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Old 06-14-2013, 01:34 PM   #85
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Originally Posted by demonspeed View Post
4th gens were engineered with t-tops. This is why it's so easy to do a hardtop to t-top conversion. Fbodfather has even commented that cars with t-tops were no less structurally sound.

No less structurally sound than what?

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Old 06-14-2013, 01:52 PM   #86
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Originally Posted by Michael2000 View Post
No less structurally sound than what?

Michael
Their t-top counterpart:

http://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance...s-hardtop.html
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Old 06-15-2013, 01:08 PM   #87
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Originally Posted by demonspeed View Post
It's funny, that thread was from 2004, and continued to 2013.

I don't know about converting to a T-top vs. buying a T-top car, but the non-T-top car should have more rigidity. The 4th gens with T-tops were pretty loose.

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Old 06-16-2013, 01:19 PM   #88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael2000 View Post
It's funny, that thread was from 2004, and continued to 2013.

I don't know about converting to a T-top vs. buying a T-top car, but the non-T-top car should have more rigidity. The 4th gens with T-tops were pretty loose.

Michael
Logic would deduce that to be true, but according to "the man in the know," they weren't. Personally, I don't find my t-top 4th gen to be any different than my buddy's hardtop (nor did I find my previous ones to be "loose").

I also had a t-top 3rd gen and a hardtop 3rd gen. While I didn't have them at the same time, I don't recall feeling any significant difference.
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Old 06-16-2013, 05:22 PM   #89
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I've had t-top 3rd gens and 4thgens. the the third gen was pretty loose, with a rattle above my head. the 4thgen was tight as a drum.
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Old 06-16-2013, 08:07 PM   #90
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Originally Posted by demonspeed View Post
Logic would deduce that to be true, but according to "the man in the know," they weren't. Personally, I don't find my t-top 4th gen to be any different than my buddy's hardtop (nor did I find my previous ones to be "loose").

I also had a t-top 3rd gen and a hardtop 3rd gen. While I didn't have them at the same time, I don't recall feeling any significant difference.
On the thread, FbodFather said, "And you are correct...all non-t-top cars have the cutouts for T-top...simply has a composite roof panel attached........".

Something is not making sense here. The roof was steel, not composite. Someone else mentioned that there were reinforcing bars on the non-T-top cars, which I would expect. They aren't just going to have a roof panel hanging in thin air. They have to attach the roof panel to something.

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Old 06-17-2013, 12:01 AM   #91
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The 4th gen Z28 is basically the 5th gen SS. The only difference is no T-Tops.
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Old 06-17-2013, 07:52 AM   #92
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^Keep in mind, in terms of the 4th gens, the z28 and ss were much closer together in terms of power and performance than the 5th gen ss and z/28. The 4th gen z28 and ss shared the same engine (just styling options and a mildly tweaked suspension tuning with the ss), but the 5th gen z/28 is IMO radically differnt than the ss.

I am glad that the 5th gens do not feature the t-top roof. To me it looks like an abomination. I liked it on the 3rd and 4th gens but some of the 5th gen aftermarket attempts looked horrible.
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Old 06-17-2013, 10:09 AM   #93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael2000 View Post
On the thread, FbodFather said, "And you are correct...all non-t-top cars have the cutouts for T-top...simply has a composite roof panel attached........".

Something is not making sense here. The roof was steel, not composite. Someone else mentioned that there were reinforcing bars on the non-T-top cars, which I would expect. They aren't just going to have a roof panel hanging in thin air. They have to attach the roof panel to something.

Michael
There was a composite roof skin. That picture I posted is the steel roof frame -- that's it -- holes and all. The side pieces would be removed if t-tops were specified, but they're thin, hollow sheet metal.
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Old 06-17-2013, 10:28 AM   #94
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How about wrinkley vinyl top and hub caps?
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Old 06-17-2013, 10:59 AM   #95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lbls1 View Post
^Keep in mind, in terms of the 4th gens, the z28 and ss were much closer together in terms of power and performance than the 5th gen ss and z/28. The 4th gen z28 and ss shared the same engine (just styling options and a mildly tweaked suspension tuning with the ss), but the 5th gen z/28 is IMO radically differnt than the ss.

I am glad that the 5th gens do not feature the t-top roof. To me it looks like an abomination. I liked it on the 3rd and 4th gens but some of the 5th gen aftermarket attempts looked horrible.
I know about the Z28 and SS.

I haven't seen a 5th gen with T-Tops.
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Old 06-18-2013, 07:25 AM   #96
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Quote:
Originally Posted by demonspeed View Post
There was a composite roof skin. That picture I posted is the steel roof frame -- that's it -- holes and all. The side pieces would be removed if t-tops were specified, but they're thin, hollow sheet metal.
Don't underestimate the structural contribution to chassis stiffness of what are essentially thinwall tubes - as long as they are loaded in their stiff/strong directions. These pieces of roof side structure are basically the entire difference in roof structure between a convertible and a coupe.


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Old 06-18-2013, 08:40 AM   #97
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Don't underestimate the structural contribution to chassis stiffness of what are essentially thinwall tubes - as long as they are loaded in their stiff/strong directions. These pieces of roof side structure are basically the entire difference in roof structure between a convertible and a coupe.


Norm
Too bad we don't have empirical evidence of this from 4th gen testing. Has it been 20 years?
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Old 06-18-2013, 07:34 PM   #98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Norm Peterson View Post
Don't underestimate the structural contribution to chassis stiffness of what are essentially thinwall tubes - as long as they are loaded in their stiff/strong directions. These pieces of roof side structure are basically the entire difference in roof structure between a convertible and a coupe.


Norm
I agree with Norm, as long as they are fastened well.

Even windshield glass provides a lot of stiffness, as long as it is glued in.

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