Hey Guys,
before i start this will be a long term modification as it will take time and a lot of money as well as take the car off the road for quite some time.
What i wanna do is turn my 96 TE Magna into convertable. I beleive you can do it but you need an engineer to draw up the plans and then an engineers certificate to say it is road worthy.

Here is a photoshopped image, (it looks crap as it doesnt show seats or anything, but it gives you a basic idea).

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/brycehf/CAR.jpg

I know that it will cost a lot of money, however...they dont make magnas anymore so im hanging on to mine for as long as possible coz i love it.
What do you think? Does anybody know any decent engineers?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/brycehf/Brycehf.jpg

Interesting idea mate, but in my opinion the magna body is way too long to suit a 'rag top' look, I'd just be getting a really big sunroof if I were you, like one off a van or something that goes the whole length, that would rock.

Mate you saying that will cost a lot of money is an understatement, that is one big job and it will cost at least 10-15k if not more, you could almost by yourself a bmw 318i convertible for that price, but if your keen and have the cash then go for it, and imo i dont think a 4 door magna convertible would look good!!

Yeah in understand the cost. i used to live in darwin and i own a for capri convertable nothing like a convertable in the top end.
And i love this car so i figure why not

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/brycehf/Brycehf.jpg

because for the price I upgrade to a TJ. lol

Maybe just get a Magna with the sunroof?

Another reason why i thought it may be a good idea. Most convertable you buy, Like my capri you cant sit anyone in the back, (well you can but it is extremely squashy), this way you can and still have a bit of boot space as well as sit people in the back and not give them DVT or "the crush syndome" LOL.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/brycehf/Brycehf.jpg

For whats its worth, you can try and do it and show us some progress. Honestly I doubt it. not that I dont want to believe you. I have been on this club long enough to see a lot have talked about converting Magnas into HSV or something and well never heard from them again.

I think you should just sit back and enjoy your ride. Its too much of a hassle and to do it by yourself is just incredible. Its too costly and too much work. I rather see a TE convert to a TL, and that will be something and I will say Wow. and still possible.

think it over before you do it.

I was thinking about the same thing with my 94 TS SE for the summernats mind you i was also thinking about a 400chevy rear wheel for it too.

I've watched a friend make a VW Bug into a convertable. He did most the work himself (He's a qualified welder etc.) then got an Engineers Certificate. I guess this would be a cheaper project coz the rag tops are off the shelf too.

As for a Convertable Magna... Why not, it could be done - it's been done to other cars.
I'd strongly consider upgrading to a TJ first tho, if your gonna spend big dollars & hours, do it to a later Magna IMO.

Also, you may want to consider converting it to a two door as well (lengthening the front doors) - for looks and strength.

As others have said, this would be expensive - and at the end of the day, you've got to work out the costs and see what else you can buy for that price. Then decide which car you would rather, the one-off convertable Magna or a ???

The rag top would also have to be custom made, hmmmm

I like the idea in theory but well yeah massive cash amounts, if you really really REALLY love the car, like i mean marry it if u could legaly, and u want a convert then sure go for it, but yeah u can get some damn nice convertables for that kinda price, as for the 2 door idea that was mentioned above, i like it, i want to find if anyone has done it :)

Try and get a 15 second open to close, self folding, hartop roof integrated into it. Now that would be awesome. Pull up beside someone revving the engine and when they give you the "man, your driving a magna" look just flip the roof down then cruise off while they contemplate logic itself. But seriously, I would love to see this done and good luck with it.

wouldnt mind seeing a 2 door magna

if its gonna look anything like your rendition.... dont do it!!!lol

What do you think?

It would be the single biggest waste of money in the history of car mods.... just like that wrx convertible they made. Put your hard earned into another project.

hmmm sounds alright but will end up costing a fair bit
then again it would be something different

Dad's a certifying engineer. Simple answer: you've got Buckley's.

You essentially need to set the car up in a big rig (which no-one has) and TWIST the thing, to show that it has the same or better strength than previously. Usually scratch one car. Then work on the next.

I'm guessing this is why bugs etc can be done, as the tests have been done to prove the strength if chopped and strengthened in certain ways, so the data exists. But it won't exist for a magna, so you'll have to spend thousands on the tests, with the likely result of being down at least one car.
Not gonna happen.

