DAFFYDRUNK

Is there anything out there that specifically describes parts and installation to swap out the roof for a removable one?

I realize that most people responding will jump in here telling me how some GM engineer told them the world is going to come to an end unless one spends an arm and a leg beefing the frame up, but I already know that. Read everything that I can find.

I'm looking for detailed info on the actual top conversion itself. Unfortunately, that is much harder to find than all the conjecture about the frame. Thank you for any info.

wolf8218

It's made by GM. The part number is "2009-2013 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport"

erikszr1

its been done many times, i have the links saved at home. ill try and remember to post them for you. i want to do this as well. very cool mod.

My 07 Z

I've read the posts of people speaking against it, but are there any instances where a frame cracked or failed due to this mod?
Id like to do it as well

Is the 427 vert frame any different then our z?

Too-Fast

The 427 vert frame is made of steel, not aluminum like the Z06.

EnginerdVT

I'm no expert on vettes as this is my first one (08 Z06), but I am a mechanical engineer by degree and a big car guy.... THIS IS A BAD IDEA without the frame being specifically designed for it. People really do this?

VetteVinnie

Not without beefing up the frame otherwise it will twist and flex and make handling unpredictable, a complete waste of a Z06, IMHO.

Caravaggio does the conversion:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...onversion.html

http://www.caravaggiocorvettes.com/#...y/c6-z06-targa

DAFFYDRUNK

I'll probably get a bunch of condescending "why would you do this" comments, but this is the way I see it as someone who's looking at buying a Corvette:

When you read the threads about the Z06 frame, it seems someone is BS'ing. Either the frame is not 50% stronger than a C5 frame or GM didn't actually ruin one by tracking it 30 minutes without a roof. When I fly, I stare out at aluminum wings that don't break as they flop around. Why is it that a car frame will immediately snap in half from fatigue and cause a hole in the universe if it bends a few times? Just doesn't add up. Sure, you've read the conjecture and the stories, but has anyone here 1st hand actually seen a damaged Z06 from a targa conversion?

Anyway, I can get a used one of these in the mid 30s. Throw $2-3k at the valvetrain to make sure it stays healthy and throw $1500 at the roof. If I was to ruin the frame by taking the top off so be it. I'm willing to bet the car would be fine for the expected life of the car. Car would be a fun car 4k miles a year driving normally with occasional WOTs.

A guy I do computer work for owns a ton of cool cars and for just got a mint 07 Z06 for another toy. A guy in our Aussie Pontiac club got an 06 Z06. Cool cars.

wolf8218

It drastically reduces the stiffness of a car. That doesn't mean it will snap. It just means that the handling performance will be dramatically worsened.

VetteVinnie

Seriously, if you can't afford to do it right, buy a Grandsport. Look at how much weight got added to the C7 for that aluminum frame to be able to handle targa and convertible tops. The Z06 frame was not designed to have a removable roof.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...s-begun-6.html

DAFFYDRUNK

But if the frame is 50% stiffer than a C5, it should still be very stiff.

No one has any first hand experience though. So you see comments like, "my brother's wife's mother's brother's cousin is a super smart GM engineer and says you will kill puppies and baby seals if you take the Z06 roof off.

You have to think GM engineers aren't going to give it to you straight dope due to liability. Carvagio or however you spell it can't sell you what is obviously a very profitable $11k targa conversion if you don't think you need the fancy custom brace. I'm not driving to Canada anyway.
Actually I've read somewhere someone commenting on how they couldn't feel the difference while driving the car with the top off. If it's so bad, you should be able to feel it I'd think.

Anyway, if anyone has any conversion info I'd love to check it out.

wolf8218

I think that you should clarify what sort of use the car will see.

I'm sure a garage queen or scenic cruiser will be just fine without a roof.

VetteVinnie

I already quoted first-hand experience with chassis flex and sag from the guys who know what they're doing.

Good luck. And I hope your doors still close properly after a few thousand miles if you choose not to reinforce things.

Boosted Josh

Even if it was 100,000 times stiffer in stock form what happens when you chop off a side of a triangle?

Also you would need to figure out what "stiff" means. Torsional rigidity? tension? compression? what happens when you start removing elements that transfer the loads?

ibleedgreen

A good friend of mine did a vert and roadster conversion in 07 on the Z06. They had engineers develop a piece to strengthen the frame to get it legit. How much weight did it add and all the details I have no clue. They did develop it in carbon fiber too so there was a "lite" version.

He chopped up the roadster for a SEMA unveil and it was not well received but a cool idea none the less.

The vert was stock and essentially the 2013 427 back in 07.

Genaddi did the conversions. May be worth a call.

erikszr1

how many have driven a C4 with the roof removed? holy crap, wanna talk about flex!! A ZO6 with added strength is fine as shown here ^^^ . GM talks about how much stronger/stiffer the chassis is compared to earlier corvettes, why not a targa top? especially if your adding extra support. no different then adding a few hundred more HP.... you make the car handle it........

DAFFYDRUNK

The problem though is if you actually have to add support, which I still doubt is really necessary for anything driven on the street. Suddenly the price becomes unreasonable. For those who wanna turn the argument into a money thing... It's not that I can't afford it. It's that I wouldn't be willing to afford it.
At any rate the only people who actually seem to know are the ones that wanna do the conversion for you at significant cost. Probably won't be sending me a parts list or a quote for their custom brace + shipping. Then you're back to contemplating a GS, and maybe throwing a little at that to at least make it as fast as a Z. Still cool, but not as cool as a Z with a targa roof.

crAzy

Daffy I would like this to be done to mine. Would be cool. Why not possibly a T-Top that way you can add a brace down the middle of the car's roof?

ibleedgreen

The guys above worked with GM and other engineers to get the bracing correct. Not a cheap solution at all but at the time they were trying to enter the market like Shelby, Saleen and Roush.

Cost so much they figured that LSR would bring $150k+ on ebay...

bob53

Daffy - I too lament the fact my Z does not have a targa. However, even those few who have DIY'ed have spent well over your estimates to do it right. Most spent 4-5K and the commercial outfits charge ~ 10K. It is not as simple as unbolting the top. The mount points in the targa area have to be cut off, then new parts welded, then a replacement targa panel and hardware must be installed.

Regarding the stiffness of the frame relative to the C5 - that's irrelevant. It is that stiff with the roof in place, take the roof away, now it is less stiff and the dynamic forces on the frame change drastically when driven. All of the forces now channel through the rails and tunnel beneath the seats. The problem is in the material properties of Al vs steel. Under deflective load, steel rebounds whereas Al does not. As such, if driven hard, the frame of an unreinforced Z06 targa has the potential to permanently deform. So goes the theory. If the car is a garage queen, it would probably be fine. However, based upon your comments, you seem to want the car over the Grand Sport because of its' performance. If you drive it like it is meant to be driven, it's probably a bad idea. Further, if you ever need warranty work or are in accident with it (modified) you are hosed. If the other insurance company can blame you, in the slightest, that the modification that may make the car less stable, your goose would be cooked.

I realize you don't want the free advice but I was in your position years ago. I decided the risks were too great. The car is worthless if the "what ifs" do happen. Not worth the headache to me.