Today it is not difficult to buy a convertible if you have money in your pocket. But even if the savings for a brand new car without a roof are not enough, you can follow the path "blinded from what was." This is exactly what the authors of this project did. They bought a rusty old one from back in 1973 and made a fantastic car out of it.
The first thing they decided to do was get rid of the roof. It was not so easy, since the body had to be strengthened so that the car could drive on Russian, not always ideal, roads. This problem was solved by resorting to welding.
The convertible was painted in a rich black color, and so that the car did not look mournful, airbrushing was applied to the sides of the body.
The cabin has a minimalist dashboard and stylish purple seats.
The appearance of this car on city roads was a real event. Passers-by sought to be photographed against the background of the curiosity, bloggers arranged photo sessions. The man-made one even starred in a video clip!
Your wildest dreams need to be realized. The path to their fulfillment makes us stronger, and the achievement of the cherished goal is generally happier. Alexey Koptev from Krasnoyarsk admired the Volga since childhood, especially the 24, and sympathized with him. Once Alexei had a dream to build a custom convertible from the legendary GAZ 24. So several of Alexei's aspirations began to materialize in one object. 
We all know how beautiful the 24th is and how many admirers of this body are on our earth. Alexey shares a common point of view on the peculiarity of GAZ 24: “The 24th Volga has laconic and self-sufficient forms, which only needed to be emphasized in order to finally get the required result. In addition, this is almost the only Soviet car that has such impetuous forms that look so harmonious in the body of a convertible. "
In 2011, Alexei had a good opportunity to purchase for a small amount the 24th Volga produced in 1983, which became the basis for the project. “The main aspect was the search for a clean 24th Volga without alterations and modernization by its former owner. The 2410 lineup was also excluded due to the awful appearance of the panel and door handles. Still, the classics should remain classics. I found a donor myself, before that I really had a chance to look at a couple of scrap metal on wheels, but I managed to stumble upon a suitable option. At first glance, it became clear that she even drives. " Alexey tried to show people how, with due diligence, a Soviet car can look, and at the same time make for himself an original convertible for summer walks. 
The work began to boil immediately after the purchase. Alexey did all the work on the car with his own hands in his own small garage, completely unprepared for such work on the car. For the conversion of the GAZ 24 sedan into a convertible, a lot of work was done on the hardware. Firstly, the body was reinforced in several places so that the overall rigidity of the structure would not be lost after the roof was cut. Secondly, and most importantly, the roof was removed. The upper part of the doors and the rear parcel shelf have been redesigned for a smoother shape after the roof has been removed. The windshield frame has been deflated by 10 centimeters. 
Of course, on the way to the goal, Alexey faced difficulties. I had to learn to work with iron. “It was difficult to come up with and implement the strengthening of the car, since there was no one to consult at that time. Of course, at that time, there were projects of convertibles from the Volga, but either there was no one to explain or the strengthening did not inspire confidence and it was decided to do it in its own way. The second difficult moment was the tin, because with such a scale, it was necessary to play with new forms of elements such as the tops of the doors, the windshield frame, the rear shelf, the front and rear fenders. In general, everything that needed to be changed to achieve the integrity and completeness of the image of the car ".
In addition, Alexei knew that removing the roof alone would not be enough, so he worked on the details of the project, so the front fenders and hood were lengthened, a new radiator grille was made, and the bumpers underwent a slight style adjustment. Connoisseurs of Soviet cars immediately noticed the changed shape of the rear fenders, so Alexei stylized them to look like the popular Chevrolet Nova in hot rodder circles. Naturally, such a stylish car could not do without a slight understatement. 
Since Alexey had only the goal of creating a style, he did not change the technical stuffing of the car. Suspension and 2.5-liter 76 hp engine remained stock. You don't want to rush into a stylish convertible. 
