Coupe to Fastback?

I don't see that being worth while unless you yourself are a wizard of a welder.

c l stang said:

Hi Everyone,
I have a 65 hard top. Ive been trying to find information on peoples experiences converting hardtops to fastbacks. I have found a rusted out I6 fastback with a good roof and parts, no motor.The roof i about the only sheet metal useful off the car. I can get it cheap, about $400. Can i replace the coupe roof with the fastback one? What additional cost would you see in doning this?
thanks,
lee

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I read about it being done on this site or www.vintage-mustang.com . It was a lot of work.

If you want a fastback...buy a fastback

Anything is possible with enough time and money... (Isn't that a SuperDave rule?) Having said that, I wouldn't touch that job for love or money...or even beer. The FB has a completely different structural relationship to the shell and unibody than does the coupe.

Like stated above, if you want a fastback, buy a fastback.

I'musually the last person to discourage someone from trying something creative with their car, but I really don't see anything good coming from this. But if you want to do it bad enough, it has been done. First, get both cars in the same garage and start comparing them. Find out what's the same and what's different. I think you'll find that the roof needs to be cut along the top of the quarters, all the way to the taillight panel in the rear, and I'd try to cut near the factory seam at the top of the windshield in the front. As far as bracing goes, oh yeah, you'll need lots and lots. First, make sure the doors open and close nicely on your coupe before bracing anything, then remove the doors and brace where they would go as well as across the rear behind the seat to keep the sides from caving in once you cut the roof off. I'd then brace across the trunk area and put a couple in diagonally to keep the whole thing square both front to back and side to side. If you feel you can pull it off, go for it. I've seen one for sale on ebay that was in primer and it didn't look half bad, but it didn't sell for as much as a real fastback, but you probably aren't too concerned with resale value, are you? One last thought, a freind of mine desperately wanted a fastback years ago when he was in high school, but even then they were hard to come by and expensive. So he and his Dad bought two scrap fastbacks, one was a big block car with severly trashed shock towers and one was a race car project that someone had hacked out the rear wheel and fender wells, and grafted the two together. They cut them across the windshield and cut the floor across under the front seats, carefully welded them together and made one good car. He still owns the car today, and I've ridden in it and can attest to how nice the car really is. The doors close nicely and the windshield does not leak, which is more than I can say for some undamaged cars! Good luck!

I thought about the same thing for about 10 minutes at a car show. My wife slapped me back to reality. I sold my 66 coupe and bought a 65 fastback. That solved that problem. I guess if you have the time and skill it could be done...

IF your willing to put this much time and money into it, why not just get a fastback (as said) and put the same (or less) amount of money into it. Then you will have a true fastback.

But doesn't that tell you something then?

All of this is certainly telling me something, that is for sure. It tells me that basically no matter who tells you what, that you have already made up your mind and are basically just waiting for at least one person to pop up and agree with you so you can go ahead with your plan with confidence.

I think we all know what that philosophy got poor Reggie Lewis don't we?
Sorry, but I doubt you'll be finding any Dr. Mudge's here, so you might as well just start chopping and give it your best shot. Just remember, when you end up with lots of blisters, no cash and two cut up and incomplete cars on your hands, "we told you so!"

I bet it can be done, but it won´t be easy... I changed new roof for my coupe, and with same effort i could have changed it to fastback... I had to install new quarter panels and outerwheel wells also (rust and fenderflares...) Just make sure you have you have the body supported correctly before removing roof. I like coupes myself, but if you wan´t fastback, and feel that your coupe is good project for that then go for it... More reasonable would be selling the coupe and buying FB, but reason isn´t always even close to these things..

I think you would have to wait until they got that lined up for American Hot Rod or maybe even Monster Garage...Or Im sure Troy at Rad Rides could do it for less than 150K..

Why not just re-build the fastback. if you are wanting to the metal work might as well do it top a real fastback. BTW- where are you located?

Mosse said:

I bet it can be done, but it won´t be easy... I changed new roof for my coupe, and with same effort i could have changed it to fastback... I had to install new quarter panels and outerwheel wells also (rust and fenderflares...) Just make sure you have you have the body supported correctly before removing roof. I like coupes myself, but if you wan´t fastback, and feel that your coupe is good project for that then go for it... More reasonable would be selling the coupe and buying FB, but reason isn´t always even close to these things..

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I agree it probably can be done after looking at it. But in addition to the work you did, would he also have to change alot in the trunk area? If you take it on yourself, study up on how to chop a top. That might give you some idea on the work involved. Good luck.

When I was restoring my car I thought of doing the same thing. Like everyone said it WILL be alot of work. If you can, you would be better off restoring the fastback using your car as the donor. If it's something that you want to do as a personal goal....GO FOR IT!! Heck if you live close enough I'll come and help! Nothing wrong with being different, just do it smart! Good luck and let us know what you decided.