So even though I still have time to drive im planning some winter projects (as if I need more).
It has been a tough year for me and only have taken the car out a few times. But I've got the itch back so this weekend will be some more test and tune. Car is running great. Just been tough to enjoy it...

Anyways, besides body work, I'm thinking of fabricating a targa top truss bar for it.. i think ill also make a fiberglass top to mount to truss bar for it as well (so the car will look like it has t-tops that are removed). The ones they sell, are they steel or aluminum? Just wondering as I was gonna do aluminum. Thoughts?

Also was going to make a tie bar for the upper shock/a-arm mounts in the front.. thoughts??

My car has a 6 point roll bar, but now that I'm used to how it drives, was thinking it could be a little stiffer. I never drive with the targa top on it as its in bad shape, and also I only drive in nice weather.

If your not familiar with my setup take a look at "just for the hell of it" in the c4 general section.

Im all ears for thoughts on this.

Oh, and was going to beef up the arms that go from the a-pillar to the frame. While the car was on the lift I could almost see the front flex a little (hard to explain). But this all had me thinking.....

Thanks everyone

 

Just saw the tops they make are steel. Would be easier than aluminum but still think aluminum is the way to go.

Im all ears for everyone's 2 cents....

 

Wow, figured id open a can of worms here lol...

 

OK... as a discussion I guess... The OEM top as you know is an aluminum perimeter hollow cross section piece. The Mild2Wild is more like a truss with mild steel roll bar tubing and plates. So we can assume the M2W is likely a little bit stiffer, but also a little bit heavier than at least the plexi glass top.

I do have a spare plexi glass top that I picked up a few years ago, and I'm planning on removing the cracked/worn glass. Already stripped off the junk weather stripping and retaining strips. Was thinking about creating my own mold to make a carbon piece to go on the frame, this may stiffen it up, and still is very light... but frankly it's a lot of work and I'm not in the mood to go into production. Or I can just send it in and have a new glass top installed.

Also for the hollow aluminum perimeter, since it's hollow, I would fill it up with 2 part high density expanding foam to stiffen it up a little bit more. For driving on the street, I can use my regular thermoplasic composite painted top with upholstery as it's nice, and has good seals, but it's very heavy (suspect it may be heavier than the M2W).

 

Here's the brace I made a few years back. It's steel square tubing. It works really well and it's low profile. The car feels as stiff or stiffer with it on as opposed to the factory targa top. I was thinking about making an easily removable fabric top that fit over this but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Can you post a link to the thread you referenced. "For the hell of it" I searched but couldn't find it.

Dave

 

Ok. Disregard. I found it. Had to use the advanced search button and search for the proper term. Wow! That's a hell of a project. Beautiful work! Nice job. Here's the link to your thread:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ell-of-it.html

​​​​​​Looks like you're about an hour north of Albany and I'm an hour south...I'm planning a 1/4 mile Test and Tune track night at Lebanon Valley Raceway on Wednesday September 25th. It's the last Test and Tune event at LVR for the season. I try to get there when the gates open at 5pm. Can usually get 3 or 4 runs in. LMK if you want to join. I'll have 1 or 2 of my C4s there plus my buddy's Tesla Plaid which ran a 10.01 @145mph last time out. Might be a couple more cars and a few bikes with us as well.

 

Thanks!

Yeah gotta see what winter has in store for me this year. Im thinking of how to do the top and also the front brace. I have alot of room up there. Right now trying to survive 250 boat winterizations.

Yeah I saw about the Valley. Doubt I can go as in the fall im slammed. Hate it. But just had car out this past Sunday for an hour and she runs great..

 

""i think ill also make a fiberglass top to mount to truss bar for it as well"". I am contemplating building something much lighter but used as a shade. Here in Florida the sun burns the crap out of me and I have been wanting to use the targa mounts to stretch some kind of shade cloth across that still allows the wind but kills some of the sun.

I still dont see how the small targa bolts can stiffin the car, not saying they don't I'm just that it is a small bolt against a lot of twisting force.

 

Im with ya on this. But people swear they make a difference..
They used to sell or still do a shade top that holds at legal highway speeds. But I remember they were not cheap. If I wanted to do what you are talking about id start with a bare frame and canvas it with supports to make a light shade that you can drive with. I know the Florida sun believe me. My car is actually from St Pete Beach.....

 

I loved St Pete and I worked at Albert Whitted for a while. The last time I was there the population had skyrocketed. The beaches on the weekend were sometimes (literally) elbow to elbow and parking was non existent.
I keep inching closer and closer to learning tig / mig. Make the frame myself and stretch commercial agriculture shade cloth over it, but the looks ???

 

I hear ya. The people and traffic was the biggest thing i hated there.. but i miss the area and weather!!