But on a related note, I was suprised when I asked him about making a magna ute out of a wagon; apparently this should be fairly straight-forward, and no hassles with engineering.

IMO it's gonna look terrible. It'll look way too long in the body. If you were to do it, i'd also suggest that you made it a 2 door which might make it look abit better on the side, but as others have said it's going to cost a crapload of money for something that no one is truly going to appreciate.

But on a related note, I was suprised when I asked him about making a magna ute out of a wagon; apparently this should be fairly straight-forward, and no hassles with engineering.
Now that is an idea! Pretty disconcerting that magna drivers can only look at a Wagon as an alternative body shape to their car, and Falcon/Commodore owners can opt for a ute (or wagon as well for Commodores) but still, expensive :( Anyone got a wagon I can chop up?

I did this ages ago
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8083/magnacoupero1.jpg

Someone donate a car. Will have it ready by the following weekend. Nothing a grinder cant fix lol.. :)

to make it into a convertible is not just cutting the roof off, but strengthening the body, otherwise theres gonna be a hellova lot of body roll in it! seen jeremy clarkson's 'Heaven and hell'? get it and watch it.

with all the extra weight of stiffening the body, u'd have to s/c or turbo the motor to do anything decent with it (or else u'll feel like ur driving a 4cyl, with the fuel economy of a v8).

have u thought about this? or just how easy it would supposedly be by just cutting it??

To turn a Magna into a convertible would be a crime against humanity :P Nice in theory but I really think Magna's would like strange as a convertible

unless it was a 100% show car and not driven dont even bother

Even the two door chop looks horrid (not the actual chop but how the car would look). Body is just too long, you'd need a longer windscreen...

The car would be heavy, slow and in the end very unimpressive.

I say GO FOR IT! PICS PICS PICS

to make it into a convertible is not just cutting the roof off, but strengthening the body, otherwise theres gonna be a hellova lot of body roll in it! seen jeremy clarkson's 'Heaven and hell'? get it and watch it.

with all the extra weight of stiffening the body, u'd have to s/c or turbo the motor to do anything decent with it (or else u'll feel like ur driving a 4cyl, with the fuel economy of a v8).

have u thought about this? or just how easy it would supposedly be by just cutting it??


Doesn't removing a roof and half of 6 pillars make it a tad lighter to do sum strengthening?

Doesn't removing a roof and half of 6 pillars make it a tad lighter to do sum strengthening?

Sheet metal doesn't weigh nearly as much as the bracing will. If he intends to keep the back seats and no bars throughout the car it'll weigh hundreds of kilos more.

I got a friend who travels 3 hours, to an old man sitting on his porch, hands him a list of mods about 30 pages thick, $300 and goes home. Receives his Engineering reports and paperwork in the mail about a week later

I got a friend who travels 3 hours, to an old man sitting on his porch, hands him a list of mods about 30 pages thick, $300 and goes home. Receives his Engineering reports and paperwork in the mail about a week later

And your point? I really hope he isn't on the road near my car.

:stoopid: keep that friend away from your car, *pictures some stupid idea like to turn magna into a ute with an angel grinder* wow odd i was thinking of doin that with an old sj6 jag lol....

ive always had the idea in the back of my head of turning a magna into a coupe...

would deff be the last mod i would ever get though, and to be honest... never gonna happen

What does the engineering certificate cost?

What structural upgrades are required, particularly the windscreen?

Who will insure it?

The engineering (In nsw anyway) has to be done by a certified RTA engineer. Not just some random engineer by mail order.

lol This convertable magna idea will never happen. If you want a convertable, buy one. Sell the magna, and ull have enough + watever you were gonna spend to change it. Also, if you want a 2 door... jst buy a skyline. Every chop so far of a 2door magna looks jst like a skyline. There are some ideas that become reality (spaceships, xrays and electricity) and some that should jst stay as ideas.

Nice example of the latter. lol

The engineering (In nsw anyway) has to be done by a certified RTA engineer. Not just some random engineer by mail order.See my post. Dad is just that.

See my post. Dad is just that.

Oh I wasn't replying to your post mate, I was talking about Satan's post.