Is it possible to turn a 55-57 Chevy 2 door post into a hardtop? If so, what all is involved? Anyone done it? Pics? Thanks
That would be very difficult If you wanted it to look factory. Easy if you simply cut out the window frame on the door and the center post.
You would need a roof, inner quarters, and a pair of doors to start. Entire bodies are available, so it can be done. $15000 gets a complete 2drht body from Woodys. Add 1000 for a brand new set of doors. Now it's a clean slate, so you can get to work buying all the window regulators, glass, channels, headliner bows, window garnishes, door panels and other associated ht specific parts. Scott, more trouble than it's worth IMHO.
You can make anything you want , if you have metal working skills or a deep enough pocket to pay someone to do it for you.
Lotsa guys (like me) would rather have a post, no offense to the hardtop guys, I like them too but you could probably stir up a trade easier than doing a conversion........ hardtops have more bracing in the chassis as well.
more than that...the outer quarters are different, the panel between the trunk and rear window is different, the inner structures are different, etc. Sell your car, buy the car you want.
Why would you want to go through all that conversion when most people would rather the post car. They are lighter, tighter and I think the roof line looks better.
At one time in the early 70's, I owned 31 '57 Chevys, all at the same time, the majority of them two doors, simply because the two doors looked better fixed up (IMHO). They were more solid and had fewer rattles. It'd take a lot of work to convert a two door into a hardtop...if you want a hardtop, sell the one you have and go find one... R-
The roof line on the hardtop is way better looking. It's just that some guys don't have much of a sense of aesthetics.
It's more than removing a post! The hardtop roof is lower and shorter, so you'll need a hardtop windshield, rear window and quarter windows. It would be a ridiculous amount of work-essentially a roof swap (chop top job) with tulip panel replacement (and the underlying package tray/trunk support), along with inner and outer upper quarter work. As much or more work than converting a hardtop into a conv. Traditionally, for the most part, hardtops were cruisers, sedans were racers/street machines.
When I was building my 55 chevy 20 years ago, I had a cheap donor car that was a Pontiac hardtop, I got a lot of parts from it. I guess you can't find them so cheap these days, though. The floor was different, but the upper body was the same, and I used a door from it. The rear seat bottom didn't fit quite right, because of the different floor.
Wow! I had no idea there was so much differences. I really don't mind the post. I was simply curious because back in the day my dad had a 57 hardtop and I'd like to build one in his memory. I have access to a post car so thought I'd ask about the difference. Thanks everyone for the replies.
Just wait and see what all 3 years of the Tri-Five Chevy don't have in common but look near the same thru out the whole car.
scotts52 drop by trifive.com you can find all the info you ever thought you wanted..... and then some!
Not possible. Sedan is very different. 4 door sedan and 2 door sedan share the same roof and back window. Coupe is closer to a convertible then a sedan. Floors are the same but the quarters rear glass and roof line isn't close. Joe
The frames are the same sedan VS hardtop (there MAY be one mount that's different, but the frames are the SAME); it's the convertible frames that have extra "X" bracing. EVERYTHING from the beltline UP is different, plus the doors. Because of the difference in roofline height/length, the rear package shelf-to-trunk panel is different. Fenders (inner and outer), hoods, trunk lid, grille, bumpers and brackets swap right over. The glass, channels, tracks, regulators alone would be a nightmare. IMO, this swap should NEVER be attempted/done; there are still buildable cars out there. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I seen a 4 dr htp that was converted to a two door htp. The roof line was quite different but it still looked good.
Agree!!! In the context of that time, when the 50's were middle aged, hardtops were king, post cars were company cars from the car pool. It was all about CRUISIN'! The deal was to roll the windows down and stuff 3 or 4 cheerleaders in the back seat. If you had a post car, you may as well had your mom in the back seat 'cause nobody could tell who was back there anyway. The claustrophobic cheerleaders would leave you for the first hardtop that came along. Now, I fully understand the rational of getting a post car to build for the drag strip. I even did it myself in the mid-sixties, at the new car dealer, checking off all the right options to order a car built my way. But I think I detect more than a few sour grapes in the replies that "prefer" post cars.
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