Are all of the solid T top cars gone??

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Silent viewer

Royal Smart Person
May 9, 2007
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I have been searching for a T top regal now on and off for over a decade. I have bought 2 in the last month or so. The first one was a local nebraska car that looked to have minor floor pan issues but we found after we pulled it apart that it was totally rusted bad. The second was a 85 grand national that I had shipped in from Georgia which being a southern state and spending it's whole life there, you would think it would not be rusty or as rusty. Wrong! The owner who I talked to on the phone and he sent me pictures made it out that this car only had a few minor issues that were nothing major and I am stupid for believing him. He was pretty good at taking pictures at the right angles to hide the rust. I am now curious of how many T top cars are actually rust free. It seems that allot of people do not pay attention to the underside of the car, it's real easy to make a car look good from the outside and still be a polished turd as I like to call them lol. How many people with T tops have actually dug into theirs to see if it really is solid? Maybe i just have bad luck or I am too picky. I just have a hard time dumping 20-30k into a car that is less than solid, that seems stupid in my book. Sorry for the rant, I'm frustrated at this point

On another note, how far gone is too gone on a 85 grand national? They only made a little more than 2000 of them so they are more rare than most. I know they don't hold value to a 86/87 but they should still hold more than a typical regal and it's pretty cool to say you own a grand national. This car I have at the moment needs rocker, front pillar, floor pan and quarter work done. It isn't totally shot but that's allot of welding to say the least. I am capable of it though.
 

MechMan

Master Mechanic
Sep 13, 2018
337
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43
Kingsport, TN
I seem to have the opposite problem you have. I am looking for a 4th gen Monte SS and 9/10 have T tops. it seems almost impossibe for me to find one thats a hard top and floor shift.
 

PBGBodyFan

G-Body Guru
Mar 3, 2009
792
1,220
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Wisconsin
Aim for a dry climate, southern is one thing but with t-tops if kept outside/exposed to moisture/water alot for 30+ years, might have rot regardless of salt. 99% of t-top cars leak and water pools to the floor pan. Carpet/inside will look and appear dry but peel the carpet up and it might reveal something different.

Glad I got my t-top car in New Mexico and also back in 02'.
 

Silent viewer

Royal Smart Person
May 9, 2007
1,445
142
63
It does seem that there were allot more montes with T tops. I guess my taste is all backwards, I should either want a monte or a hard top lol. I have been wanting a t top regal since I was in my teens, I can't seem to shake that want and can't settle for anything less
 

Silent viewer

Royal Smart Person
May 9, 2007
1,445
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I have been watching southern states, best thing I have found was a astro roof turbo shell which I can live with but it's a 24 hour drive each way to cali. It may just happen though
 

MechMan

Master Mechanic
Sep 13, 2018
337
139
43
Kingsport, TN
It does seem that there were allot more montes with T tops. I guess my taste is all backwards, I should either want a monte or a hard top lol. I have been wanting a t top regal since I was in my teens, I can't seem to shake that want and can't settle for anything less
I know the feeling. Had a 86 Monte SS that was a hard top and now I want another.
 

motorheadmike

Geezer
Nov 18, 2009
8,976
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Saskatchewan, Truckistan
Let's put it this way:

It is up-State NY, and on 1 Apr 1987 you take delivery of your sweet '87 Grand National - fully loaded with T-tops. Like a good boy you put your toy away in the garage until the snow/salt fully clears in May. 1 May 1987 the roads have been washed clean from yesterday's rain, the roads are now dry from the late morning sun and it is time to take your new baby out for its maiden voyage. So your roll it out of your cold garage into the warm sun... a little bit of condensation beads up on the paint but flashes off as quickly as it appears. But not between those untreated inner panels and seams that no one ever cared to treat or seal.

Lather, rinse, repeat this for 30+ years. They are all rusty inside - no matter how convinced someone is that they treated it right - so if you don't lust over the car it isn't worth your time/money investment.
 
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Silent viewer

Royal Smart Person
May 9, 2007
1,445
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I don't know. I have seen some hard tops that were pretty stinking solid. I just cut up a hard top body not too long ago that had a vin issue and I was surprised that even the insides of the rockers were dang near perfect. It did have a weak rear floor pan but the rest was really good. What really surprised me was the body mount bolts all came out looking like they were new and did not fight me at all, that was unusual to see. I wish I would have kept that one and found a way around the vin issues
 

superbon54

G-Body Guru
Apr 15, 2014
755
2,439
93
Wisco
This. When I did the t top conversion on my Malibu, a solid, southern body shell with 50k miles had rot inside the a pillars. The t top cars I think were worse because of the additional holes for water to intrude. On a clean tub and t top I still ended up replacing the a pillars and top plate.

Let's put it this way:

It is up-State NY, and on 1 Apr 1987 you take delivery of your sweet '87 Grand National - fully loaded with T-tops. Like a good boy you put your toy away in the garage until the snow/salt fully clears in May. 1 May 1987 the roads have been washed clean from yesterday's rain, the roads are now dry from the late morning sun and it is time to take your new baby out for its maiden voyage. So your roll it out of your cold garage into the warm sun... a little bit of condensation beads up on the paint but flashes off as quickly as it appears. But not between those untreated inner panels and seams that no one ever cared to treat or seal.

Lather, rinse, repeat this for 30+ years. They are all rusty inside - no matter how convinced someone is that they treated it right - so if you don't lust over the car it isn't worth your time/money investment.
 
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PBGBodyFan

G-Body Guru
Mar 3, 2009
792
1,220
93
Wisconsin
I don't know. I have seen some hard tops that were pretty stinking solid. I just cut up a hard top body not too long ago that had a vin issue and I was surprised that even the insides of the rockers were dang near perfect. It did have a weak rear floor pan but the rest was really good. What really surprised me was the body mount bolts all came out looking like they were new and did not fight me at all, that was unusual to see. I wish I would have kept that one and found a way around the vin issues

I think the point is t-tops have so many more ways to rot, nooks/crannies, how they were built lends itself to water and moisture (and salt if in that region, or maybe right by an ocean, make it worse) to get in places and rust out, floor pan included but roof and pillars.

If you really have your heart set on a t-top Regal, keep after it, I'd aim for the southwest where there is much less moisture/rain to factor in. Desert cars can be good for this.
 
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