Method of converting vehicle body from hardtop to convertible structure

A method of converting a sedan hardtop vehicle body to a soft fabric top vehicle automobile body comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a sedan vehicle body to be converted that is of unibody construction and which includes a hardtop continuous roof panel supported by front and rear roof pillars, a forward windshield, a forward structural engine cradle and a rear transverse wheel support spaced longitudinally therefrom, and connected below by a floor pan and with forward and rear wheel wells respectively adjacent the forward engine cradle and rear transverse wheel support;
• b. severing the continuous hardtop roof panel from the vehicle body by forming cuts along the front of the continuous roof panel at the vehicle windshield and along the bottom of the rear roof pillars;
• c. forming a pair of longitudinal structural reinforcements to the vehicle body with beams that connect structurally between the engine cradle and the rear transverse support areas of the vehicle body by connecting the ends of the beams respectively to the front and rear wheel wells and generally along the respective left and right sides of the automobile body, and underneath the vehicle body floor pan;
• d. developing a connection between each longitudinal beam and the wheel well at each end portion of each respective beam using plates that extend upwardly along and are connected to the respective wheel well so as not to interfere with operation of the wheel or wheel supports.
• e. forming a transverse structural reinforcement to the vehicle unibody on the upper surface of the automobile floor pan that extends transversely between and fastens to the longitudinal reinforcements;
• and
• f. replacing the cutaway continuous roof panel with a folding, fabric-like top.