How would you outfit this custom LJ?

[jscherb]

Actually Jeff I was thinking of a camper shell type deal for the scrambler with the factory half cab, and I do like the alpine roof line with the windows up top. would that be doable with the existing molds?

Terry,
Here you go, three Scrambler pickup cap concepts based on the Safari Cab, all using the existing molds (well, would required a new front wall mold, but all the other parts could be made in the existing molds)...

The top one is the factory Scrambler half-cab with the Safari Cab sloped-front roof; for the second one I've molded the roof flat, and for the third one I've swapped the factory half-cab for the slightly taller Safari Half Cab.

Not sure what type of window(s) to put in this one, so I just did one large side window.

 

[Juntura]

You are one talented and creative dude! Nice work and this sure is fun to follow.

Thanks,

Tyler

 

[mountainsoul]

Very cool. Love this configuration.

 

[Dwing]

I would love to see that for the 4door. BTW-awesome work, looks factory.

 

[Shocker]

Fantastic! Did you make the molds? Chopper gun?

 

[jscherb]

Fantastic! Did you make the molds? Chopper gun?

Yes, I first made wooden masters, then I made fiberglass molds off those masters, then I made the final parts from those molds. I don't have a chopper gun, all the fiberglass was hand-laid. I do have a gel-coat "dump gun" though.

Wooden masters (with paper simulated windows taped on), for CJ/Scrambler half cab, TJ/LJ half cab, TJ/YJ/CJ full hardtop, LJ full hardtop:

Molds:

The first set of parts from the molds, a "modular hardtop kit"...:

Confession: the photos of the wooden masters above are digitally edited - there's actually only one set of masters, and they're LJ full cab length (the set in the bottom of that group of photos). The LJ molds are used with "dams" in place to make all of the other versions of the hardtops, including longer ones for CJ-8 full hardtops. Any length top can be made from these molds, even one-off custom lengths to fit custom modified tubs or to make custom length half-cabs...

 

[jscherb]

Got the roof rack/lights done...

 

[tacomadave]

Great looking Jeep(s) Hoping you do something with a 4 door sometime. I really want that rear door design on my Jeep.

 

[jscherb]

Great looking Jeep(s) Hoping you do something with a 4 door sometime. I really want that rear door design on my Jeep.

Making a rear "barn door" for the JK would be fairly straightforward - the door opening in the JK hardtop is the same width as the tailgate, so an add-on fiberglass upper barn door that would work with the factory hardtop could be made. Sounds like a fun project, if I had a JK handy I'd probably build the molds and make one.

BTW, on a related topic... here's a photo of my "soft barn door" on my LJ... I got really tired of having to unzip/zip the rear window to get access to the rear storage when the soft top was on, so I designed this. It would be very easy to do a soft barn door for the JK as well. The design re-uses the factory rear window (in this photo I'm using a tan/clear window for testing, I haven't installed my black/tinted one yet). The rear door upper attaches to the tailgate with four thumbscrews, and the "surround", which includes a metal door jamb and the zipper portion from the factory soft window, goes in place with two quick-disconnects and the zipper, so the whole thing is really quick to install and remove. It totally changes how you use the back of the Jeep when the soft top is on.

And here's another view of the rear hard barn door, it would be a relatively easy project to make a fiberglass rear upper door like this for the JK...

 

[jeepdreamer]

optical dillusion...?

JS...
Looking at the back view of the hardtop...Are the little windows taller than the tailgat window or am I optically dillusioned??

 

[jscherb]

JS...
Looking at the back view of the hardtop...Are the little windows taller than the tailgate window or am I optically dillusioned??

Yes, the side "opera windows" are slightly taller. The reason for that is the structure of the inside of the barn door does not let the window go as high as the opera windows. The opera windows match the height of the side windows though. It's very common, the old CJ-2/3 hardtops were the same way, so was the Toyota FJ40:

 

[4Rescue]

LOVE your tops mate. GREAT work. Now if only someone would apply this kind of effort/thinking to a camper top for the st Gen 4Runners, then my prayers would be answered. I love how you been able to inclue nearly ALL jeep's W/removable tops. So often a company only makes products for X model and leaves alot of others to langer w/o. I gotta say I also love how these top's (as was mentioned far earlier) look similar to a Series/Defender Rover top. I've always thought Jeep mised the boat on top design and wasted alot of interior space that, in those smaller rigs, is always @ a premium.

Thats a 43-Series Cruiser BTW :drool: You can tell by the stuby back side windows wich are of equal (large) size on 45's... Sorry to sound snooty I'm just a Toyota nut @ heart and have had me heart set on either a 43 or an imported 75Troupy for years eh

Cheers

Dave

 

[Root Moose]

I don't think it is a '43. The '43 had a touch more wheelbase and not as much rear overhang?

 

[4Rescue]

I don't think it is a '43. The '43 had a touch more wheelbase and not as much rear overhang?

The rear windows are what's telling to me. I know it's not a 45, but maybe some other "even rarer" variant like a 42 or something??? I think the angle of the pic hides the added W/B over a 40 but less then a 45/47 Ute.

ANyway enough OT from ME. Back to the great work being done here.

Cheers

DAve

 

[jscherb]

ANyway enough OT...

Thanks

The whole point was to answer the question posted about the size of the rear window... and I showed a Toyota FJ-whatever to illustrate that different height windows are not uncommon.

How about I bring us back on topic with some more photos I took the other day when I finished building and installing the rack basket and lights...