i JUST FOUND THIS ONE IN A FRIENDS GARAGE JUST WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED!!! A 1981 CAMARO Z28 CONVERTIBLE!!!!I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT I PAID BUT..... I HAVE HEARD THERE WAS ONLY 400 MADE BETWEEN 1979-1981 AND MAYBE 100 LEFT !! IT HAS #C-63 ON PAPER WORK AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS MADE BY NATIONAL COACH ENGINEERING OF PORT SANILAC, MICHIGAN CAN ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS MIGHT BE WORTH??ASAP I'M REALLY EXCITED[sm=drooldude.gif] TO HAVE FOUND THIS ONE!!!!!! THANKS ENOCHSLES[sm=feedback.gif]

 

I wanna see pics of it. Please post them. Why wont you tell us what you paid. Thanks

 

ditto...lets see some pics man

 

I have one too, for sale here at the forum:

https://camaroforums.com/m_199479/tm.htm

Oops, the thread is three years old... [:@]

 

well, I hope you didn't pay too much. as you stated, this was a modification that was done after it left GM (kind of like the idea ofa custom paintjob). these cars usuallydon't command anymore of a premium over a stock car, and sometimes a lot less.

the only place these cars usually get decent money, is if someone just happens to be in the market for a convertible. it really has nothing to do with the car itself

 

LOL, well, at least u caught urself ragtop. thats better than alot of people do

 

I have to disagree with you, these cars had the conversion done as a dealer option, it was not completed after the fact - as a "Custom" job. A similar car to mine in similar condition was appraised at $ 18000, completely restored - near 40G. As for the price to buy one, I agree you have to be in the market for one. Just like about every vintage or antique car out there.
Bottom Line: Supply and Demand!

 

FYI appraised price means nothing. I have seen cars that where appraisedat 35K be put up for sale to 18K and sit for a year with no takers. FYI there is very few GM dealers that would take on a job like converting to rag top. Buying a convertered car is just like buying a Conversion van. It goes to another company for the work. I own a converted 94 olds cutlass rag top and a factory original 67 (in my sig). The 67 has a lot more factory extras like bracing underneath.A replacement rocker pannel in my 67 weights almost150 lb. That more then twice the weight of acoupe. I was a mechanic back in the mid 80s I almost bought one of these 2nd Genconvertion. I found out from a GM rep that their engineers concidered them death traps. They did notcrash test rag tops but they had saftey issue with the first t-tops firebirdsfolding inhalf in ahead on collision. The comment at the time was if the t-tops where folding what would a ragtop do? T-top were fixed with a reinforced center bar.

Edit: Sorry to come off sonegitive. I love a rag top.While it is a great car you need to know the story behind it.Most "Camaro guys" are well aware of the 2 gen rage tops but their limitedhandling and saftey issues is why many of the orignal cars are not around today.

 

Another FYI, the third gen Camaro converts. (1987-92) were NOT made that way from GM either. You would order a convert. from the dealer, but they were custom madeby a company called ASC. They would startwith the t-top model since it already had more frame reinforcement than the hardtop, then wouldaddmore frame/floor reinforcement to it.
It sounds likeRagtop81 is suggesting something like that about his.

 

Thanx Camaro 69, you got it. The car had subframe connectors and "side impact crash reinforcements" in the doors. As for any convertible, that is just about as much as you can do to improve safety. No roof = less safe.