FlyingDog

I had an idea similar to what Tony posted above a while ago. I would keep the windshild the same height, but round the corners. I would make the head humps higher to match helmet height for racing (with internal roll bar hoops). I forget who it was, but I think it was Gemballa who make cabrios that were very rounded on the rear deck intead of flat like most.

marton

I thought that keeping the body stiff was the hardest part. The roof adds a lot of rigidity like my Mustang. My mustang convertible weighs about half a ton extra. It looks like they went into a metal shop and picked up any bits of metal lying around then bolted, welded or rivited them in place until the body was stiff. Even to change the steering rack is a big pain as there is a mass of metal stiffening under it that has to be removed or worked around.
I hope you find a neater solution for your cab; ideally with the stiffeners connected by quick release fasteners - probably an impossible dream

Marton

Tass 928

"Sorry if this is slightly off topic. Do you have any pictures or info on how your top was motorized? I am thinking about motorizing mine."


This feature requires a fairly complex arrangement of brackets, arms and latches. It was powed by hydraulics. I don't think I still have the pump/motor unit but some of the cylinders remain and most of the lift arms. I could get it working again but I don't think I will bother, we just don't use the top.
If I wanted to do it from scratch, I would take a walk through a junkyard and look for a complete setup from some other similar sized car then rework the top bows and frame to match the 928.

Tass 928

"About the chopped windshield, you had better have your seating right on the floor or you are going to have your head in the wind. My head almost touches the roof in my other 928's, so I know I certainly wouldn't fit in a chopped windscreened car.":

I agree with this....it couldn't be lowered very much without doing seat mods. As I think someone else mentioned, lopping off the pointy corner of the remaining windshield frame and rounding it would help give a speedster look to the job. Problem with that is you need to be committed to the no-top idea or have the top look like the original speedsters....oddly fitted. Leaving the original frame corners in place allows the covert. roof to mate up to something that can be sealed.

Tass 928

"Fabbing a top mechanism and dealing with storing it are the worst parts of building a cab"

"I thought that keeping the body stiff was the hardest part."


First....IMHO a cab will ever be as stiff as a coupe. The cabs I have looked at seem to use remarkably little extra bracing to get the job done. Some have extra wide interior door sills and mine has exterior rails welded under the rockers. In both cases the effort seems to be aimed at keeping the car from folding in half but of no use for overall torsional rigidity.
Despite this the car is still a blast to drive. I consider it less of a pound on it sports car and more a sunny day cruiser. For normal driving there is no cowl shake nor rattles. The exhaust note is a big part of the experience...

Tass 928

for those who asked to see the rear deck, this is the best pic I have in my computor right now.......

928ntslow

The rear deck is an tricky thing depending on how one wants it to look. I am not crazy about the sweeping rise from the rear of the trunk to the headrest. Here is a pic of what I mean...makes the car look like a hump back whale.


I think a steep rise from about 12"-16" back from the head rest would look OK.

My top goes up and down with ease. I would think adding a motorized roof would not only be unecessary, but add more weight. The cabrio's have quite a bit of weight reduction to begin with....why add it back?

Karl's car has gas shocks like under the hood or on the rear hatch...this takes way less weight and helps ease the top up and down rather than not having them. Should be an easy fabrication to make this happen. Easiest thing it to lose the top completely like I think I will do. The lid will be molded into the body with no seams. No back seats and access is through the trunk or behind the frontseats. I hope to have a model mock up of the car in a month or so.

Tass 928

Today is the big day I'll be picking up the cabrio from the bodyshop in about an hour. I did sneak in there this morning to have a look at it, they did a very nice job. I'll be trailering it home so I can install the new interior and late model ring-less headlights. After that she's ready to go. And still time to actualy drive it this summer!!! (those who know me well understand why that is so amazing) ........

pics coming soon

heinrich

Sweet

Dave H.

no way. that's the nicest cabrio there is...

heinrich

i like it too

Niels Jørgensen

Very very nice indeed, and very clean... IMO, the later models (S4) make prettier cabs...

Still think the Jacquemond M-style cab is the best looking 928cab around though, although that is most certainly not clean ...

The problem is that I can't see myself spending two times the cars value on a conversion that will leave, as a result, a car that is worth maybe half what I started with. Ok, maybe it's not that bad, but the money put in to the conversion is surely gone.

Unless I can find an 87+ cab in great condition for less than $20K, I'll keep saving for a 996 C4 Cab, or wait till I no longer need backseats and get a Boxster-type 2-seater (which, sadly, might very well be about the same time )...

http://www.jacquemond.com/t-us.htm (Choose 928, then M-Style, the bluish silver cab is the one I'm thinking of)...

MGW-Fla

I think they all look really sweet. Love how those Sport Classic wheels look on any 928 too!

MGW-Fla

and of course, ANY dark blue shark looks really sharp too!