A convertible is not just a car with a sawn-off roof. This is a complex design change associated with body reinforcement, especially if the conversion process takes place in a private car workshop.
It is necessary
The original car from which you want to make a convertible. Mechanical workshop or well equipped garage
Instructions
Step 1
The roof of the car, in addition to protecting passengers from wind and rain, also performs a power function in the structure of the car body. Obviously, if you just saw off the roof, the car body will significantly lose its rigidity and strength. And at one point it can just fold in half.
To strengthen the body of the future convertible, be sure to do the following:
- make two powerful spars and weld them to the bottom; in this way, these spars will act as a frame;
- instead of side members, you can use steel pipes (steel thickness of at least 3 mm, radius about 20 mm) to connect the engine mounts and the floor of the car, and use thicker, 4-mm beams to connect the luggage compartment and the floor; stretchers will turn out;
- Reinforce the windshield frame;
- if a four-door or five-door car is converted into a convertible, the rear doors are reinforced and welded tightly;
- to strengthen the thresholds;
- divide the internal volume of the body and the luggage compartment with a rigid partition, welded to the body.
Additionally recommended:
- install vertical amplifiers - tubes going from the floor to the border, where the windshield frame begins;
- Install a horseshoe-shaped beam that bends around the rear seats;
- also reinforce the doors with a strong frame.
It is important that the body is in good condition. Welding reinforcements to a rusty body will not give any positive results.
All of these reinforcing beams will increase the weight of the convertible by 100-200 kg (even with the absence of a roof). So do not count on improving speed and dynamic performance.
Step 2
After taking measures to strengthen the body, the roof is dismantled. The windshield with the frame remains. As an option, in order not to weaken the body, only the upper part of the roof can be dismantled, leaving the sidewalls (as on "Pobeda"). After dismantling the roof, the roll bars are installed (behind the front or rear seats).
Step 3
It is very difficult to calculate the mechanism for folding the awning, but it is possible. The calculation is empirically carried out using a wire, and arcs are made according to the templates obtained. After that, an awning is made from a double waterproof fabric or leather according to the patterns. A window with glass can be provided in the back of the awning.
Step 4
We'll have to change the salon. The fact is that the salon, which is open to the public, begins to play the function of the exterior, not the interior. The new salon should be bright and eye-catching. In order for it to fade less in the sun, age in the wind and deteriorate from rain, it is recommended to use high-quality leather or a special leatherette for finishing yachts.
