To cut off the top, or not to cut off the top, that is the question

I have a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire SE Coupe that has been ours since 2001. My wifes daily driver until 3 years ago when I bought her a Nissan Juke AWD for Christmas.

The Sunfire became the "family backup" or "beater extra" for the past few years. It still runs great, has 160K roughly. 

The paint is peeling, the visors are coming apart, drivers seat is starting to split. Rear defrost now inop, drivers window regulator out. But recently the factory sunroof gasket and window seals are starting to leak.

I have thoughts of "making a roadster". Cut off the top, leave the doors and front windshield on. Probably take out the door glass.

The idea would require probable reinforcement - bracing to connect one side to the other size the structure would be taken off. I have a large garage, so parking on rainy days inside isn't an issue.

Thoughts?

Don't do it.

Even if you get under it and add braces it will be a floppy mess. Also look at the seat belt mounting points, will they still be sound?

Seal up the sunroof with some RTV and fix the window. Throw on some cheap seat covers and enjoy good running beater.

You'd be taking a good beater and making it a bad beater. More fun, but it would no longer be a good third car. You're also taking pretty much any and all value out of it, even if that is only $800. If you want your beater to be a convertible, sell the Sunfire and buy a convertible. 

THere is also a group that has posted here in the past that cuts the roof off, then drvies across the country. That'd be fun. 

how about a sliding rag-top conversion instead?

also...

Do you need a ute? (hehehe)

What do you plan to use it for once the roof is off? If you live near the beach and you want to use it as a beach car, I think that would be perfect. If you live out in the country and spent time just cruising around with friends, also would be fun to have no roof. 

If you don't do either of the top two activities currently, I don't think having no roof will make you start...

And yes, any and all value in the car will be destroyed. Unless your plan is to eventually part it out I guess. 

It would be fun until you couldn't either open the doors or the doors won't close anymore. Of course you can weld/bolt the doors closed.

I don't see any harm in doing it, at worse it will be worth scrap value, few will mourn the loss of a Sunfire.

Ballz and a sawzall. \m/

This reminds me of a story which might change your mind.

My buddy in college had a K-car.  Early 80s Dodge Aries in that diarrhea brown color.  We decided one beer-infused evening to chop the top because the back window had broken.  I chucked up an abrasive wheel in a circ saw and we started cutting.  I got about 3/4 of the way across the roof behind the windshield and the blade seized.  Being drunk, we gave up and left it there.  In the morning we went outside to find the car sitting on the ground.  In the middle.  All of the glass had broken, the rusty door hinge on the driver's side popped loose allowing the door to fall off, and the unibody bent right under the driver's seat until it was sitting on the driveway.

Granted, the K-car is widely considered to be the least-rigid unibody ever made and this one had its share of rust, but randomly cutting the roof off a unibody car is never a good idea.

Throw snow tires on it, lift it. Deer guard. Backroad, four wheels Burnin’....

Every time I've seen someone cut the top off of a car, the car lasted about one or two days.

Did the factory not do this for you?

Knurled. said:

Every time I've seen someone cut the top off of a car, the car lasted about one or two days.

 

 

At least two challenge 'utes' that were cars with roofs chopped off both were present for at least two consecutive challenges. So that is at least one year each. 

In reply to Curtis :

Ok, now I’m very concerned that I asked for your advice and mentorship on my next project! 

Cut it, weld doors, winning. 

Years ago on a coal forum I used to be on there was a guy who took an old sunfire and cut the roof off, pulled the trunk lid, and cut out the backseat/trunk divider and used to haul his coal home in the back. 

I can't find a link but I think it was the generation of sunfire before this.  His held up to hauling 1000+ lbs in the backseat/trunk area, though it was on the bump stops so I doubt he did much spirited driving with it.

I think he called it the coalfire.

Robbie said:

Knurled. said:

Every time I've seen someone cut the top off of a car, the car lasted about one or two days.

