I have a 66 Buick Lesabre 4 door that runs like a dream... but I miss my old convertible and I've been thinking of going back to one... Is there a convertible top setup (arms and vinyl) that would allow a relatively easy convertible conversion on this 4 Door? Any ideas are appreciated...
That would be the BIG mistake. The car and frame is not designed to do this. The top currently supplies structural rigidity to the rest of the car. The result will likely be the doors will not operate properly or maybe not shut at all. If you want a convert you need to trade cars.
True but with money anything can be done. If I were doing this I would as Jim said strengthen the frame and there is more than one fabricator that would make it work for you. That said it would be way cheaper to buy a convertible
Ask me how I know...real verts have enough trouble w/sagging doors, cracked body seams, and seeing cowl-shake thru windshield while driving. Why would anyone want to try to reverse-engineer a hardtop to overcome these issues...except maybe to have one-off bragging rights. Buy a vert and you'll only have to live with those factory shortcomings...
I figured I would have to weld in supports to strengthen the body before I cut the roof... really I considered welding steel supports in the "easy" part, though I wasn't quite sure if the extra support would be enough to do the job. The difficult part, in my mind, would be to customize a ragtop to fit... also the arms. Point taken, though.... would be very difficult to avoid structural damage done by removing the support the hardtop provides. Is there a 4-door Buick convertible?
If you fully box the frame and then run an x brace to tie the sides together really tight, then you may be able to pull it off. It's all about taking every little bit of flex from the frame. The body itself would stay solid if you put in a couple extra mounts to make sure it's nice and supported by the new heavy duty frame. If the car flexes in any direction you'll know what direction needs to be reinforced more. Lots of patience, trial and error, and cash can get it done. Mostly lots of cash
The owner of this 1958 4door conv Limited posted on here a few months back; http://www.flickr.com/photos/45904802@N08/4331483992/ http://blogs.canoe.ca/time_machines/2009/11/
Why install a roof at all. Make a roadster Chip Foose did it with a 1965 T bird Just make sure its not going to rain Look at a frame on a 68 Lincoln convertible they are 4 door cars. Plus the frame from a 66 should be pretty stout already
Wasn't the 66 Lincoln a unibody car?? I seem to recall there was a reason it was only offered for one or two years.
Yes, unibody 4 drs convertible :TU: But if I'm right, they were offered from model year 1961 to 1967...
Lincolns were uni-bodies from 1961-1969. The four door convertible was offered from 1961-1967. Their way of beefing up the uni body was to add 50lbs of lead shot in the lower corners of each fender. It stressed the unibody; minimizing body flex. It was quite effective. Dad's '66 Lincoln Convertible is the only convertible I ever rode in or drove, that didn't squeak or rattle. The were very well built cars and very reliable. The MEL was a well engineered high torque @ low RPM engine (sound familiar?) The MEL was in Lincolns from 1958 through- early 1968. Later Lincolns have Ford Engines (460) Dad had; '61 '63 '64 '65 '66 '68 Sedans and a '66 conv. (in '70 they went to a ladder frame).
Thanks for the correction James, as I really was not certain of their production years. I rode in a 66 many years ago, but even then, it was beginning to seriously rust out.
:TU: you, betcha. I'm not sure, but; the 58s-60s might, have been uni-bodies as well ( I don't have first hand knowledge of them, I've seen two; a '58 and a '60; both, driving down the road ). A '66 Lincoln rusting out! wow! They have the lower third of the body; galvanized. Under body; undercoated. Rust, was one problem we never had with, Dad's Lincolns. But, then we don't have rust problems down here that northern climes have.
Heres; an Imperial 4 door drop top conversion; http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1959/4-DoorVert/index.htm And, another Imperial 4 door converted to drop top; http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto/2326024383.html
