also. gets alittle warm. just a quick little pull on the lever and tada. its open. i wish T-Tops had that. it be kinda funy kool. just pop it up on the side.
i have a sunroof and love it, but if i had the chance to trade for the t-tops i think i would in a heartbeat, my old mans 74 t/a has t-tops and i love the open air feeling.
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11:57 PM
Jun 27th, 2008
vamper Member
Posts: 291 From: belvidere illinois 61008 Registered: Dec 2005
i would rather have a targa top. thos are even sweeter. but i dont really want to fab up a targa. dont have the skill enough right now to tackle that. and you would have to stiffin up the body of the car. at least i would.
T-tops hands down. Like said, they are only one upped by the convertible.
Someday soon I will join the T-topper's
As for the targa's our cars would need extensive undercarriage "frame work"(and I use the term loosely) or they would fold, I'm sure I'd be surprised at the amount of stress that T frame is under sometimes.
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01:55 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6150 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
I thought the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof was that a moonroof (electric powered or not although I've never seen one not) retracts into the roof itself so it can't be seen at all when open. A sunroof retracts over the top of the roof and hangs over the roof when all the way back. In which case there is someone on the forum who put an electric sunroof on his fiero. I forget who it is, but he has a really really nice fiero. It has a 3800 supercharged and turbo charged engine in it, norm's front end, and is like electric blue.
Originally posted by hyperv6: ... Only thing better than a T top is a true convertible. ...
Nope. a TARGA top is WAY better than a true convertible and T-Tops. Nothing looks more exotic. As for the comments that the fiero would need lots of work, what do you think they do to the convertible cars? you need an X frame underneath. Honestly it is not that hard to do, easier than the detail work to install the top.
Having owned 2 non fiero convertibles in my life, I'm never buying another one. They are only useful for slow speed city driving. once you get above 45mph they suck.
To be more on topic... You will get a Sunroof in way WAY cheaper than t-tops. and a moon roof, if you can find an aftermarket one that is not junk and can fit in the roof area then go for it. Buy the type that pops up outside the car and buy 2 of them. Aftermarket things like that have impossible to find parts. you need 1 to store away to rob parts out of to fix what breaks in 4-5 years.
[This message has been edited by timgray (edited 06-27-2008).]
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08:11 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6150 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
Nope. a TARGA top is WAY better than a true convertible and T-Tops. Nothing looks more exotic. As for the comments that the fiero would need lots of work, what do you think they do to the convertible cars? you need an X frame underneath. Honestly it is not that hard to do, easier than the detail work to install the top.
Having owned 2 non fiero convertibles in my life, I'm never buying another one. They are only useful for slow speed city driving. once you get above 45mph they suck.
To be more on topic... You will get a Sunroof in way WAY cheaper than t-tops. and a moon roof, if you can find an aftermarket one that is not junk and can fit in the roof area then go for it. Buy the type that pops up outside the car and buy 2 of them. Aftermarket things like that have impossible to find parts. you need 1 to store away to rob parts out of to fix what breaks in 4-5 years.
To do it correctly you need to also stiffen the rockers and a pillars. many convertibles in the past would have a x brace but still flex. The pillars need supported as it adds safety in case of a flip and cross support for more rigidity. The Vette takes advantage of a solid platform and supported window frames.
Other than a few sports cars targa's are rare and the differance between a T roof, Targa and Convertible are all subjective to what someone really wants. None are really any better or worse than the other. Storage is the biggest issue in a targa as many cars do not have the room to strore the roof like a Ferrari or Vette. The new Solstice has to make due with a soft top for the take along on the road while the hard top stays at home.
Many convertibles today are also designed to keep the wind down. As for some targa's and T tops the wind still whips in. I know on the Fiero you get the passenger seat shoulder belt flapping due to incoming air.
Air and wind are just part of the package in all three tops and if you don't like wind don't buy an open top.
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09:30 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6150 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
I thought the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof was that a moonroof (electric powered or not although I've never seen one not) retracts into the roof itself so it can't be seen at all when open. A sunroof retracts over the top of the roof and hangs over the roof when all the way back. In which case there is someone on the forum who put an electric sunroof on his fiero. I forget who it is, but he has a really really nice fiero. It has a 3800 supercharged and turbo charged engine in it, norm's front end, and is like electric blue.
Matt
Your correct about 98% of the time.
There are power hideaway roof like the HHR that are still called Sunroofs. and I have seen in the past power pop up roofs call moon roofs. Technically you are correct but that does not mean some MFG may abuse or mis use the terms.
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09:37 AM
Songman Member
Posts: 12496 From: Nashville, TN Registered: Aug 2000
That was Spddy that had the electric moonroof. It was a nice install. He never could remember what the donor car was though.
For me the biggest problem with a Fiero targa or convertible is in how flimsy the A-pillar is. At least with the T-top there is still a small amount of rigidity left. I was shocked when I first cut the roof off a Fiero how little support there actually is up there. Targas and convertibles look cool, but I'll still stay with the T-tops.
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09:54 AM
PFF
System Bot
Lambo nut Member
Posts: 4442 From: Centralia,Missouri. USA Registered: Sep 2003
Just did a quick search, and some say the other way around....looks like we could call it any way we see, and would be right at some web site. All the answers make it even more confusing. No matter what you call it, it is a hole in the roof, and more then likely, will leak at some time or another!
Kevin
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10:33 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6150 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
Just did a quick search, and some say the other way around....looks like we could call it any way we see, and would be right at some web site. All the answers make it even more confusing. No matter what you call it, it is a hole in the roof, and more then likely, will leak at some time or another!
Kevin
It is what ever marketing wants to call it. The clear electric roof in the HHR is a sun roof and in my SSEI it was a Moon Roof. the Bonnie cost more so that may be the key. If you pay more it mightmake it a moon roof.
Sunroof is the generic term used to describe an operable panel in a vehicle roof which can let in light and/or air. Moonroof is a term created by Ford in the 70's, yet is now used generically to describe glass panel inbuilt electric sunroofs.