 

 

At least two challenge 'utes' that were cars with roofs chopped off both were present for at least two consecutive challenges. So that is at least one year each. 

That isn't a roofectomy like, say, Sawzalling the roof panel and B-pillars off of a Ford Probe.

Knurled. said:

Robbie said:

Knurled. said:

Every time I've seen someone cut the top off of a car, the car lasted about one or two days.

 

 

At least two challenge 'utes' that were cars with roofs chopped off both were present for at least two consecutive challenges. So that is at least one year each. 

That isn't a roofectomy like, say, Sawzalling the roof panel and B-pillars off of a Ford Probe.

 

 

This is bringing back my idea for an escort hatch Ute. No cutting but hatch, glass and rear seat/interior removal. Thankfully those are long gone in the rust belt so I can’t be easily tempted by this bad idea. 

Dead_Sled said:

Years ago on a coal forum I used to be on there was a guy who took an old sunfire and cut the roof off, pulled the trunk lid, and cut out the backseat/trunk divider and used to haul his coal home in the back. 

I can't find a link but I think it was the generation of sunfire before this.  His held up to hauling 1000+ lbs in the backseat/trunk area, though it was on the bump stops so I doubt he did much spirited driving with it.

I think he called it the coalfire.

A coal forum? For coal enthusiasts? The rock that burns, that coal? 

SVreX said:

In reply to Curtis :

Ok, now I’m very concerned that I asked for your advice and mentorship on my next project! 

Haaa.

I can build an engine... body work?  Not so much.

If you chop it, weld a cage, and maybe doors (first). Can confirm floppy mess afterward without added support on unibodys. Consider the new holes and areas exposed. Most diy chopped cars have major issues holding water is weird places. Without covered parking they never last long. Some designs work ok, but others have terrible aero in the cabin, consider extra sheet metal left by windshield a deflector lip. Cops are often curious, but while most frown, no incidents I know of. Insurance may be unimpressed if it ever comes to that. 

Edit: almost forgot, buy cheap door edging and cover all edges you cant weld or roll. Blood was shed on more than a few occasions absentmindedly grabbing for support while riding and driving. 

Brian said:

Knurled. said:

Robbie said:

Knurled. said:

Every time I've seen someone cut the top off of a car, the car lasted about one or two days.

 

 

At least two challenge 'utes' that were cars with roofs chopped off both were present for at least two consecutive challenges. So that is at least one year each. 

That isn't a roofectomy like, say, Sawzalling the roof panel and B-pillars off of a Ford Probe.

 

 

This is bringing back my idea for an escort hatch Ute. No cutting but hatch, glass and rear seat/interior removal. Thankfully those are long gone in the rust belt so I can’t be easily tempted by this bad idea. 

Around 2006 or so, going to a rallycross and driving through the college town of Antioch, O (Ohio is awesome, we can shorten our state to a single letter) and right there was a first generation Escort that somebody lengthened, added a second rear axle, and pickup-ified.  And painted in 1980s garish Cubist graphics.  And it WAS FOR SALE.

Poverty kept me from bothering to check it out further, although the want was strong because that was so stupid it had to be awesome.

mazdeuce - Seth said

A coal forum? For coal enthusiasts? The rock that burns, that coal? 

Oh yea, there's people out there that are just as obsessed with coal as we are with cars. 

I heat with an anthracite coal burning boiler.  We previously had a fuel oil boiler that sprung a leak right around the time fuel oil was around $5 a gal.  After much research I ended up installing a used stoker fed coal boiler and couldn't be happier.  

Toyman01 said:

Cut it, weld doors, winning. 

 

Reverse order, commence winning.

Dead_Sled said:

mazdeuce - Seth said

A coal forum? For coal enthusiasts? The rock that burns, that coal? 

Oh yea, there's people out there that are just as obsessed with coal as we are with cars.

Is there a propane forum?  I want to taste the meat, not the heat.

(I tell you hwat)