The salon of the now open Volga was completely altered. It was decided to remove the previous seats, replace them with the front ones from the Toyota Crown, and the rear sofa migrated from the GAZ-29. The window lifter handles and armrests were also removed from the interior. On the panel, only the instruments were stopped. After the body was painted black, Alexey, being an airbrush artist, airbrushed it in style in his Kairbrush workshop. 
Moving from a rusty body to its ideal idea, the concept of the car was corrected several times in Alexei's head: “Many ideas have undergone changes in the process, but most likely due to technical adaptation for an already real car. In fact, the project has stepped much further than the bar it was initially oriented towards, but in the process of construction it became clearer every day that this is something more than just self-indulgence and the car deserves more competent technical and stylistic solutions than was planned at the beginning of the journey. "
The reaction of people at the sight of such a car is very diverse, but generally positive. The majority, of course, admire the convertible, but there are also ill-wishers, but there are not many of them. Most of all, Alexei amazes how people of the older generation react to a car, because for them the 24th Volga was then a dream and an ideal. “When such people shake hands at the sight of a car and say that this is a delightful idea and it is truly beautiful, then they take pride in the time well spent. There was also a case once when a company was walking by a car in a terrible mood. But when they saw the car and took a couple of photos with it, they went on with smiles on their faces and as they left the phrase sounded: thanks for the great mood, without your car it wouldn’t go to hell ”.
There are also people who are offended that their cool expensive car does not attract as much attention to itself as this amazing Volga without a roof.
As soon as all the work on the car was completely completed, Alexey decided to part with the convertible. The car found a new owner in the north and set off from Krasnoyarsk to St. Petersburg. "This project no longer expects anything, except for an eventful life, since it has become a complete embodiment of an undertaking and you cannot throw out a word in it like in a song.".
Some time ago Volga GAZ-24 got to the EvilGarage studio in Krasnoyarsk. The car was in a deplorable state, which was largely facilitated by the fact that its former owner tried to remake the car into a more modern GAZ-24-10, but the performance disappointed.
Many would simply write off this "Volga", but the Krasnoyarsk tuners decided to give the Soviet four-door a second chance, turning it into a full-fledged convertible, which would be ideal for cruising around the city on warm summer evenings.
First of all, EvilGarage specialists strengthened the bottom of the GAZ-24. To do this, they had to partially cut it, after which they extended the front spars, connecting them to the rear beam using thick channels. The thresholds were strengthened in the same way.
Then the tuners cut the roof and reinforced the rear pillars, which was realized by using a special profile. Having designed the cuts, the tuners also decided to make the rear shelf a logical continuation of the trunk. This approach made it possible to visually lengthen the latter, which had a positive effect on the appearance of the convertible as a whole.
At some point, the company decided that it would be effective if the rear doors of such a Volga were opened in the opposite direction. To implement the idea, they made one wide hinge from two "Volgovs". Plus, they had to cut and then transfer to new places of stamping for locks and handles, and the middle racks had to be finalized and reinforced with slopes.
The latter was necessary due to the fact that they now hold the locks of both the front and rear doors. When the main work was completed, the body of the Volga was painted in a deep black color in the atelier, after which simple airbrushing was also applied to the sidewalls of the car.
The final touch was the flashing of the interior. The seats and door cards have been upholstered in a lilac material to create a striking contrast to the exterior paintwork. A powerful audio system is designed to please passengers (and at the same time pedestrians).
As for the technical improvements, the workshop abandoned the original engine and decided to replace it with the legendary Toyota 1JZ. At the same time, more efficient disc brakes were installed on the car, while 18-inch chrome wheels with tires measuring 215/45 at the front and 225/45 at the rear were registered on the wheels.
Note that the convertible based on the GAZ-21 Volga is a show car to demonstrate the capabilities of the Krasnoyarsk studio, the cost of the project is not advertised.
