It can sometimes be hard to believe that Turbo Buicks, and G-bodies in general, have eclipsed the thirty-year landmark since their production has ceased. As a result, they’re well beyond the point where many enthusiasts are turning to restoration just as much as they are the typical modifications. One area of particular interest is the T-top header panel that’s prone to rot — especially from the Rust Belt states.
Over the last thirty years, many T-top cars have managed to collect plenty of water under the seals and glass roofs, as a result of being washed, sitting out in the elements and generally getting caught in the rain. Up until relatively recently, there wasn’t much you could do to remedy this problem aside from sourcing another header panel section from a donor car. However, our friends at GBodyParts have stepped up to the plate to offer a solution for T-top G-body owners.
If you’re handy with a welder, under Part Number 20087922, you can entirely replace the header panel section in your ’78-88 Regal, Cutlass, Monte Carlo or Grand Prix. We’ve known about this restoration part for quite some time, but it wasn’t until we ran passed Toby Pawlaczyk’s ’84 Grand National during the 2015 GS Nationals — where we spotted the freshly restored Buick sitting in the GbodyParts booth while at the show, and it was a stunner. While we were impressed with the aesthetics of the GN, we were equally impressed with the fact that Toby did all of the work himself in his home garage, using the very parts that can be found on the GBodyParts website.
While at the show, Toby also had his laptop onsite, sharing with all of the onlookers how he restored his roof and T-top section. It was also footage that is to be used in Black Air 2, the sequel to the indie documentary film that made waves in the Turbo Buick community back in 2009. We loved the footage so much, that we recently reached out to Toby to convince him to upload it to YouTube for us to share with you here. There’s nothing cooler than watching a now-classic muscle car getting restored, and we’re happy to pass along this great footage!
If you’re looking for a way to replace your T-top header panels, or have any other G-body restoration needs, check into GBodyParts.com, as they stock restoration and replacement parts for all GM G-body vehicles!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
