How would you outfit this custom LJ?

[4Rescue]

No worries Mate , I really LOVE and am massively impressed with the work and effort you've put into this.

If you don't mind me asking, isd this just a home project for future sale or is it your primary occupation??? I'm guessing you have an engineering background of some sorts or at least you've earned one with all the quality work you've done eh.

As to the Windows, I really like the back end that way, I've always loved that set-up on Series Rovers/DEfenders. seems like it makes a very functional place to mount stuff. In fact I'm kind of jealous of this LJ now (not that I didn't LOVE them already but...) The top just enhances an already truly GREAT platofrm to a point of making it like a whole new vehicle of sorts. iF that made any sence

Cheers

DAve

 

[jscherb]

No worries Mate , I really LOVE and am massively impressed with the work and effort you've put into this.

Dave,
Thank you!

If you don't mind me asking, isd this just a home project for future sale or is it your primary occupation??? I'm guessing you have an engineering background of some sorts or at least you've earned one with all the quality work you've done eh.

I'm building this project in my home workshop and garage. I don't have an engineering background or any formal training in fabrication. (I took a metal shop class in high school, does that count?). My occupation has never had anything to do with building projects like this. A little less than a year ago I taught myself fiberglass mold-making and molding, I made the rear fenders for the red Wrangler pickup I posted a photo of last week, and from that project I learned the basics that enabled me to start this project.

When I started this project, my original plan was only to build one or two tops for my own Jeeps, I never had any intention of offering these tops for sale myself. But early in the project a company in the Jeep hardtop business contacted me, interested in adding these tops to their product line. About a month ago, I delivered my mold masters to them, and they are currently in the process of building their own molds so they can produce tops. But due to the rules of this forum, I can't talk about the commercialization of the tops in the public thread on this site.

As to the Windows, I really like the back end that way, I've always loved that set-up on Series Rovers/DEfenders. seems like it makes a very functional place to mount stuff. In fact I'm kind of jealous of this LJ now (not that I didn't LOVE them already but...) The top just enhances an already truly GREAT platofrm to a point of making it like a whole new vehicle of sorts. iF that made any sence

I've always thought that Jeep missed the mark when then designed the original hardtop for the CJ-7, and that they continued to miss the mark when they designed tops for subsequent models that were similar to that original top. The factory "upside-down bathtub" hardtop design just doesn't say "tough utility vehicle" to me, so it's no wonder to me that Jeep never really could compete with the Land Rover or Toyota in places in the world where functionality, toughness, and utility (like carrying capacity) were key.

When I bought my LJ, I really didn't like the factory hardtop at all, so this project started when I did some concept sketches of a new style of top, I was trying to make it that whole new vehicle you mentioned... I came up with some designs I really liked, and as I went further into the detailed design, I came up with a way to build the top in modular pieces, so that the modules could be assembled to fit different models and length of Jeeps from CJ-7's to CJ-8's to YJ's, TJ's and LJ's, from half-cabs to full hardtops and even configurations like hard bikini tops, all from one set of mold masters.

Once I had done all those concept drawings and designs, the only way to prove the design was to actually build these modular molds and build a few tops, so I jumped right in and started making the mold masters, learning as I was building. It's been a long process, but the first top is now nearing completion, and I'm extremely pleased how my concept went from drawings to molds to reality.

Jeff

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Oh, man this image is making me want an LJ more than a WJ...too bad the 4.0 is such a dog and would require a stroker or S/C to be powerful enough for me....:snorkel:

 

[BobA]

I've seen talented people but WOW,Great looking top!! Have you thought about storage compartments down the sides in the rear. Or a larger hinged dropdown type compartment thing that would sit in the center area then drop down from the rear. Kinda like a big glove compartment.
Is there room to mount an overhead console across the top of the windshield from side to side?

 

[Ford Prefect]

Do you mean "strange" in a bad way, as in I shouldn't build it because it would be too strange? I posted the design here for feedback because I have no experience designing campers, so if you think it's stupid, please don't be afraid to let me know.

Jeff,

I personally find the design of the teardrop you are considering building to be curious. I once saw a guy take three custom vans connect two of them to make a massive motorhome (that was really short), and build a trailer with a sauna in it out of the last. It is not for me, but that does not mean that it was not a good idea.


SO would I personally do it? nope, I did try to get my wife to let me pick up a trailer made out of the back half of a wrangler once, so I am not opposed entirely to the idea. HOWEVER I would would certainly say that you should do it, if you like it. The reason is that jeep guys will love it, and it will be a great conversation piece. I say go for it.

