Convertibles- Are they really reinforced? Options

[Drocay]

The piece the sideskirts bolts on to is a reinforcement to keep the body from flexing. please don't make me post a picture of it. I dont understand what you mean that there are no structural diiferences.
[right][snapback]255886[/snapback][/right]

I got a regular coupe, and i got that strip too. i don't think its special for verts.

[Insanity-74]

Wow.  I have never seen a thread with so much misinformation
[right][snapback]255865[/snapback][/right]

Well I dont know if you are refering to me or not but I got my information from Toyotas own Website covering the History of the Celica from its first production in 1971 to the current version if its not correct then Ooops my bad for copying it and posting it here.

[madmods]

The piece the sideskirts bolts on to is a reinforcement to keep the body from flexing. please don't make me post a picture of it. I dont understand what you mean that there are no structural diiferences.
[right][snapback]255886[/snapback][/right]

I got a regular coupe, and i got that strip too. i don't think its special for verts.
[right][snapback]255897[/snapback][/right]

Can you shoot a pic of it? Mine looks like reinforcement, and looks awful witout a sideskirt. Its like the body curves to the bottom, then out of nowhere a flat panel.

[jgreening]

Wow.  I have never seen a thread with so much misinformation
[right][snapback]255865[/snapback][/right]

Well I dont know if you are refering to me or not but I got my information from Toyotas own Website covering the History of the Celica from its first production in 1971 to the current version if its not correct then Ooops my bad for copying it and posting it here.
[right][snapback]255900[/snapback][/right]

Wasn't referring to you. If you got it from Toyota, how could it be misinformation?

[madmods]

Hey, I found this pic after a lot of looking. There are so many hatchbacks in the coupe section!. Mine looks completely different at the bottom. Its like they cut into the body and welded a piece of long flat bar in, to keep the chasis from flexing once you open the doors. My stock bottom also seems lower. Tommorow I'll shoot a pic of my car.


This post has been edited by madmods: Mar 10, 2005 - 11:47 PM

[jgreening]

Hey, I found this pic after a lot of looking. There are so many hatchbacks in the coupe section!. Mine looks completely different at the bottom. Its like they cut into the body and welded a piece of long flat bar in, to keep the chasis from flexing once you open the doors. My stock bottom also seems lower. Tommorow I'll shoot a pic of my car.

Interesting. I look forward to it. From your perspective, is it going to prevent me from bolting on my 404 sides?

This post has been edited by jgreening: Mar 10, 2005 - 11:51 PM

[madmods]

Hey, I found this pic after a lot of looking. There are so many hatchbacks in the coupe section!. Mine looks completely different at the bottom. Its like they cut into the body and welded a piece of long flat bar in, to keep the chasis from flexing once you open the doors. My stock bottom also seems lower. Tommorow I'll shoot a pic of my car.

Interesting. I look forward to it. From your perspective, is it going to prevent me from bolting on my 404 sides?
[right][snapback]255909[/snapback][/right]

g-dog Im sure the 404 sides will fit.

[shid]

ASC is NOT in Arizona? Where in gods name did I get that info..

[madmods]

ASC is NOT in Arizona? Where in gods name did I get that info..
[right][snapback]255934[/snapback][/right]

Shid, that crack pipe is getting to you! j/k

[saleeka]

ok- here is a pic of my car that has the best view of that bar you are talking about...



if you look where my arrows are, you can see a strip of grayish color that runs the bottom of the car, most pronounced just in front of the rear wheel where it starts. Anybody who has changed a flat knows you have to mount your jack on the proper spot on this strip and i do apologize for the blurry image conversion...

[Drocay]

yup, thats it thats wut i was talking about.

[madmods]

Thanks for the pics bro. Thats not the bar Im talking about though. Its the little strip right under where the door opens, not underneath the car. its like they cut out a long strip and put in this flat bar.

[madmods]

Heres some old pics, but there not good. I will take some good pics tommorow. See how the part just goes straight down and does not follow the curve of the red coupe.

[saleeka]

i do see that... the bottom pic shows it best... and after seeing that, it makes sense why the vert has that black sideskirt fit the way it does... hmmm

[bloodrain]

I called up a shop (Mad Mods in florida) to see if it would be possible to do a targa top, but he said the car needs to be reinforced and stuff. :-( too bad, he said it would cost about $3000 to do it. I really wanted it to.

[nitemare]

  They did chop the coupe and make it a convertible and they did it in a California plant (Pomona, I believe).

I know of no federal requirements for chopping cars and making them convertibles.  There are federal safety requirements that apply to all new cars sold including ones that are chopped by another company for the OEM.  I do not know if the government regulates things like ridgity though - I would doubt it does. 

There are no differences in the doors and there are no extra rails that are added to the bottom of the car.  There were no structural modifications that were done in front of the lock pillar (where the door latches to the car by the lock).  Most of the structural modifications were done to support the roof and to limit chassis flex.

[right][snapback]255865[/snapback][/right]

So far, I have to AGREE with this reply..I have not read anything (or see anything) on my convertible that makes me believe any reinforcement was added.
I know ASC did the job.
I already replaced the entire outer top due to wear after 7 years. They say its normal. I have replaced both back motors that lift top up and down. I have already replaced both motors on both sides that power convertible side windows. I must give ASC an F in quality. I have never seen such a poorly manufactured top before. Its very odd that almost NOTHING else breaks on the celica but something related to the top. For this, I can not believe ASC actually went the extra length to reinforce it when their own products malfunction.
Thanks for all your replies. Great thread

[jgreening]

  They did chop the coupe and make it a convertible and they did it in a California plant (Pomona, I believe).

I know of no federal requirements for chopping cars and making them convertibles.  There are federal safety requirements that apply to all new cars sold including ones that are chopped by another company for the OEM.  I do not know if the government regulates things like ridgity though - I would doubt it does. 

There are no differences in the doors and there are no extra rails that are added to the bottom of the car.  There were no structural modifications that were done in front of the lock pillar (where the door latches to the car by the lock).  Most of the structural modifications were done to support the roof and to limit chassis flex.

[right][snapback]255865[/snapback][/right]

So far, I have to AGREE with this reply..I have not read anything (or see anything) on my convertible that makes me believe any reinforcement was added.
I know ASC did the job.
I already replaced the entire outer top due to wear after 7 years. They say its normal. I have replaced both back motors that lift top up and down. I have already replaced both motors on both sides that power convertible side windows. I must give ASC an F in quality. I have never seen such a poorly manufactured top before. Its very odd that almost NOTHING else breaks on the celica but something related to the top. For this, I can not believe ASC actually went the extra length to reinforce it when their own products malfunction.
Thanks for all your replies. Great thread
[right][snapback]256129[/snapback][/right]

Do you have a 95-97 nightmare or 98-99? The reason I ask is that I have read that they replaced the top motors in 98 and I have yet to find someone with a 98-99 that have had any problems. There are several 95-97 owners that have had problems though.

[shid]

You think 7 years is a bad lifespan for a soft top? You're crazy, thats GREAT time on a top. On some other cars it's as little as 3 years. As far as the quality of the top, perhaps the owner before your car had it replaced with a lessor quality one? I know mine is outstanding if you bother to take care of it

The original factory motors go out. Yes they do. I have a 97, and it went out. Get it replaced. Thats all. Sorry you have to go through with it.

[DamDirtyApes]

why would they just cut the tops off, isnt that awaste of money and resources. why not come without a top from the factory?

[2003cbgts]

anything we can put on our tops to better protect them?