HI all

To be honest I cannot recall anything like this, but has anyone ever even looked into it or done it? I am not in a position to right now, sorry.

Thanx,

Ear-ick

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Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines....
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S.F??, hint, it's a car manufacturer....

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Why? just to say you did it? Instead of re-inventing the wheel, just use fiero t-tops and be done with it.

The question has been asked, at one time or another, regarding other cars that use C&C T-tops.
The short answer is that most everything else (F-body, Mustang, etc...) is too big.

The tops need to be sized and shaped to the Fiero to make it work right.

It is more than a case of making the roof fit but also the strength and rigidity of the vehicle that need to be considered. To cut away too much frame on the top could and would make the car very floppy or unsafe. They lose a little chassis stiffness as it is and if you get it wrong the car could just fold up in a crash.

This is for sure not a do it at home deal unless you are a engineer.

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: ... This is for sure not a do it at home deal unless you are a engineer.

I am an Engineer and I wouldn't even try it. GM spent countless hours on the structural design of the spaceframe. There is no way I would want to try to reverse engineer all the structural analysis to confirm that I didn't screw something up.

The Fiero T-top is a relatively easy install, that can be done in a weekend. I see no reason to re-invent something that is already invented.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Why? just to say you did it? Instead of re-inventing the wheel, just use fiero t-tops and be done with it.

I'm guessing they were just thinking of potentially more readily available parts since Fiero t-tops are pretty cherrished and hard to get ahold of.

quote Originally posted by zmcdonal: I'm guessing they were just thinking of potentially more readily available parts since Fiero t-tops are pretty cherrished and hard to get ahold of.

T-tops parts are like anything else...they are readily available at the right price. For the right price I would cut the roof off my own pride and joy and send it to you. People here are sitting on huge caches of parts. You just need to make them an offer they can't refuse and they will sell it to you.

quote Originally posted by zmcdonal: I'm guessing they were just thinking of potentially more readily available parts since Fiero t-tops are pretty cherrished and hard to get ahold of.

HI all

That was the interest, thanx.

Ear-ick

quote Originally posted by jscott1: T-tops parts are like anything else...they are readily available at the right price. For the right price I would cut the roof off my own pride and joy and send it to you. People here are sitting on huge caches of parts. You just need to make them an offer they can't refuse and they will sell it to you.

Good point, everything is for sale for the right price. but if say an 80's F-body t-top could be modified to fit that could open up options for people on a tighter budget considering how many F-bodies with t-tops are sitting in bone yards across the country.

On that note though, my dad owns an 88 Trans Am GTA and we had to find t-top parts for that, and it was NOT easy. I think some of those trim pieces are just as rare as some of the Fiero t-top pieces. There were apparently 3 different types of tops that GM installed on those F-bodies, and I believe his are the "cars and concepts" tops which is the hardest one to find parts for.

quote Originally posted by zmcdonal: Good point, everything is for sale for the right price. but if say an 80's F-body t-top could be modified to fit that could open up options for people on a tighter budget considering how many F-bodies with t-tops are sitting in bone yards across the country. On that note though, my dad owns an 88 Trans Am GTA and we had to find t-top parts for that, and it was NOT easy. I think some of those trim pieces are just as rare as some of the Fiero t-top pieces. There were apparently 3 different types of tops that GM installed on those F-bodies, and I believe his are the "cars and concepts" tops which is the hardest one to find parts for.

C&C made the tops for Fieros also.

Basically, anything from the F-body is too big for the Fiero.... unless you go back to the late 70s or early 80s... with the smaller t-tops. Anyway, look at a dodge daytona for t-top ideas, but again, they won't fit correctly, the body shape of the car is different and the tops will look "odd". Plus C&C made those tops as well, I believe. They also made the tops for mustangs.

The biggest thing is don't drop a top as most of what is left is older and often scratched tops. I have a set of new spares just to make sure I would never drop one.

I saw them and thought you can figure out away around most of the parts in some way but you can fudge the glass. The only thing I sould see is an older used panel or make something out of fiberglass.

I expect they will never reproduce the glass and what there is is all there will be. If I never use them I also figure I will be able to sell them for more than I have in them if I decide too.

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: The biggest thing is don't drop a top as most of what is left is older and often scratched tops. I have a set of new spares just to make sure I would never drop one.

Don't you use the "T-top Death Grip" when you remove your tops? I'm almost at the point where I have a spotter to clear a path, so no one can bump me, trip me or otherwise distract me when I'm removing my t-tops.

The reasons above is why I didn't get a T-top Fiero, not worth the hassle. I did get a ride in one with the tops off, and that was cool, but not worth the lack of parts and leaking problems, IMO.

Has anyone thought of stamping new t-top seactions?

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1984 White Fiero Sport Coupe (Juliet) in restoration
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/089093.html
1988 Red Fiero Standard Coupe (Bella) in restoration
1990 Black Buick Reatta (Noir)
2002 White Chevy Impala base(Haylie)

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Don't you use the "T-top Death Grip" when you remove your tops? I'm almost at the point where I have a spotter to clear a path, so no one can bump me, trip me or otherwise distract me when I'm removing my t-tops.

