posted 01-19-2003 10:34 PM                  

So I got the cat back today. I now have a roll bar … that fits when the top is open. Hence my search for a custom top on this post .

My original plan was to have two separate height bars that could be swapped out to allow for top open or top closed. Pretty strange I know, but I wanted to leverage the space when the top was open. As we got into it, the only position for the bar was so far back that the height of top made the bar useless. It’s just past the rear frame support in the top and that’s where the top is already slopping down. So that’s why I’m checking out separate top options. I really want to find/custom build a soft top that will maintain head room until just past the rear frame support. It will look a little different in that it will stay taller more towards the rear and the rear slope will be mire vertical. We’ll see what happens there.

So the bar I currently have isn’t quite complete. If I can find the soft top option, it will be made “permanent”. Otherwise, it will be completed as removable. The guy working on it has graciously allowed me to take it at this point to allow me to work out the top details. The bar also isn’t “finished”. I’m holing off on chroming it or other options until I’m sure how it will end up.

I tried to take some pictures. The exterior ones are easy to see. The ones in the rear tire well showing the support from the interior bar to the frame are a little harder to see, but I’ll show them here anyway.

I realize not everyone shares my desire to get this installed. However, some did ask for updates in pics. So here they are…

View from the trunk

View from the side

View in the interior

Exposed view in the interior

Connection to the frame

Connection under the interior connection

Bar connecting frame to under interior

posted 01-20-2003 07:55 AM                  

As far as the looks go, I believe chrome would look good especially if you get Carlini (now GaryE) chrome headrest covers. Have you considered having the shape of the roll bar mimic the contour of the head rests and run the horizontal bar below the decklid line so from the rear you only see the two curves over the seatbacks?

posted 01-20-2003 09:30 AM                  

Thanks. As for the sides, I think it’s the perspective used on the pictures. We had cut down the bar so it would fit under the top and it fit just fine. Too low, but fit just fine. The connection points are just inside the top mechanism when it’s folded. So hopefully that won’t be a problem. But if I get a custom top, I should be able to work around it.

Marty,

Thanks as well. As for the hard top, nope not yet. Tangled Up in Blue made me an offer to let me see his. May get the chance to get over there today and look. My first preference would be to replace the soft top as that gives me a lot more options. But cost may be the deciding factor if the Hard Top fits.

posted 01-20-2003 06:23 PM                  

quote:

---

Originally posted by whealy:
Well with Tangled up in Blue's help this afternoon, I found the TGF hardtop tapers off to quickly for the roll bar as well. I'll be exploring other options.

---

need to try out a delivery top will work but then you will not have a convertible anymore. Steve Gullespie has on in Southern Indiana. I think they look cool.