fmbjogger

Posted this 73 Delta 88 Royale ( with 75 front end...thanks, CO members !) after I bought her for $1200 with 64,000 original miles. I have three other convertibles and I only bought this car because of the price and the green color scheme. Whats the opinion out there about chopping the top and making her a full-time convertible ?

Shizzy

keep in mind the frame will need to have loads of reinforcement added other wise it will sag in the middle and god forbid you get in to a mild accident it will fold up like a tin can.

jensenracing77

also i think a 4 door would look a little strange as a convertible.

snowballs442

That is one good looking car. And it is your car, if you want a convertible you can make it one. However you must remember the last post, that frame must be reinforced. I like it the way it is. Also if you do make it a convertible, you must bow three times to the north toward Lansing and ask to be forgiven.

MDchanic

It looks too nice to do a hack-job on, but if you think you can do it well, it'd be an interesting experiment.

I agree - plan on reinforcing the frame if you don't want a flexible flyer (and doors that won't open because of the sag).

- Eric

TripDeuces

Don't chop it, it's classy as is. You'll regret it in the long run. Buy a drop top if you want one.

coltsneckbob

I have seen 4 door convertibles at some shows, they look OK. However, I think the expensive of reinforcing the frame would be so high that you would do better to buy a real convert!

Plus, if you live in North East (Philly by ur info) then you know summer weather can unexpectedly bring a short, but drenching, rain. Do you really want a full time convert?

lshlsh2

How about the support for the rear doors? With no post to support them it could create problems.
Larry

fmbjogger

Well, gotta tell you. I really like it. Some finish work on windshield header and around the well but overall, I'm very pleased. I figure she was already a mutt as a '73 with a '75 front end so purity be damned. Let the sunshine in !

fmbjogger

Having problems downloading 3 pics. Will post when I can.

MDchanic

Damn, that was fast.

My hat's off to you.

Looks good, too. I can't even think of anything bad to say about it.

- Eric

fmbjogger

Thanks, Eric. It's weird, I hadn't even thought about doing this til late this morning when I went to look at a '78 Grand Marquis chop-top listed on ebay near me in Philly. It was well done and looked very elegant and beautiful. It was red-on-red and I'm not a red guy. My buddy said " you don't have alot in the car, you want a green convertible and your car would look as good as the Grand Marquis"....the rest is chop-top history. I'll post more pics tomorrow ( sunny ! ) of the clean-up work that still needs to be done.

PS. I have Hagerty classic insurance and I called them before the chop. I asked if my coverage would still be good if I chopped her top. They said " yes" and a confirmation email sealed the deal.

MDchanic

I had a buddy who had a '72 98 back in college in the early '80's (he also had a '70 Supreme and a '70 Cutlass convert, which I ended up with), who was always saying he was going to do that, but never did.

Guess he should have.

- Eric

fmbjogger

Before/After

fmbjogger

chop top

fmbjogger

Just duct taped rough edges until I make a foam/vinyl cover for windshield header and back well. Put the trim back on rear window well but obviously needs to be trimmed and rolled. Took about 5 hours and really quite simple. Let the sunshine in !

MDchanic

I'm impressed.

Now, if you can, it would be good to close up the open section of the frame, like on a stock convertible, or it may sag over time. Of course, it may not, and that may be unnecessary for the use you have in mind (the factory had to build convertibles for a wide variety of potential use scenarios, but you can drive it with care and may not need it to be as stiff as the factory thought was necessary [warranty claims for bent frames are expensive, and bring bad publicity]).

- Eric

greenslade

Here in Canada that would be one for the scrap yard,would not pass the mot inspection because of missing shoulder/seat belt if it was originally equipped with it.unless you have a mech that would over look that.

Red Delta

I have mixed feelings about this. The overriding one is that the car is now ruined.

MDchanic

That is a shame .

Like the one going through the windows in your sig .gif ?

- Eric

Red Delta

Well, since it's a clip from a movie (and the car was sold at auction recently) it doesn't really compare to someone taking a sawzall to the roof of an old car. Sure, it's an ugly green four door, but how many of those are being built nowadays? How many in that condition are left?