I coined the phrase Death Grip. LOL!

jscott1, do not mean to be critical nor to undermine your Engeering Degree/expertise either concerning fieros or other things, however some of us "shade tree'
ididit(or is that idiots-like myself) who just are willing to risk life & limb to create something different. I took the time to saw a 98 camaro in half, from the firewall to the back tail light cross panel just to see if it would fit on a chopped up fiero. yep-it will. Gotta stretch the fiero a few inches, then allow the windshield forward edge to fit over the fiero firewall by a few inches. Oh , it is 4 inches wider than the fiero @ the door post too. So I grabbed the complete door surrounds w/doors. I almost
forgot, all this just to have a T-top car. There are posts some place of others doing this same swap, can't recall where i saw them, but I tho't I'd try too. Gotta get
some of the other junk projects out of the way before I start this one. With all do respect & best wishes for 2013, Rick

quote Originally posted by Rick Morehouse: jscott1, do not mean to be critical nor to undermine your Engeering Degree/expertise either concerning fieros or other things, however some of us "shade tree' ididit(or is that idiots-like myself) who just are willing to risk life & limb to create something different...

My question was "why" If you want to do something just to do it, that's a valid reason. My point was that if you want t-tops then installing the ones meant to be there is by far the easier solution.

As for driving on the public highways in home built Frankenstein cars... you have more fortitude than me. No thank-you.

Well Sir; I can not disagree w/stock T-top being the easier way to go, however not all of us have access/cash to buy stock. The camaro I chopped up was cheap.
'Um, I have a passion to create things(cars, trikes,one-offs) & like many who customize their fieros to suit their ego, I'm not crazy about following the crowds. I'm
a senior chap & enjoy the older technologies & tend to make(engineer-if u will) my own upgrades in a less expensive manner. I live next to a 25 acre junk yard and
have had free access for many yrs., so i've been able to scoure/source out many "same make" parts that fit w/no or little mods. Been a welder/ fab/machine shop
worker for yrs, do the same in retirement.

I am intriged by others who do lots of body mods, sorta like Whodeenie/Madcurl, no comment on the flame wars that rage, & Archie who keep our cars in the spot
light, @ least for us fiero freaks. Like many, my car budget is limited, so I do absolutely as much in my shop as I can. later, Rick

The tops from a camaro are wider, which means that they will extend past the window at the top, into where the sail panel goes. Anyone check the dimensions to see if the top will even work, before talking about fabing up anything?

quote Originally posted by Rick Morehouse: Well Sir; I can not disagree w/stock T-top being the easier way to go, however not all of us have access/cash to buy stock. The camaro I chopped up was cheap. 'Um, I have a passion to create things(cars, trikes,one-offs) & like many who customize their fieros to suit their ego, I'm not crazy about following the crowds. I'm a senior chap & enjoy the older technologies & tend to make(engineer-if u will) my own upgrades in a less expensive manner. I live next to a 25 acre junk yard and have had free access for many yrs., so i've been able to scoure/source out many "same make" parts that fit w/no or little mods. Been a welder/ fab/machine shop worker for yrs, do the same in retirement. I am intriged by others who do lots of body mods, sorta like Whodeenie/Madcurl, no comment on the flame wars that rage, & Archie who keep our cars in the spot light, @ least for us fiero freaks. Like many, my car budget is limited, so I do absolutely as much in my shop as I can. later, Rick

jaskispyder; for general reference, the firebird/camaro t-tops r 48" wide @ the front edge of the windshield & @ the rear edge of the door side glass @ the top. The front to back is 26" @ the center bar. The fiero is 471/2" to 48" wide front & rear, but the front to back is 24" @ the center of the top. So this is a non-issue as far as
overall fit. The real catch is the contour of the door glass @ the top. The fiero glass is too short & will not compliment the fb/c T-top glass outer edge. So--one would have to use the fb/c doors. Now, the fb/c doors are 10"? longer than the fieros. I didn't recheck them today,so I could be off. But even if you mount the fb/c doors 2 the fiero door mount position, the extra length would fit to the rear door edge of the fiero by removing the baloon frame elbow in front of the rear wheels. Frame strength would have to be replaced. So, the fb/c door glass will locate the T-top. The width of both cars are so close @ the top of the door glass that a wide body kit
or custum body would be a preference, not a must do for this top swap. Also, just an fyi, all the fb/c came with the t-top metal framing in place even when a hard top was ordered, which was a fiberglass panel. I had forgot I also sawed off a hard top with the rear glass & windshield & wiper panel, dang weeds & junk piled on it.
When I do this swap, I will use a non-heated fb/c rear glass for the windshield which should present a sorta "cab-forward look". Or @ least that's my thinking. Will
also do a rear stretch as I have a Pontiac aluminuim V-8 & older style 4 spd in-line T/A to use. Later, Rick