PT Convertible Possibilites???

[vintageracer]

I just purchased this 77 Buick Regal CONVERTIBLE from a junkyard here in Nashville. Everything convertible specific is complete and the car is actually in decent condition just missing a "few" parts. The car is a good builder with all the convertible conversion parts complete, a very good body, buckets, console, original engine/transmission, 8.5 rear-end and more.

The car came in yesterday and I got a call about the car from the yard. The car was in staging and not yet set on the yard. They set the car aside for me and I went out to the yard today and bought the car. I stuck the wheels and tires on the car so the car would roll and could be moved easily.

Damn solid old car! The doors are amazing. The hinges are perfect and the door gaps are straight as a sting. Most hardtops do not have door that fit this good.

The seats and console were an option on the Regal and are original to the car per the trim tag. The car is fairly well loaded with steering, disc brakes, buckets, console, gauges, tilt, cruise windows, locks, power top, V8, F41 suspension (chevy talk), 8.5 rear-end, automatic transmission, trunk release, A/C, tinted glass, factory red with white/red interior and more.

I have tried a web search and only found 1981 Up conversions and a list of companies that converted G body cars. I have not found any information on 73-77 cars and convertible conversions.

I finally had a chance to unload the car off the trailer and vacuum/remove all the junque, leaves and nuts out of the car. The trunk is very good with a few pinholes and one hole needing repaired. The front floor pans are great while the rear footwell pans need replaced. The floor under the rear seat is surprisingly good. The top has shrunk so the top will not go all the way up however the frame is good and looks well built. ALL the convertible top mechanism and hydraulics are complete. Under the hood is fairly complete less the alternator and radiator. The top frame appears to specifically fabricated for this conversion. The top frame is well built and well designed. The hydraulic cylinders, pump, hoses and control switch are typical GM.

Through a couple of phone calls I have found a good trunklid, hood header panel, radiator, maybe donor floor pans, wheel opening moldings and more from a friend who has a junque yard with several Regals in stock. This guy never crushes anything! He also may have a 76-77 Buick Century header/grill which is what was used in NASCAR. I think that looks much better than the Regal grill. I will probably buy both is he had them. All in all a neat car considering I purchased the car SITTING ON THE GROUND with no wheels/tires and sitting in que in a junkyard to be crushed!!!!

One thing you should notice is how NICE the doors still fit on the car with absolutely no sag. The door gaps on the front or the door and back of the door are superb on both sides. Look at the driver's side window fit on the front windshield. The glass does not fit that good on most hardtops! Another thing I like on this car is the top design. So many conversions have horrible top lines that detract from the car. The top on this car particularly the rear slope of the top fits the design of the car nicely. This conversion would actually look good with the top UP!!!

This Buick Regal is well constructed. There are certainly things I would improve upon and some changes that could be made to make the conversion more finished appearing in the hidden areas. Overall certainly worth saving instead of the car going to the "Pick A Part" lot.



I am guessing at this point that this car "may" have been converted by a man named Mark Doyne who owned/operated Emess Coach Builders in Clearwater Florida. They were the only company I have found so far that was converting 75-77 Grand Prix and Cutlass's into convertibles at that time. It would not be a stetch that they did this Buick Regal.

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the car sitting on the ground in the JY however I do have pictures of the car on the trailer after installing wheels/tire to load the car. The rest of the pictures are after I spent about an hour cleaning all the crap out of the car.

Here are the pictures. Enjoy!!!

http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...20June%202011/

Any help or suggestions about the conversion and who may have originally built the car are encouraged. The 1975 Pontiac Ventura SJ Hatchback in the back ground is another possible PT car that I will probably never get to also!

Like Rick says on Pawn Stars "You never know what is going to come through that door" or in this case the Pick A Part gate!!!

Thanks for looking and any help you can provide about this convertible!

[wmhjr]

Hey Mike, I've never seen one of these. Kind of a cool looking car. Nice find. Obviously, be extremely careful with the conversion related parts while you disassemble things!

[NJSPEEDER]

Wow, I knew they got made but I have never seen one in real life.

Biggest thing with any 'vert is chassis stiffness. If you have the ability yourself or access to talented friends that will work for beer I would suggest starting there, possibly with a from scratch fabrication. Something with lots of cross bracing and a 2x4 .120 wall base.

-Tim

[cobragt]

a couple yrs ago there was a guy that had a 70 to 72 Monte Carlo with a convertible top conversion. It was blue, the last I saw it it was red with white rally stripes.

[Ash]

No idea how it looks with the top down, but if you were open to fiberglass or fiber fab, a tonneau cover would be pretty bad ass. for 4 seat or 2 seat duty.

4 seat


Roadster


...that's all I got.