Topic: 1976 TA question

[76TransAmGuy]

Does anyone make a kit to turn a 76 TA from a coupe into a t-top?  I want to get a 76 but i cant find any with a t-top and manual transmission so i decided that i will either but a coupe and try to change it into a t-top or i will find a t-top that is automatic and try to change it into a manual.  What do you think will be easier.  I need to act fast because i am deploying to iraq in 3 weeks and i want to get it before i leave so i can put it in the shop and it will be done by the time i get it back. Thanks for all the help. Semper Fi

[brian c]

Option 1: Get a 76 hardtop along with a 78-91 Fisher T-top roof, hand over about $1200 (give or take) to Hitman (or other competent shop) to do a roof transplant.

Option 2: Get an automatic 76, do the roof transplant, and put a 4spd/5spd/6spd conversion kit into it.

Unfortunately there are no "kits" to convert a hardtop to a t-top so the roof swap is your option there. Either or is going to cost some serious $$ to do. Best off holding off until you get what you want options wise.

BTW: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

[kentuckyyeti]

Actually there is an option for a kit.  He can buy a set of Hurst tops and trim and sawzall the tops in there.  And before I hear about how inferior the H/H tops are as compared to Fisher tops- I have 3 H/H cars and 4 or 5 Fisher top cars, so yes, I know that the H/H tops leak more than Fisher tops and rattle a lot more.  But the option is there to do that instead of a roof swap.  And the H/H tops are period correct for 1976.  If I wanted the car to keep forever, I would do a roof swap and go with Fisher.  But the H/H is far less expensive to do and a lot faster too.

[brian c]

True but if you haven't done this before, breaking out a sawzall and hacking into a perfectly good hardtop probably isn't the best route to take. And an unknown would be the condition of the hardtop to begin with - might need replacement anyways.

[O'Neall]

I know a guy here in Phoenix who can do the Hurst sawzall transplant in about 4 hours.  True, if you've never done it be prepared to screw it up... so best to take it to a professional.  But I gotta believe 4 hours work wouldn't come to $1200.  That said... I'd still probably go with the Fisher roof transplant too.  Better setup all around.

Also, keep in mind that if you do find a T-top 76 it will be a 50th Anniversary car (unless you find one that somebody already added aftermarket T-tops to, or did a roof swap to) so it will be more expensive to buy up front... and honestly, worth more if restored correctly.  Regular T/As in 76 did not get T-tops from the factory... only the 50th cars... and then only 643 of them actually got them (even though they were originally all intended to get them).

[kentuckyyeti]

What I was saying was that he could get Hurst tops from a donor car (77/ early 78) to use.  He doesn't have to get them from a '76 to use on his "76.  Any T/A with Hurst is a prospective donor, unless he wants to cut the roof off his '76 and transplant an entire Fisher roof.  I know two guys that have done the Fisher roof swap right in their own home garages.

[O'Neall]

Yeah, I know Mike... I was just responding to 76TransAmGuy's first post where he said he either wanted to find a 76 hardtop 4spd and convert it to a T-top car or find a 76 T-top automatic and convert it to a manual.  My point was just that if he did find a 76 T-top car it would be 1 of 643 50th cars and he might want to think twice about messing with converting it to a manual.

[kentuckyyeti]

Oh.  (light bulb going on in my head).  You are right about the t-top 76 too.  Not cool to cut up/modify a factory '76 t-top car.  He can always get a good Fisher top from Honest Yeti's Used T-top Roofs.  Located right outside Possum Trot, Kentucky.  I have a few nice complete tops.