Convertable Values. Fiberglass body panels?

[Guest steveskyhawk]

When I first saw the Reatta advertised on tv many years ago I said I have to have that! I went to the dealer and found out that there was no way i could afford "That". Adjusted for inflation a 36,000 dollar convertable would now cost around 60,000. I swore that there was an optional removable hardtop available way back when. Is there any truth to that or did I assume that because of the Corvettes? Was there a prototype i may have seen? If not has anybody attempted this? The Allante had a removable hardtop so maybe i was looking at those too who knows. Can you imagine what a REATTA convertable with an optional hardtop would be worth today? The vert numbers were so low and all of them wouldn't have had the "optional" hardtop!

I know the front fenders on my Reatta are some kind of fiberglass. Does anybody know what the trunk lid is made of? I'm beginning to think it is Aluminum. The magnet test would do if I could find one!!!!

[jonlabree]

The trunk lid on my 90 is steel.

[jonlabree]

Also, there was a prototype with a removable section of the roof. Not a T-type, as the whole section over the driver and passenger was removable.

Randy and I are both thinking of possibly making a T-type. I think the real proble is in getting the cowl and the rest of the top strong enought. I think it would look great. I am also working on a different design for the headlights, as I never did like "Frog" lights.

[Blue90]

I once owned a 1959 Bug-eyed Sprite (H Production). I loved those headlights.

[jonlabree]

When you are on the road at 70 miles an hour and have to slow way down before you turn on you lights for fear of doing damage to them, then tell how much you like them.

They are in all languages "UGLY". It is the one thing I despise about the Reatta.

[Blue90]

They did look better on the Sprite than they do on the Reatta.

Are you thinking headlights sunk into the grill area, as in some older Corvettes, or a redesign of the front of the hood?

[jonlabree]

No, I'm thinking of resesing the lights in the same spot and covering them with clear plastic. I have found a set of four lights that fit perfectly in to the existing openings.

The contour and shape of the front end will remain the same.

[Barney Eaton]

Buick may have made a early car with a removable hardtop but I have never seen a photo of such a car, running or not.

One of the earliest designs had a removable section over the passanger area, and there is no "T" or bracing visiable in the limited pictures available.

[jonlabree]

Here is the picture of the removable roof Reatta.

[Guest reattasteve]

Looks like the design engineer still lives in Warren Mi, I bet he has some stories on the Reatta. I wonder if he has a Reatta or any interest in this forum?

[Guest TommyH]

Well, it apparently had a removable targa roof, like the one on the Porsche 914.

[jonlabree]

Yuk, one of the most UGLY cars ever made...

[Machiner 55]

Jon... You gotta remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I know that it's hard to believe but there are folks, albeit very few folks, but some none the less, that don't like the looks of our beloved Reattas.

I realize that they may be drain bamaged but, they're still people (maybe not quite human but people still... )

[Ronnie]

Maybe something more appealing to the eye like this:

[Ronnie]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 63viking</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No, I'm thinking of resesing the lights in the same spot and covering them with clear plastic. I have found a set of four lights that fit perfectly in to the existing openings.

The contour and shape of the front end will remain the same. </div></div>

Care to share the information on the set of lights that will fit? I like the idea of doing away with the popups. Do the lights completely fill the area where the popups now cover or would a cover need to be fabricated for the area in front of the lights?

I wonder how close the light assembly from a late model Mitsubishi 3000 would come to fitting the Reatta headlight opening?

[Guest TommyH]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 63viking</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yuk, one of the most UGLY cars ever made...</div></div>

Thanks. I like them, except that the height of the roof seems a little out of proportion to the rest of the car, and the turn signals on the front are just wierd.

[DAVES89]

well Tommy, You are still young yet... Maybe you will grow out of it...

[Richard S]

What about thin profile fixed lights, something like the older Nissan 300ZX? The mod would probably involve trimming the headlight covers where they bend toward the bumper. I was looking at the minilites on my 93 Cutlass Supreme Convert, but using two of them side by side would be too wide for the present opening.

[jonlabree]

Check the width and height of Camaro two wide headlights.

The small ones..

[DAVES89]

I'm interested as well. I am sometimes limited in imagination. Can you tell us what years you are refering to?

[DAVES89]

I'm interested as well. I am sometimes limited in imagination. Can you tell us what years you are refering to?

Oops.. Looks like I have a little trouble with hitting the submit button...

[Machiner 55]

Richard,

That is exactly the look I had in mind. Rather than replace the whole headlight assembly, modify the covers to accept those thin lights. That way, the car would't look too much different from original. But where to those lights?

[Richard S]

I suggest we continue this very useful discussion on the "headlinght mod" thread where we might get some additional input from the forum.

[Guest TommyH]

Why do you have two threads on the same topic?

[manikmekanik]

Hey, Jon;

How 'bout rollover headlamp buckets, like '84 Corvette?

They roll, instead of flip-up, with the pivot point perpendicular to the headlamp. A much smoother look.

[Richard S]

Tommy, I started a new thread because I was feeling like the headlight issue sort of highjacked Steve's original thread. I also thought the title might not snare ideas from people who had thought about the headlight issue specifically.

Nice idea, Randy. I'm not at all sure I have the skills to pull that kind of mod off. Were you suggesting using the current unit, just changing the how the headlight assembly pivots?

[Guest MauiWowee]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Richard S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tommy, I started a new thread because I was feeling like the headlight issue sort of highjacked Steve's original thread. I also thought the title might not snare ideas from people who had thought about the headlight issue specifically.

Nice idea, Randy. I'm not at all sure I have the skills to pull that kind of mod off. Were you suggesting using the current unit, just changing the how the headlight assembly pivots?

</div></div>

And the hijack continues................

[manikmekanik]

Richard, I don't think the headlamp buckets are interchangable, a custom bucket would be necessary, made from Reatta top cover. I like the look of the roll-over lamps, yet the mod would be a real chalenge.

[Richard S]

I do too. Kind of like the old Vette styled Opels. That would take some real sophistication with metal fabrication and a torch, and my skills there are pretty heavy-handed.