zhopper05

Well thank you very much. The whole concept was to improve on what most of us agree to be deficiencies within the original design and function of the car, and/or modify certain features to accommodate my own taste and needs along the way.

I don't expect everyone to like what I've done. However, for the record, every mod was done primarily with a functional purpose, yet it had to be done tastefully.

BgBoost1

That makes sense!!!! I congratulate you on making your Z06 "Different".

Keep up the good work!

zhopper05

Thanks

DS Vettes

Wow!!! You had it made already. I saw this car at the Houston Car Show and it looks great. He pays so much attention to detail.

Gerardo

Gannet

That is just fabulous - and an inspiration! Giving up the glass top is my only real reservation (other than cost) about getting a Z06. It might be my favorite feature of my C5. I don't care if it's fixed; that's not the important part, it's being able to look up.

Corvette conversion shops take note: there is a market for this conversion.

Your car is just a knockout Sir.

zhopper05

Gerardo - nice to hear from you. I know, Astro did an awesome job getting the top done so quick. This thing looks 150% stock. All that is left now is the headliner. We're working on a design that will reflect the seats.

It's just too bad you're so far away; you know me, I am a hands-on kind of guy, and when you're designing something from scratch, it's difficult to do it long distance. I would have loved to have DSVettes involved in the project.

zhopper05

Thank you Sir!

bob53

Nice job... I have a 08 Z06 on order and really have one reservation - no targa or clear top. There are now 2 options for a targa (at a significant cost) but this is probably going to be much less expensive... A few questions:

1. When driving with the top off, did you notice any deflections? Was the glass top harder to install (suggesting the frame deformed a small amount after driving it)?

2. Did you consider the targa conversion?

Again, nice job!

Bob

YELLOHHH

Very nice.

wurk_truk

Hey. That is really nice. You seem to have thought this out very well. I am awaiting pics of the new headliner.

=TheStig=

Meh, nice downgrade I guess. Good luck with it.

musclecar6

Great concept zhopper 05 ! I've often wondered why Gm didn't make a see/thru fixed roof available as they couldn't offer a removable targa roof due to structural integrity. As we all know Carravaggio offers a removable targa roof but in order to build in structural integrity he has to add a fair amount of weight to accomplish that goal, not to mention a cost of around $10,000. A lot of us ( I'm soildly in this category) don't really remove the see/thru roof but have a huge desire to have the "open" feeling that comes with the see/thru roof. I hope GM is monitoring this thread, cause I have a feeling there is a very large group of C6 enthusiasts that would upgrade to a Z06 if the see/thru fixed roof was available instead of giving their dollars to the aftermarket to modify their C6's to get Z06 performance.Unless their is a technical limitation to doing this, it looks like this is another instance where a big company can get so many things right & still get something painfully obvious, totally wrong. Imho.

CORVETTE007

I love seeing posts and work like this. It just even further proves the positive and creative thinking of people and the "If there's a will, there's a way" mentality!

Great job and nice work!

carcrazyandbroke

Awesome!

Poor-sha

Did the original roof just unbolt and come out? Am actually wondering if the ZR1 carbon fiber roof would be a "bolt-on" upgrade (personally not interested in a tranparent glass roof).

427Z

nice job. though i personally wouldnt do it

zhopper05

Bob - Thanks.

Yes, I considered the targa conversion, but I did not want to spend $10-12k to replace the halo roll bar and reinforce the frame.

Surprisingly, when I drove it with the top off, I noticed no deflection whatsoever. But then, I was very gentle. The new roof was a piece of cake to install. It fit right on, just perfect. I washed it right after the installation, and that day it also rained, so I took it for a drive in the rain - very tight, and NO leaks.

zhopper05

Yes - the roof actually is a simple bolt-on. I am almost certain the ZR1 roof will fit.

zhopper05

Thanks. And, if this were your typical car, I probably wouldn't do it either. This car gets displayed at car shows.

zhopper05

View of the interior leather trim around the magnesium frame. It does look better in person. The lighting contrast does not do the camera justice.


View of matching seats