Historically, most of the owners of convertibles were representatives of the elite class, and the convertible itself was classified as a luxury, because than on ordinary cars. However, this does not mean at all that if you are not a hereditary descendant of the Prince of Monaco, then the road to the world of elite open cars is closed to you, since it is quite possible to make a convertible with your own hands. It all depends on your preferences, the flight of creative thought and free funds. That's why, if you are seriously thinking about converting the car into a convertible, then you need to start preparing as early as possible - there is a lot of work to be done. And first you need to decide on the answers to key questions about:
To better understand what you really need, let's turn to the history of convertibles and their first representatives.
History essays
The mention of the first convertibles dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when a light horse-drawn carriage with a folding roof, which was harnessed to one horse, appeared in France. Later, with the growth of technical progress, convertibles began to be called two-seater or more with a convertible top.
Convertible is a convertible car
Modern convertibles are usually equipped with soft vinyl or canvas, as well as a hard folding roof. In such cars there are four, more often two doors and they are mostly made on the basis.
In addition to the above, there are similar types of bodies on the basis of which convertibles are made:
Regardless of the type, due to their characteristics, therefore, manufacturers had nothing to do in convertible cars, how to make them on the basis of a reinforced body using a rigid rear window or strong steel arcs in the structure. We will approach this point in detail in the description of the actions for the reconstruction of a car into a convertible.
What we have
Well, we figured out the types of existing convertibles, but what really offers us and which models are most suitable for converting them into a convertible? Let's start the answer to this question with the domestic auto industry.
Domestic manufacturers
In the case of cars of Soviet and post-Soviet production, there are two possible scenarios for the development of events:
- , a limited number of which were produced in the middle of the last century, and make him tuning, restyling, custom - whatever your heart desires. Almost all representatives of the Soviet "cabrio" of those times were produced for participation in military parades or as personal cars of great leaders. If you find one of the following surviving specimens, consider yourself a big lucky one:
- Choose any suitable domestic car in good condition on the market, study the material on how to make a convertible with your own hands and proceed with detailed revision. The most popular among craftsmen are:
- UAZ-3151 1995 - due to the easy removal of the roof. Just a few keys and 20 minutes of time are enough.
- "ZAZ" of the second generation is the good old "Zaporozhets".
- Volga - all models available on the market.
- "VAZ" - Lada of most models.
Imported cars
In the choice of imported cars, you can also either choose ready-made options, for example, such as the Opel Ascona in the back of a convertible or Ford Escort Cabrio, or engage in an author's alteration. For these purposes, the following models are most suitable:
This list can be continued, although the models presented above require less investment in revision and look much more impressive in the convertible version.
Finally, we come to the very essence of the question: how to make a convertible out of a car, namely, to modernize a car.
Action plan
Before you make a cabriolet out of a sedan, you need to consider that a convertible is not just a car with a screwed-down (sawn-off) roof, but a complex structural one with increased requirements for strengthening the latter to ensure the safety of passengers and the driver. Especially when it comes to making changes to the factory design in a private workshop. So, you will need:
Now you can start making changes directly.
Strengthening the body
In addition to its direct function of protecting passengers from rain and wind, the roof also provides the vehicle with the necessary rigidity. This means that simply by cutting down the roof, you will jeopardize the strength of the car and your safety. That's why you just need to follow these steps to strengthen the body your future convertible:
- Make a reinforced frame from two powerful spars, welded them parallel to each other to the bottom of the car. An alternative to the side members can be the connection of the attachment points and the floor of the car with a steel pipe with a cross section of at least 20 mm, with a wall thickness of 3 mm. In addition, with thicker pipes, with a thickness of 4 mm, it is necessary to connect the floor to the luggage compartment.
- Strengthen the frame.
- Reinforce and weld the rear doors if you are converting a four-door car into a convertible.
- Weld a rigid partition to the body, thereby dividing the luggage compartment and the internal volume of the body.
- Strengthen the thresholds.
- Additionally, install vertical tubes extending from the border where the windshield frame ends to the bottom of the car.
- Reinforce the front doors with a sturdy frame.
- Install a sturdy beam that wraps around the seat.
Such changes will lead to a significant increase in vehicle weight, so there is no hope of improving speed and dynamics characteristics. Pay special attention to the quality of the body: it is important that there is no rust on the welded areas.
