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ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
You have a rare one. I wonder if it was converted when it was new, or a year or two later. I guess we may never know.... You have a rare one, thats for sure.
There were 2 companies tat did 2 seat conversions Autoform and Hess and Eisenhardt I believe was the name ACKRN07 I believe your car is a Hess and Eisenhardt car. And the answer is YES these cars are legit.
I for one think they are Way Cool but they do need the GFX kit RS Z something, that is all that I see wrong with them. and I do have to agree though, to much chrome for a true 3rd Gen 'ro
Hey all, just joined the website. How do I post pics? I have two Autoform convertibles. One is an 84 Trans Am, cream w/ black top, and 30k original miles (which is for sale by the way). The other is an 83 TA Autoform with 70k miles.
Hey all, just joined the website. How do I post pics? I have two Autoform convertibles. One is an 84 Trans Am, cream w/ black top, and 30k original miles (which is for sale by the way). The other is an 83 TA Autoform with 70k miles.
Hi Zuckuss.. Maybe a shot in the dark.. but I have a 92 Firebird. I am in England, and some idiot broke a part on my car last year. Does your breaker have an electonic motor that pushes the boot (trunk) lid up and down? I have a button on th dash that I press and it releases the lid.
I can get a whole new motor for £400.00! shipped in from the states. but I would like to try and get it a bit cheaper if I could, so I have joined here to ask about.
Many thanks from across the 'pond'.
Carol.
dude I just looked at her again if it wasn't for the nasty looking rims (I prefer Cragar S/S myself but I am old school) your car is the stuff dreams are made of, Dang it dude, sweet ride
dude I just looked at her again if it wasn't for the nasty looking rims (I prefer Cragar S/S myself but I am old school) your car is the stuff dreams are made of, Dang it dude, sweet ride
Cragar are cheap, outdated and past tense... thats like having a Dot Matrix Printer and your Computer running DOS.
We cannot continue to live ole school... Read a good Book "Who Moved My Cheese"
The wheels are Boyd Coddington polished Forged 6061 T-6 Alloy....
'Rest in Peace" Boyd
Yes I can live old school,
I still use cassettes and vinyl records. 15 inch Cragar or American Racing rims are just Bodacious
P.S. The 80's Will Never Die!!!! the Hoff says so!!
You really need to lose the "NASCAR" stickers, get a Maaco paint job, clean up that engine bay, finally do something with that interior. :eek
Do this make a car special:
Everything listed below can be found in a junkyard...Nothing Special....
my car still has the original R-12 A/C compressor and it was never converted to R-134a
it only has 56,165 original miles on it!
305ci/5.0L Crossfire V8 (200HP MAX)
700 R4 Automatic
Special Recaro bucket seats (light sand gray leather bolsters with medium sand gray pigskin inserts and pallex cloth sides and seatbacks.
Aero package(rocker panel extensions, front and rear fascia extensions, air dam, rocker fences and grille pads)
Flux Capiciter
Mr. Fusion
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Fuel filler door lock
Rear window defogger
Red instrument panel lighting
T-Tops
Air Conditioning
Cruise Control
Tilt wheel
4 wheel Power Disc Brakes
L.H. and R.H. Power sport mirrors
Power antenna
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door locks
Power Trunk Realese
I had the same problem...What my mechanic found is that the SubFrame X that AutoForm had welded in there was starting to come loose...Check and see if the welds are loose anywhere on those extra connectors...That's what fixed it for me.
would anyone happen to have a picture of the autoform conversion on the x frame under the car? like up on a lift so that we can see the intire subframe.. i was thinking about doing a conversion close to this and didnt know about the x frame till i read this thread.
I just found one and man is it beyond cool ! The guy I bought it from said only 200 were made, i heard 600 but still 600 out of 62,000 Z28s that year is still RARE !
I as well, use cassettes, VHS and Betamax in fact! I'm 43 however. Jobless over 2 years now and it's stressing beyond stress! I have an 89 ASC car and I've not posted much at all in over 2 years on this very forum, which I joined so long ago. I like the chrome mirror look. I bought a red nose for my white car, and thought, paint some flames on the thing! If it's gotta rust anyway. But it's not been rebuilt, just parts sitting, including fabric top I paid $300 for. Two seats are nice, but I really like the fact four people can enjoy top down sportscar motoring, don't you??
would anyone happen to have a picture of the autoform conversion on the x frame under the car? like up on a lift so that we can see the intire subframe.. i was thinking about doing a conversion close to this and didnt know about the x frame till i read this thread.
Hi, welcome to the club of 2 seater owners. I also have an 83 Z28 and I have been researching the Auto Form mystry of how many were made and I can assure you that AutoForm only modified Chevrolet Cameros and Pontiac Firebirds(TA's). The Cameros weren't all Z28's either. In any event the numbers of any still out there is dwindling and you are the owner of a great little car. Mine is an 83, Automatic four bbl. carberated motor that GM droped in favor of the fuel injected version in March of 83'. I am trying to get all 83 owners to give me their Vin numbers but haven't had much luck. The reason is 83 was the first conversions and Vin numbers don't identify the conversion to the 2 seater but it does provide the GM date of manufacture, that could give us some historical data that might be interesting. If I can find the time I am going to try to identify all the Autoform conversions and Vin numbers would keep us from counting any car more than once. If anybody can think of a good way of getting all the Camero clubs on an E-mail list pleas let me know that as well
I am trying to get all 83 owners to give me their Vin numbers but haven't had much luck. The reason is 83 was the first conversions and Vin numbers don't identify the conversion to the 2 seater but it does provide the GM date of manufacture, that could give us some historical data that might be interesting. If I can find the time I am going to try to identify all the Autoform conversions and Vin numbers would keep us from counting any car more than once.
