any toppless 67/72 trucks out there??

[BIG ORANGE]

I've been playing with the idear of cutting the top off a truck and make a roadster. We have a boardmember in Florida do one yrs back but don't recall his name. Anything out there???
thanks Donnie

[Grumpy old man]

They have been done before very labor intensive ,They are cut at the A pillar and a blazer A pillar windshield top grafted on to use a cut down version of the blazer removable top and still have a reasonable weather tight top ,also the removable top was hinged to fold and fit in the bed and have a tonneau cover hide it . looked cool !just about like a shortened blazer .I have also seen them hinged to the back of the cab like some custom Dodge Dakota folding fabric tops made by Sims if I remember right

[chiefcfd]

Mine is at the paint shop. It is a LWB.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by chiefcfd

Mine is at the paint shop. It is a LWB.

Have any pictures of how you finished the top of the windshield and the back of the cab ? how is the top held in place ? or is it 100% roadster with no top ?

[Grumpy old man]

Scratch those questions I just looked at your build thread .

[sboris]

Originally Posted by BIG ORANGE

I've been playing with the idear of cutting the top off a truck and make a roadster. We have a boardmember in Florida do one yrs back but don't recall his name. Anything out there???
thanks Donnie

You say "A" truck, I hope you mean a different one, that's one cool little unit you got there!!

[Grumpy old man]

Please don't ! Other than costing a lot of time and money to drastrically reduce the value for resale your better off buying a blazer to have your hair (or lack of it ) in the wind and some would be just down right DANGEROUS in a crash !!

[BIG ORANGE]

Well Im not gonna lie, it has crossed my mine a lot, especially after I hand made the alum. cover on the bed. But grumpy's yr right with the blazer, however I haven't been able to find one that I could afford. But I'm looking!!
Still would like to see some roadsters,,,,,

[Grumpy old man]

They sell around here for $1,500 to $4,000.00 you have to know someone to get them cheap ! You have to seriously consider whats involved liability wise when chopping the top off a truck and having someone ride in it and survive a crash ! chopping the top and leaving impaling parts for someone to possibly die on ...Well ... is it really worth it ? better go for the $1,000,000.00 policy and pay the price that some passenger may have to pay someday !Remember we are now in the age of a lawsuit for a hangnail ! I've chopped tops in the past I wouldn't do it today for anything .It's not 1970 anymore !

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Please don't ! Other than costing a lot of time and money to drastrically reduce the value for resale your better off buying a blazer to have your hair (or lack of it ) in the wind and some would be just down right DANGEROUS in a crash !!

Agreed, and I think a roll-bar or roll-cage would be in order.

But I guess no more dangerous than any convertible, however I would not feel very safe.

[Grumpy old man]

Well when you cut a top off to make a roadster and leave the 2 a pillars sticking up in the sky with just the possibilty of a windshield glass in front of you your asking for a lawsuit

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

Agreed, and I think a roll-bar or roll-cage would be in order.

But I guess no more dangerous than any convertible, however I would not feel very safe.

...and then the difference between cutting the top off of a truck and a car end up like this- convertibles have their frames seriously beefed up, as would be expected for a Blazer. Can anyone show a pic from the repair manual that shows how the frame for a Blazer differs from that of an equivalent pickup? I'll bet they are different in important ways.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

...and then the difference between cutting the top off of a truck and a car end up like this- convertibles have their frames seriously beefed up, as would be expected for a Blazer. Can anyone show a pic from the repair manual that shows how the frame for a Blazer differs from that of an equivalent pickup? I'll bet they are different in important ways.

A Blazer is NOT just a cut-down truck. The frame is similar to a shortbed, although it's shorter, but the tub is one piece. The Blazer also has rocker boxes under the cab to stiffen the sheet metal when the roof is off.

[davepl]

From my cursory look at the Blazer section of the assembly manual it looks like they just cut down full cab trucks, so you could certainly look to it for guidance (but finishing out the top rail I don't know about).

I have no idea how much the rigidity of the cab is important to these trucks. Usually if you cut the top off something that wasn't intended to be topless it's a disaster. To what extent the existence of the Blazer variant helps I don't know.

I wouldn't cut that truck you posted though. Unless it's a 20-footer it looks far too nice to start chopping up. At least buy a rusty practice truck first!

[BIG ORANGE]

Originally Posted by davepl

From my cursory look at the Blazer section of the assembly manual it looks like they just cut down full cab trucks, so you could certainly look to it for guidance (but finishing out the top rail I don't know about).

I have no idea how much the rigidity of the cab is important to these trucks. Usually if you cut the top off something that wasn't intended to be topless it's a disaster. To what extent the existence of the Blazer variant helps I don't know.

I wouldn't cut that truck you posted though. Unless it's a 20-footer it looks far too nice to start chopping up. At least buy a rusty practice truck first!

Your right Dave, that truck is 100% gm metal other than the hood. and NO rust. I will be cutting up a rust cab to practice on.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by davepl

From my cursory look at the Blazer section of the assembly manual it looks like they just cut down full cab trucks, so you could certainly look to it for guidance (but finishing out the top rail I don't know about).

I have no idea how much the rigidity of the cab is important to these trucks. Usually if you cut the top off something that wasn't intended to be topless it's a disaster. To what extent the existence of the Blazer variant helps I don't know.

I wouldn't cut that truck you posted though. Unless it's a 20-footer it looks far too nice to start chopping up. At least buy a rusty practice truck first!

First you have to deal with sealing the elements out ! these are full frame trucks ! the Blazer element has to do with sealing and holding the top on the truck , You have to have built a truck hands on to understand what it takes to have it done right not just bolt on parts provided by some supplier or wait for some body shop to finish what you sent them .Your not building a truck by writing checks .

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by davepl

From my cursory look at the Blazer section of the assembly manual it looks like they just cut down full cab trucks, so you could certainly look to it for guidance (but finishing out the top rail I don't know about).

I have no idea how much the rigidity of the cab is important to these trucks. Usually if you cut the top off something that wasn't intended to be topless it's a disaster. To what extent the existence of the Blazer variant helps I don't know.

I wouldn't cut that truck you posted though. Unless it's a 20-footer it looks far too nice to start chopping up. At least buy a rusty practice truck first!

Not sure I agree with "just cut down a full cab". These vehicles had to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and had to be put through crash testing. GM may indeed have done some stupid stuff, but openly inviting litigation by chopping a vehicle from the factory isn't one of them.

[AirSpeed]

Anyone made one that the top goes back on? That would be cool, specially if you could hide the top in the bed.

[chiefcfd]

Well if it was good enough for a Shelby Cobra it will work for me. All the old roadsters were built this way.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by chiefcfd

Well if it was good enough for a Shelby Cobra it will work for me. All the old roadsters were built this way.

All the Shelby Cobras I have seen had some sort of roll-bar, hope you do too. Stay safe, have fun, that's a nice looking truck, I mean, roadster.

[stomper]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=616073

[RustyBucket]

Roll bars are for sissies... and race cars. I think it as safe as a ..... motorcycle?

[aris_unlimited]

If you want the top off why not just buy a blazer...

[RustyBucket]

here's one: http://daytona.craigslist.org/cto/4667912339.html

[truckster]

If you're really serious about doing this project, I'd hop over to the Blazer forum and see what Blazer owners do to keep their doors opening (and closing) correctly. You need quite a bit of additional stiffness in the body, not just the frame.