I am looking to do some custom work to make my car convertible. Other reasons i want to do this because i have developed a rust cancer on the right corner of the hatch where it meets the glass and my interior is getting messed up due to an after market sun roof installed before i bought the car that leaks. I was looking to cut right after the modling on the hatch and fiberglass the rest up and respray the car...i was wondering if you have any advice to offer. Also i would be putting all 3 strut bars on and welding a custom roll bar.

my advice is dont try it. you'll save money, time, and have better results if you just buy a spyder

Please use the search function . . . there is tons of information on this site already about doing a targa top.



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waste of money in my opinion. like said above...you're better off just buying a spyder.

Originally posted by FlyinEsi
Please use the search function . . . there is tons of information on this site already about doing a targa top. forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=13280&mesg_id=13280&page= Current Status: Specifications Made

That there is, but thats not what he is asking about. BTW, I love your new car :)

I'm with those guys though, it'd be worth not messing with it and just getting a Spyder...that is unless you're like me and you have like 12 grand in your car so no matter what you're not going to get rid of it.

he suggested searching about the targa because there would be several things related to both. actually...making your car a convertable would make your car even less stable. people are dumping TONS of money into targa tops and still not eleminating the chassis flex and twist. you hack away the COMPLETE roof....you never get it it to stop. unless you wanna do a complete frame resto you wont accomplish it. people with targa have floor bars, 10 pt roll cages, every support bar you can think of....and thats just on a roughly 5'x2' section cut out of the roof. think of if you start removing the entire roof. plus the hatch will need to be changed to a trunk, so that will require a new trunk lid. trust me, just fix it or get rid of it and buy a spyder. a convertable has a huge amount of body renforcement built in....thats why its well over 3000lbs. if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you have the urge for open air driving sell your car and buy a spyder. youll ruin a perfectly good eclipse if you try and conver it to a convertable. youll have so much flex and roll in the chassis im sure sooner or later youll break your frame. it will be extrodinarily unsafe to drive and a bitch to control. like everyone said, read up on the probs of targa tops.....consider that...and figure youll have about 10x more problems than them.

Originally posted by 96eclipse2nr
he suggested searching about the targa because there would be several things related to both. actually...making your car a convertable would make your car even less stable. people are dumping TONS of money into targa tops and still not eleminating the chassis flex and twist. you hack away the COMPLETE roof....you never get it it to stop. unless you wanna do a complete frame resto you wont accomplish it. people with targa have floor bars, 10 pt roll cages, every support bar you can think of....and thats just on a roughly 5'x2' section cut out of the roof. think of if you start removing the entire roof. plus the hatch will need to be changed to a trunk, so that will require a new trunk lid. trust me, just fix it or get rid of it and buy a spyder. a convertable has a huge amount of body renforcement built in....thats why its well over 3000lbs. if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you have the urge for open air driving sell your car and buy a spyder. youll ruin a perfectly good eclipse if you try and conver it to a convertable. youll have so much flex and roll in the chassis im sure sooner or later youll break your frame. it will be extrodinarily unsafe to drive and a bitch to control. like everyone said, read up on the probs of targa tops.....consider that...and figure youll have about 10x more problems than them.

Absoluetly correct. We don't have the body support required to have a cut roof.

Besides, if you just buy a spyder you can get a spyder gst and have it converted into a spyder gsx.

Originally posted by a_miller_76
Absoluetly correct. We don't have the body support required to have a cut roof. Besides, if you just buy a spyder you can get a spyder gst and have it converted into a spyder gsx.

In the most respectful way possible, sir, Did you just say that? :nono Converting to a GSX is a No No...it CAN be done, but then i'd say its a toss up btwn. just cutting up a GSX and converting a spyder. If you DO go the spyder route, make sure you get the 4g63 and not the 4g64...

Originally posted by 96eclipse2nr
he suggested searching about the targa because there would be several things related to both. actually...making your car a convertable would make your car even less stable. people are dumping TONS of money into targa tops and still not eleminating the chassis flex and twist. you hack away the COMPLETE roof....you never get it it to stop. unless you wanna do a complete frame resto you wont accomplish it. people with targa have floor bars, 10 pt roll cages, every support bar you can think of....and thats just on a roughly 5'x2' section cut out of the roof. think of if you start removing the entire roof. plus the hatch will need to be changed to a trunk, so that will require a new trunk lid. trust me, just fix it or get rid of it and buy a spyder. a convertable has a huge amount of body renforcement built in....thats why its well over 3000lbs. if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you have the urge for open air driving sell your car and buy a spyder. youll ruin a perfectly good eclipse if you try and conver it to a convertable. youll have so much flex and roll in the chassis im sure sooner or later youll break your frame. it will be extrodinarily unsafe to drive and a bitch to control. like everyone said, read up on the probs of targa tops.....consider that...and figure youll have about 10x more problems than them.

W3rd, sorry, I should have specified. The search function on this board has such an enormous wealth of information regarding the pros and cons, costs, problems, etc.



forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=13280&mesg_id=13280&page=
Current Status: Specifications Made

yeah d00d...honestly i would go out and get teh spyder...you could get one of them for a hell of a lot less then converting yours...then you could dump money into your ride and have a pimp ass daily driver IMO.

Go to dsmtuners.com there is a pretty sick eclipse gsx converted to have a targa top....I like it but dont care for a sypder all that much.

There are several GS-T Spyders that have been converted to AWD. RRE does the swap for a bit of money. On a 2G, it is fairly straightforward.

-=B-=

Originally posted by Vandy420a

Originally posted by a_miller_76 Absoluetly correct. We don't have the body support required to have a cut roof. Besides, if you just buy a spyder you can get a spyder gst and have it converted into a spyder gsx.

In the most respectful way possible, sir, Did you just say that? :nono Converting to a GSX is a No No...it CAN be done, but then i'd say its a toss up btwn. just cutting up a GSX and converting a spyder. If you DO go the spyder route, make sure you get the 4g63 and not the 4g64...

Uhm.....read this....

Originally posted by The1Bill
There are several GS-T Spyders that have been converted to AWD. RRE does the swap for a bit of money. On a 2G, it is fairly straightforward. -=B-=

Bingo, it can be done. Converting a hard top to drop top is nearly impossible, but converting a Spyder to a GSX is being done, has BEEN done, and can be done with a little effort.

wow, not only has it been done, but it is going to be done again this summer, to the car in my sig :-o . Man, the spyder has a lot of stuff thats different to let it be a convertable: trunk, LOTS of extra bracing, the back seat area is completely different, the a pillar/windshield is different, not to mention the electronics and frame that supports the top.