Keoni1113 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 Just wondering if anyone has turned their Starquests into a convertible? Would that just wreck the structural integrity or is that too much a faux pas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Cary Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 There was a company that made the old 80's 300zx into a convertible. If someone did try that with a quest I would recommend installing a roll cage and reinforcing the body in the rear quarter panels and front A pillars. If done incorrectly and no reinforcement to the A pillar a bad enough accident could lead to decapitation. You would also gain a lot of weight depending on how it is setup. Would it be manual or powered? If it is powered you could use a Pontiac G6 convertible pump to power the hydraulics. Only issue there are that the pumps are prone to fail but on the bright side are usually available through most GM dealers. Now a Targa top like a Supra would be a much better option to do. With a little cutting and welding it could easily be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) I think t - tops would look better.Someone Photoshop'd a convertible once and the starion looked very weird I thought. I was, at one time...... gonna weld up a dodge daytona t-top roof on my starion years ago.....but the car got scrapped instead.... Edited July 22, 2015 by freebird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 It will fold like a taco shell. The car is unibody. Without converting it to a full framed chassis somehow, it would fold up the first time it hit a bump. BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 It will fold like a taco shell. The car is unibody. Without converting it to a full framed chassis somehow, it would fold up the first time it hit a bump. BC_99 Yep, it's been attempted in the past and it didn't work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntercooledFlatty Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 and look something like this http://motorbase.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2004/12/06/fs_tr704r.jpg :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboyb Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) Back when Pagemo was working on the gullwing car, substantial reinforcement was required in the floors and roof. I bet he has pictures still here somewhere of all the welded channel that it took to adequately stiffen the chassis, but you could see the deflection in the roof skin after cutting the gullwing hinge pocket areas on a totally stripped chassis. Edited July 22, 2015 by jonboyb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboyb Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) His old build thread: http://www.starquest...showtopic=69675 Post 8 shows some of the reinforcement it required for gullwing. Edited July 22, 2015 by jonboyb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 Its been done before in Torrance Ca. Thats all I've got to say about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aknorthstar Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u546/cjhippie/1010972_698689503491978_1425997491_n_zpszsteawfv.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u546/cjhippie/1010972_698689503491978_1425997491_n_zpszsteawfv.jpg Looks like an 84 Celica convertible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntercooledFlatty Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 ^ ^ ^ SUPRA ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 Mark did it. I saw the car. Just by cutting the roof off the chassis sagged so much the doors didn't close right. The whole car flexed in the middle like a spring. The car got stripped and scrapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u546/cjhippie/1010972_698689503491978_1425997491_n_zpszsteawfv.jpg Probably one of the worst photoshops I have ever seen of a starquest. Its been done before in Torrance Ca. Thats all I've got to say about that. I don't doubt it, but not without the things I mentioned before. Mark did it. I saw the car. Just by cutting the roof off the chassis sagged so much the doors didn't close right. The whole car flexed in the middle like a spring. The car got stripped and scrapped. Exactly. I have cut the roofs off of 2 cars I have parted that were already completely stripped and gutted. Sitting firmly on my lift, I cut the roof loose from the A posts and a gap of around 2 inches immediately opened in the cuts I just made. Just from the weight of the front and rear clips hanging, with nothing holding them together but the rockers and floor. Without the roof, these cars have little support in the center to carry their weight. It would take very significant reinforcements to the underbody....like full frame rails or heavy boxing and plating to stiffen the bottom enough to hold it all without it flexing. It could probably also be done with a proper roll cage, but who wants a convertible with roll bars sticking up everywhere? BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Cary Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 It could probably also be done with a proper roll cage, but who wants a convertible with roll bars sticking up everywhere? BC_99 Miata guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Miata gals. Fixed it for you. BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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