chopping the roof off

[mowgli]

I am seriously thinking of making my 3 door hatch into a convertible. Most people will probably say get an irmscher spider, but I want to do something a bit different, and I think it would be a shame to alter one.
I tried emailing Imscher uk, but they couldn't help with any technical info.

Is anybody working on a spider at the moment?
Does anyone have any detailed photos of a stripped down one?
As it was an official GM product, is there any info available?
Years back, there was a company that I saw at a Kit Car show that did roof chop kits, Anyone remember who they were?

[clowo16v]

I don't know anything about the kits but when we made a Fester convert for a laugh we welded bracing in the B pillars, added box section inside the sills and seam welded it. It's still driving about now and hasn't banana'd

See ya

Matt

[Adam]

Baxter and Burgo have sawed the roofs of there 3doors :lol:

[mowgli]

I sawed one up about 12 years ago, bit it was so I could get it in a small van & weigh it in, I wish i'd paid more attention to how it was made

[Philsutton]

i made one with a hack saw an 10 mins of life, looked well rough. But it was so i could stack another car on top to put it on a tuck lmao

[m.d.]

cut the outer sills off and weld in some large box section the whole length of it, with the sills off, bore a whole in the inner sill just in front of the rear seat (on the floor) and weld another piece of box from sill to sill,

that should sort out the most of the strength lost by the boot, a rear cage would be a sensible option for safety too

[ade]

hasnt ste just completes a nova spider with a smart kit on it???

Also ENEM (Norway) - purple convertible - stunning...

[Nick]

hasnt ste just completes a nova spider with a smart kit on it???

Also ENEM (Norway) - purple convertible - stunning...

yes but they're both spiders to start off with.

if you do it, try get a spring kit for it - looks amazing

[Jack]

if you do it, try get a spring kit for it - looks amazing
You mean sprint?

[mowgli]

ok, I'll try a slightly different tack. Has anyone got loads of photos of a spider that they stripped & rebuilt?????

[burgo]

you dont want spider pics. what you want is hutchinson pics
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/DCFN0006.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/nova%20convertable/DSCN1421.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/nova%20convertable/DSCN1422.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/nova%20convertable/DSCN1420.jpg

[mowgli]

OK burgo, I'm confused.
The white one is a saloon.
The black one has just been 'pickupped' hasn't it?

Are those piccys of a professional cabrio conversion authorised by GM?
Did the B posts get strengthened?
Aren't Hutchinson in Coventry?

I am glad that they didn't go into the sills but did they do anything underneath?

[Tazzy]

i want to do summit to my dead nova ive got dumpd on my drive way, was thinking of a beach buggie, or a hot rod stylee!

[mowgli]

tazzy, just go for it, any nova back on the road is a bonus.

P.S Just searched out a hutchinson related site, I don't like them at all, Take a saloon, admittedly not the most beautiful car, and rip half of the roof off, and make a Knight Rider T Top out of the rest, but don't modify the doors. Not my cup of tea......
The last car I saw built in britain with a t top was the triumph stag, and they had to fit the t bar to stop it bending.

I am probably looking at putting strength into the sides of the floor, the centre hump (where the exhaust goes), the front a post area, behind the rear seats and around the front screen.

[burgo]

the "brown" one i just put up to prove as someone has said that i have chopped the roof off anyway. the hutchinson if you look at the pics better has a big frame inside to strengthen it all. those 1*4 bars down the sills are bolted threw and at the front and back, and bolted up the b pillers. then i beleave its welded all alone the front of the roof. the whole t-bar assembly is attached to the sill bars. its hard to explain if your not to far away then you can come along and have a look at my hutchinson if you want
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/DSCN1415.jpg

[mowgli]

Ta very much, if I get chance, I'd like to take a look. I'm rather busy for the next week or so, but it would help me a lot.

[General Baxter]

hi, just pop down im only in atherstone, bring a grinder and a nova and ill do it :lol:


ermmm whos the one with the mostlikely only one left orginal hatch cabro ;)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a191/baxters83/cabro%20rebuild/Picture001.jpg

[mowgli]

I found an old piccy of a hutchinson 3 door cabrio. Can someone tell me how to post it as I don't have a web address, only normal e-mail.
I also have some very tasty original Opel Spider Pictures in an old brochure that I would scan on if anyone is interested.

[burgo]

ermmm whos the one with the mostlikely only one left orginal hatch cabro ;)


not that youve been doing any work on it

[General Baxter]

its got a brand new arch, sill and roof :lol:

[novamadcars]

any pics of it baxter?

[burgo]

its got a brand new arch, sill and roof :lol:when did you get the new roof?? and the arch is hardly on now is it