I'm thinking about buying a 98 convertible and swapping over all of the mods from my 98 GT coupe. I would like to hear your opinions on the pro's and con's of a vert. My end goal is a fun driver with about 300rwhp and good handling. I would definitely do subframe connectors and probably a MM rollbar. I also plan to stay 2 valve and a 5 speed. Thanks!
Plus - open air driving, Negative - have to maintain top and eventually replace Sorry, that's all I have
Joekd pretty much nailed it. Your plans are exactly inline with mine. I mainly like it for nice drives to the beach or Keywest and a little power to have fun with friends. The car rattles a bit and is louder than a coupe would be but I really enjoy drives with the top down. My car is a weekend car, therefore I don't daily it. If I had to daily the car I would have sold it a long time ago.
Thanks for the replies! I like the idea of a convertible but a car that rattles would bug. I am considering another car because my 98 by has some issues. My clear coat is so oxidized that the car looks horrible. My PATS system has me locked out right now... For what it would cost to fix these 2 issues I can buy another 98 GT with good paint since these cars are not worth much. My "donor" has a lot of good parts, most of which I can easily move to a good car. Engine: PI intake SR 70MM intake and plenum with a cold air kit MSD coils and Ford racing wires Steeda underdrive pulleys BBK shorty headers SLP catted X pipe Magnaflow exhaust New radiator New battery New PS pump Walbro 255 fuel pump Energy suspension motor and trans mounts SVE clutch and New Ford racing flywheel Stifflers trans crossmember Ford racing aluminum driveshaft SCT tuner I just need some PI heads and good cams Suspension: MM subframe connectors MM strut tower brace MM steering shaft MM cc plates MM solid rack bushings MM hd rear lower control arms MM pinion snubber J&M rear upper control arms New axle side Ford control arm bushings Tokico blue shocks and struts Eibach Pro kit springs Eibach sway bars Cobra brakes with stainless hoses and Power slot rotors New Moog ball joints Poly front control arm bushings Steeda bump steer kit 17x9 and 17x10.5 Bullit wheels with 275 and 315 MT Street comps Exterior: Cobra front bumper 2" Cobra R hood Cobra headlights Shorty antenna Interior: New grey carpet Corbeau CR 1 seats Triax shifter Rear seat delete Pioneer receiver with 4 6x8 speakers. I still need a subwoofer. So the only question now is which body style... I am not in a big rush to find a car and I don't mind travelling for a good one. Any more opinions are welcome. Thanks!
My wife and I both have 98 GT ragtops for weekend fun. Coupes are common, ragtops not. We love them! Nothing like cruising around on nice day with the top down. Absolutetly, do the chassis stiffening mods - subframe, strut brace, rear shock tower brace. Might not be the best choice for a daily driver, but for a toy why the hell not. Add a style bar!
I am basically at the point you want to be with my 98 vert - 300hp, 5speed, sfc, and 4 point roll bar. As stated above being able to put the top down is great, but will need maintenance and possible replacement. Replacement isn't really a concern of mine as the parts are available and can be done by a shop for about $1000. However, be sure that the header seal (weatherstripping around the windshield for the top) is in good condition, because I have not found a quality replacement. It will leak if damaged. If the roads where you live are hole filled and bumpy like the ones in Ohio, it will limit your lowering capability, due to the extra bracing beneath the k-member. First set of springs I bought lowered the car about 2 inches in the front and I hit the skid plate everywhere, but it did protect the oil pan. The extra bracing also limits long tube options, but haven't seen any fitment issues with shortys. All in all I much prefer my vert over the coupe for SN95 and love every minute of driving.
Yeah, I know... I'm still figuring out what to do. Lots of things I didn't know like rattles, the brace scraping, the header seal. I know what to look for in a hardtop but not a vert. I want the best car for the least amount I can spend. Thanks again guys. Any info is appreciated!
Yeah for somebody like me the rattles drive me up the wall. And with my H&Rs I scrape damn near everything with the xBrace. My top seal is still holding up for now though. Tha trap house.
If you look up towards the headlight area from under the car you should be able to see it. It literally says "25 LB" on it
The weight is only on 94/95 verts IIRC. I prefer a convertible and drove mine daily for @ 5 years or so. I drove it up and down I-95 from NJ to FL a few times also.
I swapped the interior on my wife's car and added a strut tower brace. Rattled over bumps, drove us nuts. I stripped the dash to the essentials and still couldn't find it. Took the dash out, checked all parts, padded possible trouble areas, put it back in, still rattled. Turns out a small fitting on a hose on top of the motor was hitting the strut brace. Twisted it 1/4 turn, car no longer rattles. Don't blame the 'vert part for all rattles, they could be someplace else!