We recently took a look at the 1962 Bel Air bubbletop, and while I can also appreciate the “fake convertible top” of the formal-roofed ’62 Impalas, there’s no denying that the 1961-62 bubbletop was a thing of beauty. What if the whole formal-roof fad never happened? What kind of B-body would we have gotten during the choice 1977-79 model run?
Here’s the original. The 1977-79 B-body Chevy coupes were attractive in their own right, but I have a feeling at least one of our frequent CC readers would have enjoyed a ’77 bubbletop (hint: his name starts with a “Z”).
Oh, come on, now. Even THAT’s over-the-top!
As much as I’d like to say “yes”, I must say a resounding “NO” to this! BUT – if you added a small sharp bend in the C pillar, it just may make all the difference in keeping with all the other prevailing sharp edges.
I was going to say that putting a round top onto a rectangle would never work, but it sure did on a 1962 bubble top Chevy!
I’d say that the soft lines of the bubble top don’t work well with the sharp creases in the rest of the body. It doesn’t help that the two pictures were taken at different angles. The photographer of the bubbletop was down low, level with the bridge deck, looking up into the car. The 77 was drawn as if the observer was at standing height. One should not be able to see the interior headliner in the finished composite picture.
I know, but with the limited brochure profile shots I could find, these two pictures were the closest match.
Wait a minute – I just thought of something:
How about this scenario: Try grafting on the unique 2 door sedan roof from a 1961 Chevy Bel-Air onto the 1977 coupe body?
That would be an interesting study.
I used to own one of those for my very second car in 1968.
Agreed, though my favorite Chevy top is a little different, see below.
Maybe withe the roof from a 68 Buick electra because its almost got the same squared off look as the caprice does. Just the roof.
Not good, but looking at your shot, I’m thinking it would make a decent looking convertible.
Didn’t GM use this style on the 2nd gen Opel Manta coupes (after they stopped importing them to the US)? With modern high-strength steels and CAE techniques I wonder of these slim pillars would pass rollover standards? Anyway, I like it.
And that Manta B roofline crossed the Atlantic the other way, appearing on the 1988 Cavalier coupe and subsequent Cavalier and Cobalt coupes.
The ad almost makes it look like the speeding Impala ran over the lady.
I think I will stick to the original styles on both of these cars.
One word, Ick.
LOL,
The bubble top would look better on a 71-76 2 door, or if there ever was a 91-96 B body coupe.
UGH! The 77-79 Caprice Coupe would have been even better looking as a hardtop but not a bubble top hardtop!
At least you tried.
It still wouldn’t have pasted muster. Roll over standards would have killed it from the get go.
I agree the bubbletop’s curves don’t go at all well with the ’78’s straight-line style. Even though I’ve never been that interested in seventies big cars, this one has always caught my eye for its trim size and shape.
Chevy’s 1959-60 “Flying-Wing” top knocks me out. I think it would complement the ’78. Finding a square-on side view suitable for my crude cut-and-paste non-Photoshop methods is very hard! Inevitably, Paul came to the rescue.
Here is a shameless hack at what it could look like. Someone with skill could do this nicely, tapering the rear quarter down to the ’78’s beltline.
I would keep the roof a different color from the body, like Chevy did then and Minis do now. Just love that look!
Certainly a C pillar this thin would not be considered safe today. But a little blackout can hide a thicker pillar, like the 1st-gen Sable did.
I came up with something more conventional and era correct I think. Does give it a bit of a 62 Dodge look(?).
Actually, it’s quite close to the ’77 LeSabre coupe, which is very attractive when trimmed right.
I always thought that eliminating the wrap-around rear window messed up the proportions and made the trunk too long. But if one must lose the wire-bent glass, here is a less formal roofline…
I would prefer to take it in a different direction: What if the front window of the Caprice got the same wire-bent glass treatment as the rear? I think the bubble-top is too round for the box, but a hard-edge bend would be an interesting approach.