Hope that was more clear than mud.


I love that you are making the other side panels. That is super! I really like the half cab coming into shape. The soft top rear door, and the soft sides are nice. I really like the supports you have come up with for the hard top to be run as a bikini. What kind of flex do you get out of that, in that mode?


Cheers

Brian

 

[jscherb]

I've seen talented people but WOW,Great looking top!! Have you thought about storage compartments down the sides in the rear. Or a larger hinged dropdown type compartment thing that would sit in the center area then drop down from the rear. Kinda like a big glove compartment.

Thanks!

One project that was an offshoot of the main hardtop project was the "Soft Barn Door", shown in the left photo below. It attaches to the tailgate like the hard barn door of the hardtop, but it's a soft window and is used with the soft top. It solves the problem of the hassle of needing to unzip the rear window to get access to the rear when the soft top is installed. Anyway... I put a storage net on the tailgate between the mounting brackets for the soft barn door. Those brackets could be used on either the hard or soft barn door to hold a more substantial storage compartment.

The other area for "glove compartment" like storage is the body of the hard barn door upper - in the right photo I'm test fitting the side panels on a YJ tub, which shows two things - you can see whatever room might be available along the side panels to add storage (between the rib below the windows and the bottom of the side panels would be a good place for storage compartments), and you can't see it all that well in this photo, but in the center of the body of the upper door, below the window, is a cavity that was designed for the rear wiper. It's about 2 1/2" deep, maybe 5" high, and about 19" long, and if you weren't going to install a wiper motor in there, a door could be cut in and it could also be used for storage like a glove compartment.

Is there room to mount an overhead console across the top of the windshield from side to side?

Depends of course on how large the console would be, but yes, there's some good space up there because the roof rises higher than the factory roof.

I put a small center console in my roof, but the photo at left below doesn't really show how much room is available for a console because of how I mounted it and did the headliner. On the right you can see the wooden rails I 'glassed in to the roof to support this console, without those and without the headliner there's a lot more room for a larger side-to-side console. Because of the rise in the roof, a console that would be maybe 6" from front to back could be about 4" high, which is a lot of room to mount radios or have large storage areas above.

]

Also, because the roof is higher than the factory roof, there's maybe 4" between the top of the roll bar and the bottom of the roof, so there's space above that could be used. Actually there's enough room to store the side window panels up there if you wanted to get creative and be able to remove and store the side panels while on the trail.

So there's plenty of room to get creative with storage.

 

[jscherb]

I love that you are making the other side panels. That is super! I really like the half cab coming into shape. The soft top rear door, and the soft sides are nice. I really like the supports you have come up with for the hard top to be run as a bikini. What kind of flex do you get out of that, in that mode?

Brian,
When set up in hard bikini mode, the roof is very sturdy, really no flex. There are two ways to set up the roof as a hard bikini - on the left below it's set up with no doors or door surrounds, on the right is with doors and surrounds.

In the setup with surrounds, there are 6 places the roof is attached to the Jeep - two clamps on the windshield, bolts holding the door surround to the roof and to the tub, and the two rear stanchions.

The rear stanchions, shown below, are made of steel tubing, they're about 8" wide and each attach to the roof with two bolts to the tub and two bolts to the roof, so they're very strong and prevent side-to-side movement.

In the case of the setup without surrounds, there also six places the roof bolts to the Jeep - replacing the surrounds are metal brackets that attach to the roll bar in the same location as the factory surrounds, and bolt to the roof, so those securely anchor the roof over the doors. The brackets are shown in the right photo above.

And finally, the roof is reinforced with substantial fiberglass cross-ribs, so the roof panel itself is quite sturdy.

 

[jscherb]

I'm in the process of painting the hardtop modules now, should have everything painted and installed within a week.

 

[jscherb]

Got the roof panel painted and clearcoated today, now all that's left is to assemble the parts one final time and install the hardtop on the Jeep - all the construction work is done.

 

[jscherb]

Well I finished the basic hardtop project, so I'll end this thread with a few posts of final photos. Thanks to everyone who gave me ideas for outfitting this Jeep, I'll be taking some of the suggestions as I go forward. As for sleeping, I'll be building a Jeep tub trailer/camper, I think the LJ is just too small for sleeping.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[jscherb]

 

[jscherb]

 

[jscherb]

 

[Beowulf]

Just absolutely amazing. Your hard work really paid off. Now all we have to do is wait and hope the company brings these to market.

 

[jscherb]

A few more photos of the finished top, with the roof rack basket installed...