I received a few looks from my friends the other day when I told them I was looking into putting a t-top in my elk.
I have an 83
Has anyone thought of or done this.
Know I'm just looking into this I've never seen it done so I'm not putting to much faith into this yet. Its winter up here and I can't tear it apart yet so I'm into daydreaming right know.

Anyhelp thanks

i've thought about it but i was told by my dad who does body and paint work for a living that i would need to find the t tops off of a grand national and use them and then i would have to make some supportsfor the roof and when it was all done he said it would most likely have a leak b/c it most likely would not seal right or have leaks where it was cut. this something that i really wanted to try.

You may want to do a search on this site, I know folks have discussed doing just that.

Oh by the way, I have some t-tops from an 80 Monte.

Yes, do a search. You are much better off putting in a sunroof. I installed a large sunroof around 8 years ago. I love it & I haven't leaked a drop.

You are much better off putting in a sunroof. I installed a large sunroof around 8 years ago. I love it & I haven't leaked a drop.

how hard was it to put that sunroof in tommy?.. that is a real kewl idea, something very fwe people have in el caminos.. what type of car did you take it out of? what was the cost of al this?
thanx
bud

Ya I was told the same things about leakage.
But that just makes me wonder even more.
If done right it would work, taking in the fact it would have to be supported in the right fashion.
I keep forgetting about the grand nat. maybe because most of them have just rusted back into the ground.
Well I haven't herd anything to stop me thinking about it and maybe taking the next step and looking for a top of a grand nat.
What might be a factore in all this is the weather up here, will I get enough time to have the t-top off. The older I get the more I hate the winters!!
Thanks again.

It was alot easier than I thought. You just have to make sure you have the template lined up right before you start cutting! I drilled a hole in each corner, then used a jigsaw to cut the rest. I removed the headliner, cut the hole, then reinstalled it & used a blade to cut the hole in it. A good thick bead of rtv seals the outside. The trim peice holds everything together. I like it because the glass is removable for those warm sunny days. I removed my ac long ago because I did no not use it enough to keep it serviced.

...i've thought about it but i was told by my dad who does body and paint work for a living that i would need to find the t tops off of a grand national and use them...
No can do. The G-body t-tops are too big.

Read this (http://www.elcaminocentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=10629&highlight=#10629)

Search is your friend! 8) Once again, thanks Ernie.

You are much better off putting in a sunroof. I installed a large sunroof around 8 years ago. I love it & I haven't leaked a drop.

how hard was it to put that sunroof in tommy?.. that is a real kewl idea, something very fwe people have in el caminos.. what type of car did you take it out of? what was the cost of al this?
thanx
bud

My 80 came with a Sun Roof, when I got it. J.C. Whitney sells them for an Elky or they list two for Elkys. Mine leaked before I pulled it because the seals had gotten hard and brittle. I'm still looking for a new seal for it so when I put it back its not a problem. Its not a real common seal around that window. The seal around the opening is easy to get but the actual window seal is more difficult to find.

My 79' has a sun-roof as well. Came that way upon purchase.

I think it has caused some serious rust on it though. I've mentioned it before, but I have rust on the bottom of the front windshield posts that meet near the hindges of the doors and the hood (don't have proper term).

My 79' has a sun-roof as well. Came that way upon purchase.

I think it has caused some serious rust on it though. I've mentioned it before, but I have rust on the bottom of the front windshield posts that meet near the hindges of the doors and the hood (don't have proper term).
That is pretty easy to remove. There is a piece of black trim on mine, on the inside, that covers a bunch of small screws. Remove the trim and then the screws the inside lip comes off. Once that is if you can lift that sunroof out or push it from the inside. You'd be able to inspect it from there or in necessary replace the headliner material.

If that part is leaking then I'd clean it up paint if needed the edge and reseal that with some black RTV or Silicone sealer, or even Joint and seam sealer. then set that down on the wet stuff and let it set up for a day. The actual window seal probably still needs to be replaced. Mine dripped down and it was very apparent on the seat and in the floorboard. Also when it rained you could just look in there and see it.

One reason mine has lasted so long with not a drop is something I was told long ago. Every 3 or 4 months I remove the glass & spray the rubber with pure silicone. I let it sit open in the sun all day. The rubber seal stays good as new. Where did I get it? I got it off another car but do not remember what.

back in the seventies (boy that makes me sound old) the hurst company made t roofs for lots of applications i wonder if you might find some new old stock out there hiding in a glass shops rafters . i think that nissan had some cars in the 80's that had t roofs that might work . i was thinking of getting a factory fiero sun roof they are very large and would fill in the camino roof nicely i figure i could get one at the scrap yard for $20.
i'm going to the scrap yard tomorrow with tape measure in hand to see what might fit so i'll keep you posted . how bout a targa roof like the supra's had that would be kool

The "sunroof" was not a GM option for the El Camino. It was a Dealer option and it was also sold by aftermarket shops. Almost all sunroofs in El Caminos were installed by aftermarket companys. A few were installed at the GM dealers body shop. Because of this there are probably several different styles that have been installed over the years by lots of different installers. The quality of the installations vary. The quick installation of a cheap sunroof results in leaks and rust. Twenty years ago I wanted to put one in my 80 El Camino but was talked out of it because the body shop couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't leak.

thats a shame ,not many things in life come with a guarantee .
don't be afraid to try something new thats what customizing is all about .
be a trend setter you never know till you try .and if you don't try you'll never know . i took a monte ss nose i had sitting around chopped it up
did some measuring and some more chopping and now it fits the el camino and looks good and i didn't have to spend $1000. on a after market one . i figure what have i got to lose some time and a bit of cash .
it beats sitting around being a couch potato any day .

Dang, I must have got a good one then. :-)

well i went to the bone yard today ,not many cars with t-tops or sun roofs .
the supra with the targa top was there but i think the camino may be not suited for a targa. but there was a nissan 300 with t-tops that looks quite promissing . unfortunately the nissan was perched on top of another car so it made it impossible to reach and with the snow coming down i didn't feel like becoming a casualty . anyway i think the nissan 300 t-tops are the ticket .

Hummm. Good Luck, let us know know how it works out.

Well after seeing things through I find I'm not at the level to try the t-top at this time.
I will probably try it though after all its only metal!
Things can be made.
The sunroof however looks like the next best thing.
Thanks for the postings.