Are my T Tops factory?

[Jeff in Ferndale WA]

I've had this 78 with T Tops for more than 25 years. The previous owner told me and I have always believed that the T Tops came from the factory. He was the second owner.
I read someplace recently (on this board I think) that all the T Tops were installed aftermarket.
There is nothing in the VIN that indicates a T Top,so I'm wondering if that is possible.
Was it something dealers had done or was it done by the first owner?

Wikipedia says "Both the Cutlass Supreme and Calais were optioned with T-tops and/or a factory sunroof" Does that mean it was done at the factory?

Does anyone know for sure?

 

[xitabl442]

T-tops were available from factory. Some close up pics would help. Aftermarket top that I have seen have been smaller than OE tops. Do your tops meet in the middle? Or do you have a strip of paint left between them? Factory tops have a black metal channel that holds both sides. This is from an e-bay listing, do your parts look like these?

 

[gbodyman1970]

There was a company in Brighton,Mi called ''Cars & Concepts (C&C) they did ttops for GM as well . There is a C&C sticker in the corner of the ttop ,if it came from cars & concepts . IIRC the later years were factory installed.

 

[Grandprixpaul]

Humm so if you found a donner car with these aftermarket t-tops in theory you could install them into you own car ,only option i want and dont have ,ive.heard of guys.transplanting the whole roof over and seen a mc ss that the owner said he had it done but seams like a huge undertaking .ill have to keep my eye out for that when i see a g-body with t-tops in a yard.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale WA]

Mine meet in the middle.

T-tops were available from factory. Some close up pics would help. Aftermarket top that I have seen have been smaller than OE tops. Do your tops meet in the middle? Or do you have a strip of paint left between them? Factory tops have a black metal channel that holds both sides. This is from an e-bay listing, do your parts look like these?

 

[xitabl442]

My guess is they are factory. You could find one at a local cruise night or car show this summer for a second opinion.

 

[GP403]

All Factory G-Body T-tops are "Fisher" tops. The front edge of the top goes all the way to the windshield. This is pretty much the giveaway. That and there should be plastic trim on the interior. They latched with pins, and IIRC some had locking mechanisms.

The Cars & Concepts tops were smaller front to back. There is about a ~3-4" section of the roof remaining inbetween the windshield and the tops. No interior trim to speak of, except a thin rubber "cap" around the edge of the opening. They latched with "clamps" on each corner. They do "meet in the middle" with the inside edge going under a 1" wide metal trim strip in the center. They were all aftermarket, but could have been installed by a dealer.

The Hurst tops were basically the same as the "hurst hatch" tops from the mid '70's-'77 model years. I've never actually seen these installed on a G-body, but the kit existed (go way back in the archives here for that discussion!) and the panels were smaller and hinged toward the center, leaving a good part of the roof intact.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale WA]

Here's some pics. Judging from the descriptions above,I'm thinking they are factory.
Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[jasonreid]

Here's some pics. Judging from the descriptions above,I'm thinking they are factory.
Thanks for the replies guys!

Looks factory to me. Try contacting GM/Olds for information. They should be able to look that information up using the VIN.

 

[MrLightning]

yeah those are definitely factory.