A&Q about 350Z
Q:
This is another question about converting to targa. If, and that's a big IF, cost was not an option I would love to know if you can 'weld'
aluminum or lighter material frame rails to an existing frame. Or what
it would run for a shop to make a frame for me.
I'm going to have to alter the frame for the different engine and
possibly move the rear glass conopy forward on the body so it's
going to get involved, read expensive, anyway.
I've read posts from guys that could do that kind of thing, the
whole off frame, design their own frame from carbon fiber...
Thanks, and by the way if you're about to post a 'too expensive,
can't be done' reply don't bother.
Ciao
A:
anything can be done
It will depend, however, on your wallet and what kind of car you have. Most full-frame cars you could cut off the roof and it wouldn't exhibit much difference, whereas most unibody cars would literally collapse in your driveway after you finished the cutting.
If your vehicle was offered as a targa (which I assume means the improperly named removable roof panel) I might suggest sourcing a junkyard version of the panels involved and grafting them to your car's body. While you're grabbing body panels, You would need to investigate all of the body bracing and differences that were included with the targa version and incorporate them into your car.
Keep in mind that a factory targa model would have had all the bracing welded in while the unmolested body was in a jig. Welding in that bracing after the body has "settled in" does very little to affect rigidity. Whereas a factory targa might be labeled a wet noodle, your conversion might be labeled a pile of goo and handling might be an experimental disaster.
So, without saying "it costs too much" I will say this: If you're willing to spend more than the cost of a brand new targa to convert your existing car into a pile of goo, go for it, but again it depends on the car.
Having said that, what kind of car is it?
A:
that made me laugh
A:
Good post, Curtis. His bio says a '68 Camaro, so duplicating the factory bracing that was added to the convertible version should do fine.
There are also aftermarket sub frame connector kits available for these cars, which should do the job, too.
A:
Thanks for the input Curtis. Actually this is for a 944 that I've yet to
purchase. I used to have a 68 Camero but I'm pretty sure a whole
new lighter frame for one of those would be a big project. But
because the 944's are lighter I keep thinking added bracing and
the rest for a targa be vastly preferable to any t-top, for me.
But I still want my Camero back.