Tempted to do a mockup for real. There's a smashed 20v in the local scrappy..well gutted but the body is intact. problem is finding a shed somewhere to put it.

I would imagine that if you accepted it would have to be a 2 seater, you could brace the body across where the back seats were, and hopefully regain the rigidity lost from taking the roof off?

Could do that and put in much stronger sills. I have a mate in TCD who's doing something with car design. Might see if he's interested. I still think a full frame roof with a hole in the middle is a lot easier than a full cabrio (think jumbo sunroof or Stilo style skyroof) Mock up is easy, getting the professionals to do it a real car is €€€. Is it worth it on a something thats worth lunch money?

Your right, although there have been loads of car's convereted by coachbuilders (Mk 3 cortina convertible anyone?) I suspect that the only way we'll see a convertible Coop will be someone who has the skills to do it themselves, as paying to have it done would far outweigh the end value of the car. However, as the cars get cheaper, I it might make it atractive to one of the many talented body shops out there.

I think your right.

Cut the roof off, and have some kind of brace, or a series of braces across the mid section to back of the car. Hopefully mimicking the ridgity that the roof offers. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Why not weld up the doors completely? Sure, it might not be the most dignified way of getting in and out, but would add a fair bit of strength once the roof is off?
Adding a double TT style chrome or body coloured (to match the interior dash stripe) roll hoop would be good too, both behind the driver + passenger, and behind the rear seats too. These can both be bolted into the chassis. The hoops behind the driver and passenger would also double as a harness bar, meaning you wouldn't need to worry about the seat belt mountings, which are on the pillars at present.
The insides of the roll hoops could be fitted with a fine mesh to act as a windbreak. The same tubing can be used to beef up the windscreen pillars.
As all the interior would be removed during the conversion then seam welding and adding further bracing to the floorpan could be achieved.

Converting a car without air con would make sense, and be lighter to start with. Junk the spare (use foam) would also save weight, re position the battery to the boot to help distribution.

I would keep the roof and maybe think of using it as a winter only hard top, complete with rear windows and heated screen intact?

During the summer, use a tonneau cover, similar to the ones used by kit car makers?

Westfield

A different tonneau

When driving in the rain, just keep your speed up and you won't get wet. Anything above 50mph and i'd be completely dry in the MX5. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

my half-arsed effort <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

looks rather good.. debadged nobody would have a clue what it was. Still don't fancy 140+ in it...

Cool <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

There's always the reverse way of doing it, like this old chestnut clicky

If you put hollow box bracing in where the back seats went it might be possible to modify a folding soft top roof to fit. Bespoke one would be costly. Also car now ends with a huge boot..the space under the bracing. Maybe possible to alter the Coupes front end heavy problem. Battery etc in here? although not keen on having the cables running through the cockpit.

Get the engine in there! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" />

What's the other car that the bonnet was photoshoped into? If Fiat brought something like that out, I'd buy one!

I wouldn't it's horrible <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

but Europas 'half hearted' attempt is well cool <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/love.gif" alt="" /> put my name down for one <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

BMW Z4 i'm guessing? The door gives it away. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

why not buy just a cheapo an chop the roof of it and keep ur original coop good ? there so cheap now id do it if i hadnt commited to so many other things plus the lack of room

i wouldnt bother about a roof id just chop it of an fill in the blanks would look great just for a drive around in the sunny weather nice n easy

For a "half-arsed" attempt, that looks damn good.

And what an enormous boot you'd end up with too. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Could this be a FCC project? If every owner at the top contributed a fiver... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" />

£8,195 - enough to buy an older example and pay someone who knows what they're doing to chop it up? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

And it'd only take 32 years for us all to have it for a weekend <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Someone will do one someday, but as mentioned above, it will be done by someone who has the skills themselves.

If only I had those skills......and money......and a Coupe.......and somewhere to work on it..... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

and the time dave <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Spoke to a bodyshop (Vrestoration on Isle of Wight) they chop anything and have a load of projects on the go. Ballpark for cabrio coupe is 8-10k and 5-6 months. Complete stripdown, chassis balance, strain gauge, the works. Work out where the weak and strong points are and design the chopped version to be as strong as the original. Guy reckoned a roof off job was far easier than a targa top..they leak like F* he said. Hood would be sourced from a production cabrio..if they found one that fitted otherwise it takes time to make something that doesn't look like a pram cover.

Due to the cutting and welding the paintwork will be wrecked by the time they've finished so the price includes a bare metal rub down and complete repaint.

Problem is SVA approval..(bloody EU bureaucracy..car safety installers must now be licenced..only specialists can weld roll cages and seatbelt mountings) and needs inspections as its done. Car would be returned, repainted, softop and with all the paperwork to make it street legal.

Sound great but I'm not spending 10k on a car that cost 3k...

I've decided i want one after seeing europas effort - ive started a penny jar to raise the funds - if you've got any spare change pm me for an address to send it to and i'll let u have a drive in about 15 yrs time........

nice one skoda, maybe just do without the hood and have a real summer toy <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> so for a 450+ bhp cabrio toy we are looking at 12 months and 25k. sign me up <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Post deleted by Skodaman

dunno, but I hope it doesn't pop up on our drive <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

thats the one mate brill think i no how you can make up for the roof you could have 2 tubes about 70m crom coming over the middle like taga <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I'd happilly throw a fiver in the pot just to see it done and have a look at it in the flesh!

yeh me to,then we could have a meet and all have a go

Go on then <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />