Full convertable 1985 K5 / Bikini top question

1985 Chevrolet K5 305CUI TH700R4 NP208 163,000 miles

Has anyone here ever converted a half-convertable Blazer to a full-convertable?

My predicament: I like the lines and especially the nose on the 80's trucks, but want a full convertable truck.

What I can tell: It looks like one would need to cut off the half roof of the 80's style truck up to the windshield. You would need to get some 1970's style doors so they line up with the 'bed' of the truck. Probably would also need to find a way to make the 'ridge' on the body line up? The line that runs down the length of the truck. Crappy ASCII representation of the Ridge:

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Other things: It looks like the rear hatch on the full convertables had the glass hinged, instead of going into the tail gate? So I would assume I need a new tail gate? Any kind of length difference where I would have to modify the new hard top?

Bikini Top: How did it do in the winter? I might just cut off the top and only run a soft top!

~TLGM

Reply to
Lonely G-Monkey
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LGM, If I remember correctly you are off-roading/Mudding this truck. The half cab is rollover protection. Think long & hard about this, K?

Reply to
JR

Gman, The best thing you can do is find one of those older styles that you like (I think they were pre-76?), and throw an 88-92 front clip on it. Here's a link of what you'd have to change to do that, as modifying the firewall looks alot easier than modifying the rest of the truck:

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HTH

Jeremy

Reply to
Jeremy Chavers

Ya that half cab give structural integrity for that body style. But still, I'm gonna cut the roof off my '80 pickup, It's my wheeler, it'll have roll bars when that day comes.

Reply to
Demon

Think long & hard about using a stock roof for roll over protection.

rollbar for me!

I was actually wondering if I wanted to design a rollbar that fit the 'contours' of a cap, and then have a bikini made custom for it and just forget about the hard top?

~TLGM

Reply to
Lonely G-Monkey

Think about where you're going to be 'wheeling......rocks? mud? sand?

Try to get a rollbar to stay on top of mud or sand with the whole truck pushing down on it......and then think about trying to breathe under mud while you try to get out of your blazer.....

Jeremy

Reply to
Jeremy Chavers

I you've rolled in a mud pit, you've done something very very wrong, anyways there's plenty of open air cabs around here with full exo-cages . Here in the rockies once you hit the trails, that's a whole different ballgame.

Reply to
Demon

Hit the side of the pit too fast trying to get out?

I'm just posing possible problems....don't know where G is, or what he plans to do with the blazer.....I, too, have seen many exo bars without any other protection, but I'd never ride in one....

Jeremy

Reply to
Jeremy Chavers

Well I think short of having my cap on I'd get just as muddy in a half cap, water doesn't care where it gets in. However I do see your point. Nothing is set in stone, I'm trying to think of more options to get what I want.

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

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