To do it or not to do it, is that the question?
 

Well, Boys, It seems that I have run into somewhat of A "Moral" issue when it come to my project. When we speak in automotive terms, "Moral" is the best word I can come up with. No, I am not crushing the Heads of Baby Seals and using their lard as wax or posi lube additive. And no I am not making change in the offering plate at Church cause my project is getting expensive, Its just this:

I am Pro-touring a 69 Convertible (no rust-period), Nuttin special 327 3 speed drum brake car but as clean as a fire truck and strait as the road to hell. I keep reading about the repop bodies being **** and how "wrong" it seems to be to screw up (cut-up) a great original body, which I have.
Mini tubs, frame connectors, Yadda-Yadda (yes I have Yadda-Yadda'd fabrication work). I quite literally just stopped (5:45 pm Wednesday,1/5/04) drilling a hole in the stock tub, unplugged the SawZall, and came in here to ask; AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING? I am no longer a purist as I once was so I don't know why this is coming up in my mind!

And Hell yes I want Too!!

Is it the right thing? I have 35 large in this thing and I haven't done any thing but disassemble it!

Cuss me, Counsel me, call me a idiot !! Those of you with my phone number call and dog me!! I need advice here....

Jim, my only thoughts are what if this evolves into a serious hardcore ground pounder with a TT small block making 800+ hp? Do you want that in a Vert? Don't get me wrong, I love Verts, I love Trush's Vert, but what if you want to thrash this car, and go all out in the handling department. Would you be giving up a lot in chassis flex? I guess my point is I do not like rollcages in Verts. Will the project evolve to the point where you will have to run a cage?

I say finish it with style. I think you are having a "I wanna go drive already" attack. I have been there already. You can't see the light at the end and you know ther is a lot more money that needs to be spent, where if you just kept it simple, you would probably be done and have a very nice driver. That why we have Lateral-G anomynous :D . We come here talk about our addictions and hopefully keep them in check. All you need is a little :cheering: up and a :_party: from your friends at :lateral: .

Mike

No. It won't have a cage. It may have two roll bars (IE Audi TT) IF I can get the piece made for between the seats I told you about earlier. I have been repeatedly told (Kyle confirmed it- that the Verts are much stiffer than the coupes when all of the appropriate Stock items are in place) so that isn't a factor right now. I have considered tearing down my Z and making a clone Z Vert (Called a Phantom car in Street Rodder) and making the coupe car an all out screamer.

In the grand scheme of things this isn't really a problem, I just need advice from friends.

Are you planning on any track events (drag, road course)? If so, you should find out if the track or the event requires roll cages or other safety measures for convertibles.

I'm trying to do what no body else has done...Twin Turbo Pro touring 69 Convertible. I haven't seen one yet (mini Tubbed with twins).

Carry on soldier you already tore it apart!!It wont be worth putting it back together.Start sawing and dont look back :patriot:

I also think you should take your act on the road,you are one funny dude err I mean lineman.

You know Jim, when I started cutting into my car I had the same feelings. I've had the car since I was twenty-one, and have a lot of great memories in that thing; hell, when I bought it, It had only been out of the little old lady original owners hands for less than six months!

I've always resisted the urge to do anything to my car that couldn't be changed back to stock....Well, until last spring, that is!

My car had been setting in the garage for a couple of years with a leaky wheel cylinder, and I was looking for another project car to spend some of my hard earned money on. To make a long story short, my wife actually talked me into cutting up my camaro!

I've wanted to do a pro-touring car since the magazines featured Mark Stielows first car, and I am finally doing just that!

So Jim, I have only one question for you...........Have you talked to the wife about the butterflys in your stomach?

I know what she'll say! :thumbsup:

Cheer up, and keep cutting my friend. :lateral:

HACK AWAY!

Build the car the way you envision it. It will not truly be your car until you have personalized it. That you are starting with a clean foundation will only make the project easier. I guarantee that the car will be more valuable as a proper pro-touring car. And another thing: When I think of all the scars that I have earned while working on my car, I am reminded that the car has hacked away at me--just as I have hacked away at it. If it's too painful an experience, I will gladly come down there and cut your car up for you.

