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Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 18th, 2003, 8:52 pm
by downtown
picture this, take your hatch completely off: 2 brackets, 2 cylinders, and wires. car looks deadly enough like that. now put an actual convertible top on the hatch. does this sound plausible or do-able at all? feed me back with ideas comments. i gotta replace my spoiler, and if im gonna pay for that, might as well look into this huh? <p>P.S that targa top does look wicked too.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 18th, 2003, 9:51 pm
by Spydie
the challenge is yours.......all yours.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 18th, 2003, 10:52 pm
by MI-Archangel
lol ive considered it talk to gooood autobody shop.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 19th, 2003, 1:13 pm
by Mo s Ricer
ive thought about doing this but its sounds like to much work so i just take off the hatch when its hott out and put it back on when it gets colder
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 19th, 2003, 1:23 pm
by Hy300
Isn't it illegal to drive without the hatch on?<p>BTW, it does provide some structural support, even though it is a big gaping hole in the chassis.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 19th, 2003, 8:15 pm
by EBUCKS
1. Gut your car.
2. Get it onto a hoist.
3. Weld at least 1" thick round bar steel or squre tubing to the frame (don't know what grade but I'm sure any cheap steel will do).
4. Weld on a roll cage (not necessary, but it helps for structural support).
5. Design and fit a trunk cover.
6. Find or design and make targa cover or convertible cover and mechanisms to support it.<p>Could be impressive by the end.

<p>one
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 21st, 2003, 12:47 am
by jwillistyl55
i dunno man but good luck and keep us posted definetly<p>cody
93 still stock but workin on it
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 22nd, 2003, 5:59 pm
by ice
that sounds pretty crazy but just out of curiousity i wanna see what it would look like so could anyone one of u put together a pic and post it? its just might be hot
lol
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 22nd, 2003, 11:44 pm
by nksmx-3
ther is a pic of a convertabe mx-3 in the images fourm,its a photo shop pic, look back about 1-2 months in tha image fourm. If I can remember it didnt look all that bad, but I cant really remember it to well, hope this helps you

Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 23rd, 2003, 1:06 am
by mx3TT
You have to look at it as a structural point of view. You take away the hatch and the roof, if your making it convertable, you will lose so much stability to your frame. Everything will twist. Just like real convertable cars, they have heavier doors and other things to make up for the lack of the roof. It can probably be done but with tons of cash.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 23rd, 2003, 12:34 pm
by Custommx3
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by EBUCKS:
1. Gut your car.
2. Get it onto a hoist.
3. Weld at least 1" thick round bar steel or squre tubing to the frame (don't know what grade but I'm sure any cheap steel will do).
4. Weld on a roll cage (not necessary, but it helps for structural support).
5. Design and fit a trunk cover.
6. Find or design and make targa cover or convertible cover and mechanisms to support it.<p>Could be impressive by the end.
<p>one<hr></blockquote><p>
LOL a roll cage on a convertable? Whats the point of having no top with roll bars?hehe<p>You would need some underbody strengthening, and maybe some Side to side structural support... silimar to a rear strut brace.
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 23rd, 2003, 3:02 pm
by 992mmx3
So its gonna be a convertible in the back, and a hardtop up front? Sounds kinda oogly, but maybe I read it wrong.

Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: June 24th, 2003, 2:21 am
by ltjrunner
how come when i posted about makin the mx3 a targa top i got shot down!!!!!!!! haha and hell, you could run a roll bar along the top edge of the targa and the down so its still inside the car for stuctual support. but id leave the hact on cuz the hatch cover just in back would look odd.....and well, id get **** ripped off too so.....just my 2c!!
Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: September 4th, 2003, 3:50 am
by celedhel
would be cool to see a T-TOP version too

Re: Remove hatch and make convertible?
Posted: September 15th, 2003, 5:43 pm
by RaspMetalicMX3SE
that sounds like a monster garage deal to me, hope ya get the mac tools after you finish it