I am looking to start a new project car. What i want is a 98-02 Convertible and depending on what i can find i may just buy a V6 and upgrade the engine and the tranny. My question is how much power will the frame take before it starts to twist? I know they came out with SS convertibles i just cant find anything about if they where reinforced. Also if yall have any tips on what to look for before i start this project it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Michael

 

To the best of knowledge there was no additional reinforcements on the SS rag tops. The SS cars were already built before they went to SLP for "SS" updates. Unlike the 3rd gen the 4th gen Camaros are designed (reinforced) from the factory. You are not going to get the rigidity in a rag top that you get in a hard top. According to a few guys that have owned hard tops and T-top cars the hard top is noticeably more rigid.

It is simple physics, Open the door and imagine no seats. The front and back of the car are connected by the rockers and floor. Sure it beefed up but it not going to rigid until you make a connection at the top to give it structure. IF you want to know what would need done to make it rigid without connecting the top go check a Corvette chassis.

V6 to V8 swap is REALLY not worth the effort. If you do a little research you find that the motors in these cars are designed for the cars and the electronics runs through the whole car. To swap a motor from a v6 to a V8 you need a whole parts car and you will most likely need 50% of the parts off the donor car. If you check out the V6 sub folder you can see some of what is involved in a sticky also check out the projects section to see guys that have done it.

 

many v8 vert owners add sub frame connectors and shock tower braces. 3.8 can be built to 300 hp without to much major work, a ls1 can be built to 400 without much in major upgrades. as said exchanging v6 and v8 requires exchange of parts between the transplant cars. trans, wiring, computer, suspension.

 

Ditto everything Craby said...

There are a number of reinforcements added to the 'vert by the factory. All of them being made from sheet metal. Section 11 of the 2-book FSM shows these additional parts.

There are 4 reinforcements on each rocker panel, the inner section behind the doors,a floor panel reinforcement, the cross brace(s) where the rear of the top meets the body, (at the front of the trunk lid), and several braces for anchor points & guides for all the seat belts at the shoulder harness attaching points.

If you opt for the subframe connectors, get the weld-in type meant for the 'vert. Have an experienced welder stick 'em in, and make sure your car is 'square', (even if it means going to a good frame shop), before welding. After welding, scuff up the welded points, wipe with solvent & apply Rust-O-Lium or an equivalent to prevent rust getting a start.

 

Yep, GM provided sheet metal reinforcements, there are some good picture threads showing this on LS1Tech. Go for UMI's 3-point convertible subframe connectors.