Targa Top? Possible w/ Sunroof?, haha i know im getting flamed for this! Options

[Guest_DJMC_Celica_*]

Anyways, i saw a civic si with a targa top changed the whole look of the car, i must admit it was pretty hot! I really liked it, anyone think its possible with a sunroof?

[Coomer]

It's possible, it's just going to require a lot of money, time, and work. Bracing the frame like a convertible since the roof will no longer provide support and making a targa top that will fit and making mounts for the top are just a couple of things you'd have to do. There have been threads about this before with more discussion about it if you wanna look those up.

[shid]

Not unless you structurally brace the thing like ASC did. Here's a thread on targa tops in the 7th gen:

http://www.everythingcelica.com/ubbthreads...#Post1870109371

Basically what it comes down to is, modifying your unibody car is STUPID and EXPENSIVE and DANGEROUS. That civic gets into an accident, everyone inside is dead.

and on that note, bracing is like ASC did won't even help that much. Don't forget coom, when the covertible top is up, it DOES act as a brace because it completes the frame. When it's not up, it's down, and there's bracing in trunk for it.

A targa top would be like driving all around town with the covertible top half up.

This post has been edited by shid: Jul 13, 2004 - 1:22 PM

[jgreening]

[PhillyGuy086]

how bout if you put a full roll cage in it...with the front brace going all the way up through the dash along the a pillar and down to the frame through the firewall? and in the back have it go behind the driver seats and back seats, i gues that would be a 6 point cage? idunno really just a though.

[Digndoug]

if you make a proper cage it would work fine.. but then you have a cage to deal with.. i say you want targa or t-tops get a supra or mr2... or just get a vert

[shid]

I dunno jay, from a force distribution standpoint, the forces are still running up and down the roof when it's up.. It's not NEARLY as good as the A frame body- and by no means are those two little (BUT STRONG! jesus) hooks anywhere near the structural rigidaridy (thats not a word, is it?) of true bracing. But it's better than NOTHING because acceleration, deacceleration and rotational forces can still run up and down the top of the car this way.. but in a targa top, there'd be no connection from the front of the car roof to the back of the car roof-

also, isn't it possible for the glass to have to flex too much and break?

[jgreening]

[shid]

I'm expierencing chassis flex NOW just by driving the car as hard as I do. Note to self: stop taking turns at 40

[macavely]

you can have it done.... a while back i saw an add of a company that did the work for 1500 bucks.. that body is reinforced just like when covetables chopped...

[shid]

But mac, see Jay and I's comments, I think it'd be a lot worse than the convertible tops.

Furthermore, I wonder if the glass would break on hard flexes.. I'd hate to slam on my breaks going 90 and there be too much flex on the roof cus it's used to being unibody and have it shatter over my head

[madmods]

I say just cut the whole top off and brace.

[macavely]

[Uppitycracker]

I know this is an old thread but reading through it, it seems converting a convertable to targa top would be your best bet. You already have the reinforcment where you want it.

The only problem here is you would need a doner coupe, which Im sure wouldn't be terribly hard to find.

Also the convertable top adding any structeral rigidity is very very doubtful. Im sure its strong and everything but the kinds of forces and stress the body is under would far surpass the tolerance of a convertable top.

[orvillescelica]

shid, i would have agree with Jay on this. Although i do agree that its better than nothing, i dont think the vert roof carries any substaintal load that it adds any usable rigidity. The roof itself is a light and weak metal frame meant to support the canvas roof. At the major strucural points of this frame are bendable joints which allow the frame to fold up. If the roof was under any major load, these bendable joints would rather bend, fold, or break then take the load.

And i dont think the rear window would break under any amount of flex. I assume yours is like mine and sort of just suspended in the canvas. Its not ridgid in there.

[NEVERSTOP]

I seriously looked into doing this about a year ago on my 94... I decided against it... mostly due to cost. I was gonna locate a wrecked supra and have the top cut off and shipped to me - 1200 plus shipping!

Not to mention the additional braceing etc... WAY too much money!

eventually I'll get my Supra and that will do for me

[Consynx]

if you want to talk to someone who has done this browse car doman
there is a 5th or 6th gen that not only did supra headlight conversion, but also what targe tops...

[ice23q]

dont it just look sweeeeet..........

[Gilbert_619]

i bet it looks even sweeter then its in a crash and folds like paper plate

[Andason]

whos car is that ^^^ ?

[vangSTa_celica]

That his...

[OOBE]

It looks awful...that Celi doesn't look sporty enough. And yes, it would be a pain rigidity-wise. Hell, my Supra is Targa Top and it flexes so much, I had to buy an extremely-rare Do-Luck RXB (rear crossbar). It goes on the floor and pushes outward. Now the car feels 100% more rigid with or without the Targa on.

[Andason]

[Consynx]

no, there's no T bar at all it's the real deal

[shid]

[shid]

[OOBE]

Yep, ****ty PS job.

[Ricky]

Save yourself a lot of pain and just sell your hatch and get a convertible.

[shid]

[Ricky]

[Uppitycracker]