T-Bar color

[98 3.8]

Ok, so I've been doing my homework on the T-Top conversion and I think I have it all down. I can get everything from a totaled Trans Am a friend of mine has. I think the job won't be too hard except for painting the newly exposed metal. Do you guys think I should paint it black or have a shop paint it the color of the rest of my car(teal)? I would prefer the less expensive route, which would be painting it myself but I'm afraid it won't look good with the rest of the car. Any opions on color/paint type?

Thanks
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[Gallstaff]

Having it another color, even if it was professionally done, would look crappy anyway. If you're going to paint it yourself you might as well do a good job and paint it the same color.

If you're doing a t-top conversion and know nothing of painting, just bit the bullet and hav ea shop do it. It'll be a bit of money but it's not that much material to paint plus the t-tops will look nice after they're done and I'm sure you want the results to be perfect, don't you?

[99v6cam]

The t-bar on t-top cars are black but if you want it the color of your car I guess you could do that. Dunno if it'll look that great though.

[Earnhardt132000]

Wait.

Are we talking about the bar in the middle of the T-tops? Or the "bar" that goes across the whole car from fender to fender, which the roof used to be connected to?

[Gallstaff]

Yeah... what? I assumed we were talking about the entire roof piece not just the bar going the length of the roof in between the t-top panels.

[shenanigans]

The actual bar you BOLT ON is black on all cars I have seen people paint it... I still have mixed thoughts on it, I considered doing it since I have an extra bar around with the extra t-top parts I have laying around.


now if you are talking about the part that iis under the roof of the skin... its kinda a primer/overspray color. You can paint it. a color but I did mine a satin black, Duplicolor, I have heard others do itto... It looks very factory, because between the weatherstrippings and the T-bar there is really not aht much surface showing, making it black just sort of blends in, in my opinion.

I did it myself... I am no expert painter or anything but I have been around a can of spray paint before...

I tapped everything REAL well and covered the interior... then "scuffed" up the metal with a scotchbright pad, cleaned it off... Then wide even strokes with the can of paint. make sure you sort of swing by it pretty quickly... and go past where you want to paint, so when your hand changes direction to come back its not over the spot you are trying to paint, that will cause a build up in that spot and may be noticeable.


Its really simple, best way I suggest, is go practice on something in your back yard.

this is what it looks like on my car...







You could always get it profesionally done... my bondo job could use a little work, I got an estimate for like $150 to fix up my bondo and spray the roof to match my car(no blending) when I get to my new place with a garage I am gonna work on teh bondo a bit and see what I can do. If I can't get it perfect may just have the shop hit it and spray it.

I suggest

[98 3.8]

Sorry I wasn't clear on that guys. I was referring to the unpainted metal that I'm going to uncover when I cut off my roof...not the black bar that the tops fit into. Yeah, I would keep that black.
Eric, I like how your car looks with that piece painted black, but I'm just afraid that it might look terrible on my teal car.

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by 98 3.8:
Sorry I wasn't clear on that guys. I was referring to the unpainted metal that I'm going to uncover when I cut off my roof...not the black bar that the tops fit into. Yeah, I would keep that black.
Eric, I like how your car looks with that piece painted black, but I'm just afraid that it might look terrible on my teal car.

Check out autozone... they have touch up paint, Alot of them had spray can versions. They have a book near it where you can look it up. And it will list if it has a touchup paint and spray can.

They didn't have it for my color, but they might have it for yours. Might need like 2-4 cans of paints to do it since they are small cans.

Might be perfect because it might come out flat without adding clear, and look near factory. and you wouldn't have to "blend it"


If they don't have it may just try a color similar and try to get it to match a color similar to under your hood.

[Loochy88]

if youre doing it yourself, paint it black. if youre having someone do it, do it body color.

it will look fine on teal. just make sure you do a good job masking.

[badscooter]

Why didn't you buy one with T-Tops in it already?

[98 3.8]

Originally posted by badscooter:
Why didn't you buy one with T-Tops in it already?

Because I couldn't afford it. [img]graemlins/stickpoke.gif[/img]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll try black...if I manage to get to this project this summer.

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by badscooter:
Why didn't you buy one with T-Tops in it already?

Before I bought this car I was dead set on wanting a 6-speed t-toped ls1...

was looking and looking... never found one I was comfortable with buying that I could afford.(sure I could have bought one for like $11k at the time with 80-90k but I don't want a loan out on a f-body with 100k miles on it.)

I mean why did you buy a v6 when you wanted a z28 or SS?

Got a chance to pick up my current car for trade in value at the time. Only things it didn't have that I wanted in an f-body was ls1(but couldn't afford one), leather(not that important), and t-tops.

well now I have t-tops.

Not that I will get private party Bluebook for my car, but my current private party bluebook lists for $45 more then I paid for my car 1.5 years ago, and 16k miles.