Chrysler began offering PT Cruisers for the 2001 design year, as well as these “vehicles” (yes, they were taken into consideration vehicles for American regulative objectives) showed rather preferred for a minimum of the very first fifty percent of the 2000 s. A factory-built variation with an exchangeable top stood for 2005 (as well as later on “won” the Top Gear Worst Car of the Last 20 Years award), however what regarding the PT Cruiser consumers that desired a drop-top prior to after that? It ends up the aftermarket had the remedy: the Newport Convertible Engineering conversion, which took brand-new PT Cruisers as well as included a totally operating exchangeable top. According to a discussion on Allpar, 54 of these conversions were carried out, as well as I located among them in a Denver-area self-service yard last month.
Newport Convertible Engineering is still about, though they remain in Huntington Coastline as opposed to Placentia nowadays. They’ll construct it for you if you desire a Tesla Model S or Range Rover convertible.
The NCE conversion for the PT Cruiser set you back $9,900(regarding $15,715 in 2022 bucks) plus the $17,000 price tag of a brand-new PT Cruiser, as well as consisted of the required chassis-stiffening adjustments as well as a reduced, hydraulically-actuated back hatch.
The products utilized appearance respectable, also after 20 years of misuse as well as forget.
When I located it,
This one had the exchangeable device ziptied closed in lots of areas.
Normally, I reduced all those zipties to see if the roofing system device still functioned. It was really, really tight however showed semi-functional (the zipties seemed an effort to maintain a damaged lock device from allowing the roofing system pop open at rate). The roofing system setting up considers a whole lot, though you might invest an additional $3,000 to obtain a power-actuation system from NCE.
This taxi must have been incredibly loud as well as buffety with the top down at rate, however so what? Convertibles are trendy.
Mechanically, it’s a regular Touring Version with a Neon’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder production 150 horse power. You might obtain a PT Cruiser with a five-speed handbook transmission, as well as lots of did, however this has the extra-cost automated. Beginning in the 2003 design year, a 215- steed turbocharged engine appeared.
Uncommon, however not important.
This commercial is for the manufacturing facility convertible, however you understand.