As for your roll bar, I'm seeing Porsche Boxter rather than double hoop--meaning one bar with a kink in the middle and a lexan wind blocker.

I too am at the point where I am going to hack up my all original sheetmetal no rust 67, mind you it isnt a convertible but I still feel a little immoral when I look at those plain unrusted panels and think to myself how I'm gonna cut and chop them to fit some huge tires or a 3 link etc in there...will I compromise the tires for the sheetmetal...NO I will not. My idea is that as far as these cars are concerned they are worth as much as you put into them and more (when done properly) so whatever you do you can get a return for. I don't intend to sell my car but thats just me. So go ahead, it's your car and I would take a PT car ANY day over an original stock one.

Jim,

First of all its your car and you do as you please with it!

Some people questioned my insanity when I cut up my Z/28, pretty much in the condition you described, for SFC and DSE style rear crossmember. I haven't minitubbed it yet but I will in the future.

My thinking was: there are so many restored Z/28s that the world doesn't need another one, but there aren't that many PT Z/28s :D

Same thing with yours, the 69 convertible is a hell of a good looking PT car and restored 'verts we have more than our share of.

Keep going. :thumbsup:


Jan

Jim, There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 17,000+ convert's built in 69, there are plenty of stock ones out there...cut it up.

As they say in the Hot Rod world: Anyone can restore a valuable old car, it takes a real man to cut one up! :thumbsup:

Mike

That quote would be a great bumpersticker.

Jan

Dang, Scott - now I find out you don't like rollbars in verts.

Ummgawa - go for it. My car is stiff as a , well... you know. I'm going for wretched excess, myself, although the motor will be last. It's a journey and I love every $ of it!!

LOL, that's just my taste. :D

That is a great quote!!

Jim, IMO I would keep moving forward. If it was a matching # big block car or something, I would think about it as well. You are so far ahead of the game finding such a nice car that is really a nothing car. 327, drum brakes etc. I would say you have the perfect victim. I'm looking for a nice clean vert as we speak for the next project, to do what your doing, so if you can't do it I'll gladly do it!! :D (I know I'm sick, haven't even got 25% into Nickelback & already thinking ahead for the next one, great hobby ain't it :rolleyes: )

Poor yourself a cold one, sack up & get to cutting my friend!! :thumbsup:

cut it
 

Not that my opinion matters much as I am quite new to this site but not the hobby.

Make the car the way that you want it. I would rather have had a straight rustfree car to start with than the car I am doing. I have almost $10,000 in a 69 coupe body using NOS parts to get it to the point where I can start cutting it up...somehow that does not make since.

The only problem I see with the convertible is doing 165 with the top down and the air flowing over the car may lift you out of the seat and make that ear to ear grin permanent.

I SAY CUT IT UP , AND DONT BE SCARD IT IS JUST A CAR . :thumbsup:



rick kirkindall :lateral:

I ain't skeered no mo!!!

Its on now!!

I'm glad we were all able to help you through these tough times, Jim!

Yes it has been an introspective 16 hours and 14 minutes :D

Umm, Jim, wasn't that like 26 hours and 44 minutes?

Introspective for 16 hours and 14 minutes, the rest of the time I didn't give a crap :D

Have you started cutting yet . go for it good luck . :thumbsup:




rick kirkindall :dance:

cutting up
 

For what its worth, I would cut it up. As an owner of a 69 'vert mine is being mini-tubbed, a complete one off frame, blah, blah, blah, the fact that it is not an "important" car a la rs/ss...go for it. I had a pristine 71 Ford Bronco several years ago, original as can be, a west coast truck that I bought here in the mid-west, My friends went nuts that I was going to cut up this all original truck. Long story short, a 2.5" suspension lift, 35's, re-worked 302, new interior, roll-cage, I had a truck that I wanted. In the end, I sold it for more than the 'original' was worth (x2) and enjoyed the heck out of it for several years....

Darren

great decision man, remember all of this is a hobby. Make YOUR car, what you want it to be and what you want it to look like......, remember it is your car............value, heck in the end, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay.................hotwheels of turborides