"Safari Cab" modular hardtop project

[jscherb]

And while I was waiting for the primer/surfacer to harden, I did some more "digital doodling"... (another version I have no intention of building, ever )... This one's got different windows, and and accented paint job...

If you hate this one, you don't have to post your opinion, I don't think I like it either...

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Are you kidding! Thats very cool! :victory:

 

[Haggis]

Willy :drool: Too cool!

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Willy :drool: Too cool!

We're still talking about the Willys Jeep image above right? :Wow1:







j/k... :elkgrin:

 

[Haggis]

Gee willickers, can't a guy get a break when his often broken, arthritic fingers miss the s on the key board. :elkgrin:

 

[Root Moose]

If you hate this one, you don't have to post your opinion, I don't think I like it either...

Oh, I don't know, it's not that terrible.

I think it might be a neat thing for a niche market type install; think resort tours or that kind of thing.

 

[flyboy161]

Actually, I rather like it!

 

[Ford Prefect]

I love it Jeff!

If I had the money to spend I would be very interested in doing that. I think it would be a truely unique vehicle, like your retro wrangler.

Good stuff.

 

[jscherb]

on the half top have the bulkhead/rear window section have cut outs so the it can be put on with the stock roll cage
i say this because some people would like the look of the half top for the winter/offroading but still like to have the full cage when the have the soft top on

It's probably a good time to bring this up because I don't think the company has decided on this question yet. The modular design of the top means that it could be built so the roll bars pass through the top as show in the drawing below. That of course adds cost to the top, so it would be cheaper if the user was required to remove the rear bars like the other half-cabs on the market.

Let me know what you think...

 

[TCM]

Other than a sunroof (which I have no plans for), I'm not sure which "features" you think will make the top less desirable; I'm trying to build what the majority seem to want.

Lets just say that the after market top manufacturers tend to put in gimmicky features such as storage pockets/nets, targa style removable panels, sun roofs, carpet like headliners and the like. For your personal top you are obviously not doing these kind of things. But if it goes to production the manufacture could add any number of these "features".

 

[Root Moose]

It's probably a good time to bring this up because I don't think the company has decided on this question yet. The modular design of the top means that it could be built so the roll bars pass through the top as show in the drawing below. That of course adds cost to the top, so it would be cheaper if the user was required to remove the rear bars like the other half-cabs on the market.

Let me know what you think...

This is awesome. Perfect solution to something that can be problematic.

I guess the next thing is figuring out what kind of foam/rubber can be used to make a gasket with enough flex to accommodate the movement of the body relative to the frame yet still being water tight.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Ok, once again I hve to ask you to forgive my ignorance, but why would it cost more? I an not seem to work out how it would be more than twenty bucks worth of rubber to change this from the roll bar passing through and not.

By the by, personally, it would make no difference to me because there is no way you would do it for a CJ given the rollbar's angled bar locations. Beyond that, if I had a TJ or an LJ, oh yeah, I would REALLY prefer that it went on through the cab. Then again I suspect that someone could modify it easy enough if it was important to them. I do not see why it would be that hard.

So, I guess... Explain please???

B

 

[bmonday]

Any time you deviate from straight lines, it costs more money to manufacture

 

[jscherb]

Ok, once again I hve to ask you to forgive my ignorance, but why would it cost more? I an not seem to work out how it would be more than twenty bucks worth of rubber to change this from the roll bar passing through and not.

By the by, personally, it would make no difference to me because there is no way you would do it for a CJ given the rollbar's angled bar locations. Beyond that, if I had a TJ or an LJ, oh yeah, I would REALLY prefer that it went on through the cab. Then again I suspect that someone could modify it easy enough if it was important to them. I do not see why it would be that hard.

So, I guess... Explain please???

B

Extra labor and extra/different parts. Since not everyone would want roll-bar pass-through (and even if all the TJ guys did, the CJ guys wouldn't, as you said), there would be some work after the molding to cut the holes in the parts. Then there would be the gasket, as you said, and there might be some other parts to seal the holes properly. As it's drawn, the roll bar passes equally through the back and roof panels, but in reality the roll bar isn't exactly in the center of the joint (it is a little lower than center), so there may need to be a small filler piece on one side of the bar. The drip rail would likely have to be a different part, since the roll bar would interrupt it. So a bunch of little changes plus some labor adds up to more cost.

 

[jscherb]

Since you last saw a photo of the roof panel I've spent about 6 hours block sanding it; today I sprayed it again with high-build primer/surfacer. Next is quick sanding to smooth the surface of the primer (it sprays on with a slight texture), and then all this panel will need is a final coat of either epoxy primer or polyester primer - those are impervious to the polyester resin used when making the molds. So basically all the real work on the roof panel is done. Over the next 4-5 days I'll finish up the rest of the panels the same way.

In this photo it might look the same as the last photo, but in the last photo it was good enough for a textured finish, now after all those hours of block sanding it's good enough for a high gloss finish, unfortunately the photos can't really show you the difference.