Would be another great idea for a chop the top vehicle. Since it has a big frame the driving dynamic should be mostly unchanged by hacking off the roof. Can be found quite cheap within 2000 miles of the end of their lives.
Would be great if you wanted to take 7 people in one car.
I am thinking this guy has you all beat on style points.
It has no roof and it has no windshield.
I may have found my vehicle for the choptop challenge. The only problem is that it is in Florida. Robbie do you know of a place I could stash it up there until the event if I shipped it up? Maybe a friend with a dealership or somebody with an empty field. I am not to picky.
I am hoping to ship it cheaply due to trucks transporting down snow bird cars that are returning empty.
The POS in question...
Ironically it was traded in on the challenge lincoln. I showed him $300.00. New tires, v8...
In reply to pimpm3:
Hmmm, let me think on it, and ask around.
I'm rounding up a crew.
One already has an old beater Caprice Wagon...
OK, high points bench build time:
-Start with a 2 seater cargo van, the longer the better, old enough to have a carb
-Cut roof off (duh)
-Attach trailer axles to bottom of roof, and hitch to front of roof
-Flip roof, tow behind van
-Add bench seats to roof/trailer and cargo area
-Bring 20 man team
-Crush vehicle in Miami
This nets you 600(full size)+200(carb)+200(crushing)+100*18(occupants)=2800 points. Another 300 if dressing the van up like a tugboat and the trailer like a barge gets you "best theme".
How would people go about the seatbelts?
Typically the shoulder belt is bolted to the b-pillar and c-pillar fairly high up.
It'd be a bit odd to leave the pillar stubs sticking up just for seat belts.
For rear seat passengers a set of lap belts solves the problem, but not sure that would fly up front.
I understand the safety of having an actual cage, but in the big scheme of things, I'm comparing this to riding a motorcycle, which plenty of people road trip on all the time. It's still safer in a car with a helmet on than fully exposed on 2-wheels. So, I'd be willing to chance one road trip in a convertible with no roof structure like they did in the 60's. Don't crash. 
xflowgolf wrote: It'd be a bit odd to leave the pillar stubs sticking up just for seat belts.
Not to mention pointless since the structure would be too compromised to make the mount point and seat belt of any real use.
JThw8 wrote:xflowgolf wrote: It'd be a bit odd to leave the pillar stubs sticking up just for seat belts.Not to mention pointless since the structure would be too compromised to make the mount point and seat belt of any real use.
True... I meant more that in the relative obscurity of already doing questionable/illegal things, a lap belt would likely fly in the rear, since at least in MI, adult passengers in rear seats don't legally have to be belted... but the rules says seats + seatbelts required, so a lap belt will be adequate.
However, running a lap belt in a vehicle originally equipped with a shoulder 3-point for the front passengers is likely to rile up a cop. I'm guessing there will be at least one run in with our law enforcement officers in a trip like this.
Perhaps a harness bar and set of harnesses for the front passengers will be the only viable option.
Buick LeSabres of '00 and newer have the seatbelt reel integrated into the seat. Some others must as well?
In reply to JohnRW1621:
That's a GM thing, right? Suburban/Tahoes I know for sure. GM trucks too.
JohnRW1621 wrote: Buick LeSabres of '00 and newer have the seatbelt reel integrated into the seat. Some others must as well?
Oooooh. Good idea.
Junkyard hunt shall commence.
I'd rather trust racing harnesses properly installed than a seat mounted shoulder belt used in a vehicle it was not designed for. Without the reinforced floor pan those cars come with, the seat mounted shoulder harness is not doing too much.
In reply to SVreX:
While I fully agree with you for safety in a crash, I think the one thing a seat mounted shoulder belt does do is give the appearance of not breaking seatbelt laws.
In reply to Robbie:
You are right about that.
I will be installing a roll hoop in the thunderbird, before I ship it north. I think proper harnesses are the way to go as well.
Do we have a count yet on how many people have signed up so far? Or how many are planning too.
right.
I realize safety is important, in general, but this is a measured risk.
People at one time actually drove these! No roll protection! the horror. 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: OK, high points bench build time: -Start with a 2 seater cargo van, the longer the better, old enough to have a carb -Cut roof off (duh) -Attach trailer axles to bottom of roof, and hitch to front of roof -Flip roof, tow behind van -Add bench seats to roof/trailer and cargo area -Bring 20 man team -Crush vehicle in Miami This nets you 600(full size)+200(carb)+200(crushing)+100*18(occupants)=2800 points. Another 300 if dressing the van up like a tugboat and the trailer like a barge gets you "best theme".
I don't think its legal to have passengers in a trailer. Fun idea though.
I have a plan, starting to look like we will bring a team.
Great, I am looking forward to it!
The plan evolves around this.
...you wouldn't 
pimpm3 wrote: ...you wouldn't
Body and frame are completely rusted out, I will weld up some plates to hold the frame together, but you bet your arse I would.
In reply to aussiesmg:
Remove frame, cut out what's left of floors, drape over THIS
Run One Lap. Dominate.
Hmmmm. We had to cut the windshield frame in half to fit the cage through the dash on this project. I can just leave rewelding it until after the rally on the next one...
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