We remove our own roof
Only after you have carried out all the necessary steps to strengthen the body, the roof is dismantled. Partial dismantling is possible, while leaving the sidewalls. The windshield with the frame also remains. Steel safety arches are installed at the back.
Installing the awning folding mechanism
It is quite difficult to calculate such functionality, but with proper skill, everything will work out. First, we calculate the template by which we make arcs, after which we sew an awning made of leather, vinyl, or a two-layer waterproof canvas according to the pattern.
We update the salon
After you flaunt it, it already begins to play the role of your business card, invariably attracting the attention of others. It is recommended to cover the interior with high-quality leather or imitation leather in bright colors, since, in addition to aesthetic properties, it must have increased resistance to fading in the sun, as well as be immune to the effects of wind and rain.
So, by adhering to simple rules and with the proper level of perseverance, you can make your old dream come true. And for this it is not at all necessary to lay out a tidy sum, because all you need is a little savings for, a minimum level of skills, a creative approach, and most importantly, your desire.
What dreams and plans do you have for the future convertible? Share your opinion by leaving a comment under this article.
If you take the whole history of motor vehicles, it becomes obvious that only people from high society drove convertibles. A car without a roof is still highly valued compared to conventional cars. Many Russian people wish to own such a car. Therefore, they collect information, the necessary tools and materials in order to make an "elite" class out of an ordinary car.
It looks like a convertible made of the classic Volga Gaz-24
Volga cabriolet painting option
This dream haunts many, knowing that it is possible to make a luxurious convertible out of a Soviet car. GAZ-24 convertible is highly regarded by the great "experts" and lovers of Russian classics.
To get a car of this type, you need to do a lot. To do this, preparatory work with everything you need should begin in the fall, so that next year, with warming, a car appears on the streets of the city and at car exhibitions.
Variant of finishing the convertible gas 24
The first convertibles appeared long before automobiles. In European countries, carriages with a folding roof began to appear. Only one horse was harnessed to such carriages. After that, convertible cars appeared. They accommodated 2-4 people. Now, a convertible is a convertible top of a car, a modern design, a cozy interior.
An example of exterior decoration and design of the Volga convertible
Most of these cars have 3 doors, but there are other types as well. There are also big differences in the bodywork. Most convertibles are sedans. Hatchbacks may occasionally be encountered.
Today, many people are engaged in the styling of Soviet cars. wonderful car, with a rich past, excellent external data.
Classic interior design of the Volga
Before making a convertible out of GAZ-24, you need to know the basic rule, the long process of creating a convertible requires serious body moderation.
An example of the design and construction of a convertible with your own hands
Beginning of work
To get started, it is necessary to mark on the body of the Volga the places where you want to cut down unnecessary for a convertible:
- Main door pillars;
- It should be noted the point of reunification of the rear rack with the trunk.
- Remove all glass, except for the windshield;
- Disassemble the salon. Pull out the seats, remove the trim.
After these completed works, go to the places where the marks stood with a grinder. All jays, except for the front ones, should be on the same level with the body.
An example of the arrangement of racks at Gas 24
Cutting is required carefully and as smoothly as possible, so that later you do not waste precious time on alignment. The rear strut should be cut off slightly above the level of the body. Then it will be seen why.
Body reinforcement
The roof of the car protects passengers and the driver from the "whims" of nature and from the cold. Among other things, it is an excellent protection from the cold in winter. For a car, the roof plays the role of rigidity. By stripping the car body of the roof, the entire car can be robbed of its strength. To strengthen the body of the GAZ-24, you need a special frame. It needs two large spars. They are mounted on the underside of the vehicle using a welding machine.
The process of strengthening the Volga body
The connecting pipe should be steel, with a diameter of 20 mm, the wall should be 3 mm, then there is another pipe. It should also be made of steel, but larger in size. It is installed on the floor across the entire length of the car, up to and including the trunk. Then you need to strengthen the windshield pillars.