I get it, it's his car and he can do with it what he will, however, with this type of mod, there is NO going back.

Why couldn't he have just butchered a 90's Civic?

fmbjogger

Thanks for the opinions, both positive and negative. This Grand Marquis was my inspiration ( pictured). It is very well done and very beautiful, in my opinion. I intend to finish the permanent boot and padded windshield header similarly. While I never intend this car to be a show piece ( I have two Olds converts for that) I plan to enjoy a unique summertime cruiser. I'll post updates/pics as I progress. Thanks for the input.

coltsneckbob

Can u give us some details about how you had the frame re-enforced? I would like to know what that entailed and if u can tell us the cost.

MDchanic

I hear you Red, and I'd agree with you under normal circumstances (heck, I'd LOVE to have gotten my hands on that car instead of fmb), but it just looks so darn GOOD that I can't criticize it.

Let's face it, there's a decent chance that a four door like that would have been stripped for parts and crushed if he hadn't gotten it, and it will probably bring a whole lot more enjoyment to a whole lot more people as a summertime party car than it would sitting in some collector's garage.

I'm not saying that I condone this sort of thing in general, but I think in this case it worked out alright.

- Eric

fmbjogger

I don't intend to reinforce the frame. I intend to drive it locally and for $1200 purchase price, it just doesn't make sense for me to " protect " this investment with expensive modifications. I'll enjoy it as is and if/when she quits, that'll be it.

MDchanic

He didn't reinforce the frame, Bob - he just fired up the SawzAll and started cuttin'.

This is a down and dirty job, and I'm interested in seeing whether he has significant frame flex as time goes on.

- Eric

Red Delta

Good points.

MDchanic

For whatever it's worth, I'd bet if you don't overload it or drive it over railroad ties, it'll last indefinitely, but if you have the whole football team pile in for a ride to the bar, they'll never be able to close the doors.

- Eric

fmbjogger

Lest anyone believe that I'm some hack-butcher-charlatan, pictured are my rides ( two Olds and a Buick) when I'm not chopping the top off of a classic Oldsmobile !

greenslade

could weld the doors closed,remove the chrome,shave the door handles and a quick paint job,could be a real head turner.

fmbjogger

And the new green " convertible" completes my color palette

hotrodpc

WOW !!! That was a beautiful car. No need to please me and its yours to do as you wish of course.

Shizzy

you are aware that if you are in any kind of front or rear end collision, that you car will probably fold up like an empty beer can aren't you?

You Its not just the sagging part you have to worry about. That car is UNSAFE.

MDchanic

And it should also be taken off the road and burned because it has no shoulder belts, no airbags, no crumple zones, no rollover protection, no collision fuel shut-off, and no shock-absorbing rear bumper, right?

- Eric

edit: Oh, and motorcycles should all be illegal, too, right?

starfire

No different than when someone takes a rough '49 88 and makes a rat rod out of it.

I wouldn't have done it, but it's not my car. I'm sure it will be fun to run around in though.

oldcutlass

I like it!!!! It's a freakin wonder we all lived thru our childhoods without seat belts, car seats, and air bags!!! It goes back to roots of hotrodding. Congrats, on your project and with a little finishing it will be a very nice, unique peice of work, that probably will draw crowds at the local shows.

Btw, I bet its just as safe as 1 of those so called smart cars!!!

stevengerard

I wouldn't have done it either, then again I wouldn't have bought the 4-dorr in the first place - I do like the results, would have never thought it would look that good that quickly

fmbjogger

$ 10 invested in pre-formed pipe insulation as trim for the rough edges. This project is getting expensive !

hotrodpc

Git'R Done !!! With that biggo rear deck, now you all you need is a biggo thumpin system and some biggo fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror.

coltsneckbob

Well, OK no reinforcements. However, nevermind a collision...........one flat tire and you might permenantly bend the frame a bit when u jack up a corner. Heck even a stock convert frame bends slightly when u jack a corner - though it returns to normal.