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When we received the press release from Drop Top Customs saying that they would be bringing a Camaro convertible to SEMA, we could hardly contain ourselves. Ever since the Camaro Concept was first shown some way too many years ago, we've been expecting a droptop version as well. General Motors has had a lot on their plate lately and we consider ourselves lucky that we've even got the coupe now. With things starting to change at the top within the GM brass though, we fully expect things to change at the top of this classic bit of American iron as well.

Right now, unfortunately, a genuine factory convertible isn't available, so it's up to the aftermarket to fill that need. Drop Top's droptop looked like a decent attempt from the early pics but we wanted to see it in person before we really signed off on it. We knew it would be here at SEMA but it took us a while to find it. The odd thing is that we found another Camaro convertible first. We eventually found the Drop Top, which you see above, though too.

The yellow car looked pretty much like the photos we had seen earlier, except that it was real and sitting in front of us finally. The conversion seems really well done. We know it's hard for any aftermarket firm to match the level of development that the automaker itself can do, but these guys are experts at building chop-top vehicles. If you have to have a Camaro convertible and you simply cannot wait for Chevy to produce one of their own, then this might be a good option. Of course there is at least one other option as well, as we found out when we canvassed the show's North Hall.

A black Camaro convertible was also on display, featuring a large chrome grille and Forgiato wheels. This conversion was done by Newport Convertible and seems roughly as good as the Drop Top job. The top mechanism looks like it fits pretty low in the rear deck and the materials seem top notch, just like on the yellow car. Newport didn't have a full boot fitted, but it looked professional, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. We didn't get a chance to see either with their tops up (or in motion), however, so we still need to reserve final judgment. In the meantime, just know that there are now two convertible Camaro options for those who absolutely, positively need a Camaro convertible today. Check out our high-res gallery below.


Gallery: SEMA 2009: Camaro convertible conversions



Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.SEMA 2009: We expected a Camaro Convertible, but got two originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.