Shell Swap Advice Hard Top Into Cab?

[JamesE 5]

I've decided that as I cannot persuade my Mrs to get a soft top (although I did persuade her to get a Fiesta ST...) I have a bit of a cabriolet itch to scratch. I can't justify four cars (I've got a work car which is very boring) and have a 205 gti6 which although very clean, does not have a show quality paint job (I had it resprayed a couple of years ago). Not to mention it has a dealer fit sunroof which has a broken clip, looks rough and rattles like crazy. I've spent a lot of time and money on it so would be reluctant to sell and buy a cti, plus it's far from original with a different engine, 1.9 wheels and interior.

So...how much of a job would it be to transfer everything of mine onto a "good" cabriolet shell? I'm presuming it would be massively expensive as I'm useless with spanners?! Is there anyone in Yorkshire that would be willing to take this on?

[Anthony 1,003]

Effectively what you're talking about is a complete re-shell, and that's a good few days work to do properly - potentially more, depending what issues you uncover on the new shell when you're doing it.

 

If you're not in a position to do that work yourself then that's going to be expensive if you're paying someone else to do it.

 

Clearly it's a subjective personal thing, but I'm not quite sure it would be worth it - effectively it would be a worse driving version of your GTi that is liable to leak more and where some cabriolet specific parts like seals are getting difficult to find.

 

At the risk of upsetting CTi owners more than I probably already have with the above line, if you want a convertible then just buy a half-decent Mk1/Mk2 MX-5 or Mk3 MR2 for what the re-shell would cost you. They wouldn't be as quick in a straight line as a GTi-6 engined CTi, but will be better in just about every other way providing that you don't need more than 2 seats.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Oh Anthony :'(

 

He's right though.....

[JamesE 5]

Yeah I suppose common sense will win...

 

I've looked at Mk3 mr2s before, but with two kids they'd fight over who got a lift to school!

 

My problem is that I only use the 205 over summer, even then only occasionally as I can't use it for work.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Well you've got two options really dictated by what you use it for when you do.

 

Spunk a couple grand paying some one to do it for you so you can have a quick/sloppy 167bhp CTI,

 

Or pile a bit more money into the hard top making it more civilised and having a more driving orientated 205.

[JamesE 5]

I think it's all about perspective. I drive an A class Merc, now THAT is sloppy.

 

I'm going to drive the 205 around for a bit and see how I feel after the summer.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

An A class!

 

Didn't you get to choose your work car!

[JamesE 5]

I did choose it!!

 

It's economical (700 miles to £45 fill up) and it's got cruise for the motorway

That's a new shape A class btw

Edited April 22, 2016 by JamesE

[welshpug 1,666]

different kind of sloppy, that wont be the bodyshell flopping about because someone chopped the roof off

[Anthony 1,003]

If its any consolation, the new A-class is a finely honed sports car compared to the old one... my misses has one so I have the misfortune of driving (and occasionally fixing) it on an all too regular basis.

 

Yes, I clearly did bad things in a previous life to deserve that.