Frankenvette

There is a growing population of custom 80-82 verts on this board. I thought it would be cool to know who all is out there.

Here is mine...

SteveG75

My '75 has an '80 rear bumper. Does that make me an associate member???

den(thevetteman)78

Here is my good buddy mike's '81 ,she' under construction right now.[IMG][/IMG]

Frankenvette

Cool pics guys. There are various ways to end up with a late C3 body style vert. Some are real verts with 80's style bumpers while others are true 80's coupes that have been converted. Mine was a 73 vert that basically received a complete 1980 body and interior. That's why I wanted to start this thread...so we can all learn and get ideas.

Madmikeee

How does one convert a car to being a drop top? Must take a CRAPLOAD of work with all the reinforcements that need to be added not including the price of getting all the parts.

79Brian

My interest is peaked.

den(thevetteman)78

From the first pic to the last it only took him 4 hours

den(thevetteman)78

You meen they took the unique look of a '73 to have it look like a '80's corvette.

Kara

WOW those look good!

Frankenvette

That's what the previous owner wanted. I found the shop that did the conversion. The previous owner had a 73 vert. He went to a show and saw late C3 vert custom and asked the shop to make his 73 look like an 80-82. The frame was shot, so they found a rust free 77 frame and kept the original 73 rear end, suspension and convertible top, frame and deck lid. Everything else came from a 1980 coupe including body, interior and wiring harnesses. The only part that was aftermarket was the rear clip (fiberglass). There use to be a company that made this part for just such a conversion. I think most people are now using oem rear fiberglass.

JungleCat

I like my car in it's stock form but I do think the verts in this thread are awesome looking.

Jim Martley2

I SERIOUSLY thought about doing a conversion on my 82 a couple of years ago when I got the bug for a convertible.
I bought my yellow 93 conv. instead.

Madmikeee

Does that include the top and frame install plus all the adjusting??

How much did the conversion run?

spikezz4

I hope to add my 77 to the list by Power Tour 2006.

Spike

den(thevetteman)78

No, i think it's just the cutting and fitting of the rear deck. I didn't see his vette for a while but he told me it has a rear deck like the C5 have behind the seats. His project is on hold for a while because his restoring a '80 right now. After he's done with the '80 it will be for sale. He also have a '70 convertible doing a frame off resto for someone else. He was suppose to give me more pics of his '81 saturday during a trip in the wood with the boys but i cought a bad cold. So it will have to wait till i feel better.

LATNC3

Den, you have PM

kens 80

Another Vette the way GM should have built it!!! I like it, but my wife would kill me if I cut the body apart.

Frankenvette

Better to ask for forgiveness then permission

Madmikeee

Ahhhhh so basically right now it is a TRUE roadster. No top.

Gotcha.

Paul L

A friend's 1980 with a 454.