Yet another newbie to this board with a question.

I am currently looking to get another TransAm. My last one was an 88 GTA, but I've fallen for the 98+ Ram Air look and really want one of them. In all probability, the 2K2 would be what I'd be most likely to get. (assuming the loan is approved)

So me question is, is it true that the Ram Air (indeed, all T/As) for 2002 is T-Top only? (Coupe) It seems to say that on the web site but isn't very clear, and the person I spoke to at my local dealer was useless.

I really hope it's not true as that would royally suck. As bad as I want one, I do _not_ want T-Tops again. I had them on my '84 T/A, and while they were cool and all, the body had the structural integrity of a warm pile of taffy.

I want the car that I get to last for ever (essentially), but I will be having fun with it, so a frame weakend by T's is not the ideal platform.

Failing that, my options are to look for another GTA (don't like the 91/92 "Cats Eye" look, but they are much stronger than the previous ones from what I hear. ), or, try something odd with a 2K2 RA. Obviously, with either one, but especially the new one, I'd plan to get SFC's, a strut tower brace and a cage ASAP to tighten up the fram as much as possible, but, even with that, I wonder if it will be enough. A thought that I had was to get metal T's custom made to be the proper size and shape, have them professionally welded in along with some roof bracing, and maybe even try to tie into the cage, then put up a custom roof liner and have the exterior seams filled and painted.

Is that just stupidity, or impractical, or is it a half way decent idea? I've never even had to consider this before, so I'm kinda thinking it up as I go.

Speaking of cages, I like the KB F-Body cage, but does anybody have any info on the actual effectiveness of it? And are there any better ones out there? (I don't want to get psychotic with the cage though, I would like to get in about out of the car easily.)

Other than that the only thing I could think of would be to get a base model and drop in the parts to create my own RA out of it. Would be possible I'd imagine, but it just would not be the same.

I do plan to add other suspension mods as well after all of that. And aside from the local twisties, I am thinking of getting involved in racing as well. That's the main reason why I'm so concerned with the structural integrity of the car. I realize that if I just made a garage queen/sunday cruiser out of it, all that would be pretty much pointless. As to which suspension mods, I don't know just yet. I still need to research that.