I want make an old car in to a convertible. Are there any doityourself sources/guides that I can use for help?

Question

I have an older, run-down car that I'm want to experiment on. I want basically saw the top off and have a convertible with no top - that is, I don't intend to put any money towards a top or motor for the car. I've thought it through a few times, enough to think of putting small bilge holes in the doors or sidings for adverse weather, and redoing the entire interior against weather and theft. What I'm looking for are some guides or examples of what maybe some other people have done in the past with convertible-conversions for their own cars. I just don't know where to start.

Answer 1

It's very hard and expensive to do it right.You have to weld in reinforcements in the sides and bottom to keep it from falling apart.You'll wind up with a car that's heavy and less reliable then a professional conversion,that may not even be street legal.
I'd only go for it as body work practice if you don't plan to drive it.

Answer 2

You'll need the chassis from a donor convertible vehicle. Otherwise, the vehicle will literally fall apart fairly quickly.

The roof is part of the structure of the car and gives it rigidity on all axises. Convertibles have beefed up frames and/or uni-body chassis to compensate for the loss of the structural rigidity.

I tried exactly what you are suggesting many years ago with an old Chevy and an old Plymouth. The Chevy was body-on-frame and lasted about a week before the frame collapsed in the middle. The Plymouth, a uni-body, didn't last 3 miles before it buckled. Luckily, we were just off-roading with them on some abandoned land. It might have been catastrophic if we'd been on the open road.

You might have some luck if you started with a convertible and just trashed the top.