It really isn't that hard for you to start an AutoForm Registry. I have started one for the Straman cars. All you need to do is:
Start a new thread called "AutoForm Roadster Registry" here on ThirdGen.org.
Ask owners to provide:
Year:
Model (Firebird or Camaro):
Submodel (Trans Am, Formula, Z28 etc):
VIN (not everyone is willing to share this):
AutoForm ID #(in door jamb, but missing in some cars)
Engine, trans, or whatever other major items you think is important (don't ask too many or you will get nothing)
Name (or handle) & location of owner
Car color:
And dont forget about searching ebay or cragslist. Many of those sellers will give you that info if they think it will help sell the car. Those cars will triple your counts in a hurry.
Record all you learn in an excel spreadsheet and share it with us often to show you didn't flame out and have not aborted the project. No one wants to help someone if they are only half-a$$ serious about it.
If you get this started, I have photo documented 50 or 60 AutoForms. You will need to do the rest of the legwork. You are lucky, since AutoForm placed the sequence in the door jambs, it allows you to research them and start to find total builds. That has been the case for me with my Straman research. I will email you my Straman database to get you started.
P.S. I have found a few documented AutoForms from '82, so '83 was not the first year for them.
As to your post I was reading from 3/11/07 the rear hatch hinges are from commercial refrigerators and I have an 2 83's and the one has button release and the other has a key release. Hope to hear from you.
For anyone subscribing to this thread that owns an AutoForm Roadster, please visit the AutoForm Registry thread located here: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/conv...ml#post5030593
Please submit your information to the thread (or directly to me at kcdesoto1 (at) hotmail.com ) so we can get a better understanding of how many of these were built. Thanks!!
Go to photobucket.com and upload your pics...Then copy the IMG code under the pic and paste into your reply (it will be a bunch of numbers and letters)...Once you click "submit reply" the pic will appear in your post...Its really easy.
Actually you could more than likely have a “1985 Limited Edition Z28 Chevy Camaro with the Daytona kit”. After the 1985 Z28 Chevy Camaros left the factory & arrived at the dealerships, the dealerships had them sent out and the Dayton after market kit installed in them and had them listed as a limited edition. They convertible soft tops & 2 seaters. “1985 Limited Edition Z28 Chevy Camaro Convertible with the Daytona kit”. After the 1985 Z28 Chevy Camaros left the factory & arrived at the dealerships, the dealerships had them sent out and the Dayton after market kit installed in them and had them listed as a limited edition. They convertible soft tops & 2 seaters.
Actually you could more than likely have a “1985 Limited Edition Z28 Chevy Camaro with the Daytona kit”. After the 1985 Z28 Chevy Camaros left the factory & arrived at the dealerships, the dealerships had them sent out and the Dayton after market kit installed in them and had them listed as a limited edition. They convertible soft tops & 2 seaters. “1985 Limited Edition Z28 Chevy Camaro Convertible with the Daytona kit”. After the 1985 Z28 Chevy Camaros left the factory & arrived at the dealerships, the dealerships had them sent out and the Dayton after market kit installed in them and had them listed as a limited edition. They convertible soft tops & 2 seaters.
Has anyone figured out how many trans am/firebirds Autoform converted in 1983?? Got a line on one that's in decent shape. Just wanna make sure it's worth the asking price.
Has anyone figured out how many trans am/firebirds Autoform converted in 1983?? Got a line on one that's in decent shape. Just wanna make sure it's worth the asking price.
None of you guys remember Knight Rider season 4? K.I.T.T. was rebuilt and modified with C button that transformed him to this same hard top convertible. That season took place in 1985. So it makes since that this was an available option like the Firehawk from the dealer. Was probably modified from an outside contractor and very few made.
Heres my '86 z28 autoform roadster. Production # AFC 6 - 00545, in providence. RI. Bought in CT. V8 305 carbureted. An 86 is easy to spot with the 3rd brake light being on the fiberglass trunk lid.
Last edited by 86autoform; 09-06-2021 at 11:57 AM.
Yes....I have one. Very legit. It was transformed from a brand new 1984 IROC Z28 hard top at a place called Auto Form in Illinois. They cut the top off, took out the back seat. welded in a cross frame behind the front seat, cut the trunk upper deck out and replaced them with the custom fiber glass "Batman" swept trunk lid that opens from the driver seat up toward the rear of the car. The trunk area now accommodates the convertible hard top. It operates manually. Small V8 that packs a punch and is hooked up to a 5 speed tranny. The most fun I've ever had driving and what a chick magnet!!!
Yes....I have one. Very legit. It was transformed from a brand new 1984 IROC Z28 hard top at a place called Auto Form in Illinois. They cut the top off, took out the back seat. welded in a cross frame behind the front seat, cut the trunk upper deck out and replaced them with the custom fiber glass "Batman" swept trunk lid that opens from the driver seat up toward the rear of the car. The trunk area now accommodates the convertible hard top. It operates manually. Small V8 that packs a punch and is hooked up to a 5 speed tranny. The most fun I've ever had driving and what a chick magnet!!!
Be sure to submit your car's information to the linked thread and I will add it to the registry. autoform-roadster-registry
09-28-2008, 09:53 PM
