[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by 90503

Maybe those who want T-Tops or Targa Tops should just join the All Wheel Drive band-wagon....Just lobby for AWD, but only if T-Tops are included.

Don't forget DCT.

[laborsmith]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Does this even exist?

None I can think of, likely for the reasons Number 3 offers.

Personally, I did not like T-tops when I had my '96 Camaro, as they were cumbersome and not fun to remove from or return to the roof. But I do not design or engineer cars, Ijust buy and do my best to drive the living daylights out of them.

Laborsmith

[FINALLYSATISFIED]

Glass roof. Mmmm.

[RealG]

Originally Posted by Number 3

You are correct. Given enough capitl, enough piec price increase and enough time, I can do it.

But please everyone that wants T-tops start list everything you want. Bolt in ok? Probably not. 60 pounds per panel? Also likely a no.

So if you want them easy to use, easy to store, you will add so much cost younwouldnt want them.

Would you pay $10,000 for them? Better have thousands say yes for the business case to work.

So yes, I've run the test and yes I've engineered the solution to get cars to pass this test. T-tops would be very nearly impossible to productionize at anywhere near an affordable cost.

I would personally not order them again at this point. However I've had plenty of T-top Trans Ams and Camaros over the years and most people,myself included loved them. I think the engineers can make it work cost-effectively if demand was present which I don't think it is. But it's definitely an interesting concept and would separate the Camaro from other sports cars.

[chrisvr6]

Originally Posted by Bradl1982

Needs pop-up headlights too!!

no

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by RealG

I would personally not order them again at this point. However I've had plenty of T-top Trans Ams and Camaros over the years and most people,myself included loved them. I think the engineers can make it work cost-effectively if demand was present which I don't think it is. But it's definitely an interesting concept and would separate the Camaro from other sports cars.

The cost effective solution to having an open air feeling in a coupe body is a sunroof, and there is substantial demand for it.

And yes, I'm sure that its also possible to make it reasonably cost effective. Add a whole bunch of steel and you can make just about any shape incredibly strong. The removable panels would be very difficult for a single person to manoeuvre, and you'd be adding an awful lot of weight in the rest of the roof which is about the worst possible place to add weight in a performance car. In order to amortize the development cost as much as possible (and minimize tooling cost), every single coupe would need to be built with the t-top roof structure. That would help keep cost to a minimum. But now you've got a car that won't handle as well, won't accelerate as quickly, takes a bit of a hit in fuel economy compared, makes the car more expensive, and overall makes the car worse ... all so that some can have t-tops.

This is why people like Number 3 and I say that its impossible to do a T-top Camaro. Its going to be either too expensive, or create too many compromises (or probably a bit of both), to be a viable product.

[joes407]

Both my 91 and 92 camaros had ttops. On the 91 they were tinted glass and looked great but roasted youre ass when in the sun, my 92 had plexiglass ttops that got heat stress cracks all through them but they stayed cooler than the glass but the glass ones looked better and held up better. None of them leaked but they did creak a bit

[Number 3]

There is a reason no OEM offers T-tops today, at least none that I'm aware of.

It is much more challenging.

That being said, I believe convertibles now or very soon will have to pass the side pole impact test. I've posted it many times so if you haven't seen it, google it.

Look up roof strength. A removable panel with latches would have to support what is I think 3x the vehicle weight. (Used to be 1.5 check me on the 3)

The most likely path to T-tops would be to petition NHTSA for a change to the classification as a coupe.

But also keep in mind the reason for T-tops is ease of removal and ease of storage. In a bigger car a targa panel is harder to remove and in most cases can't be stored. Keep in mind great care is taken with the Corvette to insure the hatch opening is sized to accommodate the roof panel.

[songsj]

I am surprised at all the negative opinions about the t-tops. If you check I think almost half of the gen 4 Camaros and Firebirds were t-tops. I would call that demand. I loved them and think the substitute sun/moonroof is kind of a joke. My current Gen 5 has the moonroof and each time I open it i feel like what's the point. Also at the time I think the Camaro and Firebird [maybe the Corvette] were about the only cars with t-tops. Made them unique. Now almost every car offers a moon roof. Nothing unique about that. I had mine open the other day and a guy pulls up next to me with a rusted out Grand Prix with the moonroof open, Gee I really felt special.

[bobby97z]

I agree about a moonroof. My wife's car has one and it's ok, just seems pointless to me. It's amazing the tech, design, and performance that's here and coming to new cars. Gm really needs to continue to differentiate itself from other makers, and it has! T tops would be my wish list. Just pointless with moonroof IMO.

[Raven87]

Given the small trunk opening of the Gen 6 Camaro, it might be tough getting a single T-Top panel in there, much less two. Worse yet, a Targa.

I had a couple of cars back in the '80s with T-Tops and always had issues with either leaks, wind noise, etc. Just my two cents but I wouldn't take a T-Top car if it was given to me. I know technology and seals, etc are better today but man, I will NEVER own a t-top car again.

[KarFan]

Originally Posted by Raven87

Given the small trunk opening of the Gen 6 Camaro, it might be tough getting a single T-Top panel in there, much less two. Worse yet, a Targa.

This. Another reason why T-tops or Targa wasn't offered in the 5th among the many reasons is storage. Hatchback 3rd, 4th Gens and Corvettes have broad openings for proper storage. The 5th and 6th Gen Camaro doesn't have this and won't have t-tops.

[songsj]

All of the technology that went into these cars and no one could figure out how to put 2 vinyl bags with a zipper on them and one strap to hold them down in the back. You can come up with 25 reasons/excuses to not have t-tops if you want, and almost as may to have them if you want. For whatever reason/reasons, GM just did not want to offer them in these 2 generations.

[classicrockr]

Originally Posted by songsj

All of the technology that went into these cars and no one could figure out how to put 2 vinyl bags with a zipper on them and one strap to hold them down in the back. You can come up with 25 reasons/excuses to not have t-tops if you want, and almost as may to have them if you want. For whatever reason/reasons, GM just did not want to offer them in these 2 generations.

"Whatever reasons"? have you NOT seen all the posts from past t-top owners? they are NOTORIOUS for leaking! Gee, THAT seems like a pretty GREAT reason not to put them on a car!