Whats the best soft top for my 715?

Howdy guy's,
I just got home a 715 that was left to me from a old friend that past away and I have a few questions. I'm very exited to own such an original and cool truck. Eventually I want want to put a fuel injected motor in it and put some Rockwell's underneath it.
Tell then it's in great shape and I just want to run it and enjoy it but I want to to get rid of the noisy hard top and get the doors and windows working and sealing.
Can anybody tell me who makes the best soft top and mounting hardware? Also where can I find new seals and parts for the doors?
Like I said I'm really exited to have such awesome truck to play with, build, and restore. So I appreciate any advice.

I doubt you'll ever get the doors & windows to seal! Door seals are unavailable, but some have used off-the-shelf seals with variable success.

Look to the surplus market for a canvas top, or Weebee Webbing or New Life Canvas for newly-made canvas tops. Some with handy features such as zip-open rear panels for summertime ventilation.

Hardware to install the top involves the side window frames and two bent-tubing hoops. You may have the side window frames on your hard top, in fact. I think someone here was bending replacement top hoops too. Do a search for more info.

Welcome to the Zone and hope you enjoy your leaky, noisy, clanky, whining M715! :welcome:

I picked up my soft top from Vintage Power Wagons about 4 years ago and its held up well in both weather and storage indoors, as far as the canvas itself is concerned. The truck does leak when it rains on it though, but that is through no fault of the top.

As far as weather-tightness any military vehicle is pretty much off the list. The side glasses don't seal to the top frames well at all, and when it rains you will get some measure of water blowing into the cab from various places around the top, doors, and windshield.

Got mine here. Very pleased with it!
http://www.surplusjeep.com/topscush.htm

I got mine from suplus city also and was very happy with it.

Duane

New / old soft top, the M715 to my opinion seems not to be designed to be rain proven. Doors always are not closed, neighter the soft top with frame and so on realy fit well nor , as I have it, an original glass fibre hard top realy fits propperly. But it is better than nothing anyway.
Soldiers motto: better a poor ride than a good walk. You can get used to that with a M715 series truck. I'm used to it after almost 30 years.
Wolf
I do not get wet feet or clother whe driving in the rain. So not too bad. And in winter I have a somewhat useable heating. What else I do request from a 43 year old MV?

I also bought my top at Surplus City. It has been out in the weather for over a year and still looks as good as the day I bought it. I highly recommend it and I wish I had bought one sooner. John

my surplus jeep one fit perfect!

So Surplus City has the canvas top, but they don't seem to have the frame rails for a soft top... is there a good place to get these? Or maybe the specs/design, to possibly make them??
Thanks!

I wouldn't consider a soft top somewhere that gets cold, unless it's a summer driver only.

I've only had a hard top on my 715, but I used to drive a VW dune buggy with a cloth roof. My hardtop is much quieter and better sealed. And lockable.

I didn't buy the truck to have a roof on it! lol
But in Colorado, I'm more worried about Spring (and Summer, and Fall) showers while I'm out and about, so a quickly replaceable top is most ideal. In winter, I'll put the hard top on or drive my other vehicles...
Thanks!

I'm going to get one from New Life Canvas: they have one with a zip-up back panel, and they offer colors other than OD.

Plus, you get to look at Binford's truck while you make your selection. :thumbup1:

Ive been puttin off buying a top for a long time
My question to the group is from what company and why
I like the new life canvas that can be rolled up in back
I'm road tripping in a month and will need i soon
Does anybody have experience with any of the top manufacturers good and bad about quality and delivery times I know if I talked to them they'll tell me what I want to hear you guys will tell me the truth
thanks in advance
Karl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noreallyicanfixit

Ive been puttin off buying a top for a long time
My question to the group is from what company and why
I like the new life canvas that can be rolled up in back
I'm road tripping in a month and will need i soon
Does anybody have experience with any of the top manufacturers good and bad about quality and delivery times I know if I talked to them they'll tell me what I want to hear you guys will tell me the truth
thanks in advance
Karl

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If you need it in a month then Surplus City is your only option. They are the only ones to carry them in stock. Everyone else is made at the time of order and is usually an 8 week wait time.

I bought a used "new" top from a guy on eBay several years ago. So, I am not sure who made it. But I want to let you know that often, the top will be tight and all of the snaps around the door window may not reach. However... after about a week in the sun, things loosened up enough and each day or so, I was able to fasten another snap. Eventually, they all snapped properly. And, I will say that there is no sag in my top. It is very taught.

Just my experience.

When my hardtop was put on... all the "snaps" were removed... is there a place to by rivets/snaps?

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Originally Posted by venominjected

When my hardtop was put on... all the "snaps" were removed... is there a place to by rivets/snaps?

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Yep, most any hardware store will have replacement snap hardware. Usually they are in little kits of both halves of a snap. They are a standard size so you will be good to go to match up with your soft top when you get it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Subybaja

I wouldn't consider a soft top somewhere that gets cold, unless it's a summer driver only.

I've only had a hard top on my 715, but I used to drive a VW dune buggy with a cloth roof. My hardtop is much quieter and better sealed. And lockable.

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Wait, I just realized you said "lock". How the hell do you lock your truck?? lol



And again, no one knows were to get the rest of the top besides the canvas?

I put door locks on my truck with a hard top. had to cut a hole and file out the square parts.pictures will come when the picture thing gets worked out.

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Originally Posted by tomb

I put door locks on my truck with a hard top. had to cut a hole and file out the square parts.pictures will come when the picture thing gets worked out.

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Post 'em from your phone with the Tapatalk app. I gave up on posting from a photo hosting site years ago-- too much of a PITA.

@KSkaiser Welcome to the zone and congrats on your new ride. Sorry you got it the way you did.

As for military trucks all military vehicles leak! ALL OF THEM! One of my rules of military vehicles is when driving in the rain your right foot will get soaked! Every truck that I've owned and I've own many over 30+ years in this hobby my gas peddle foot has gotten soaked while driving in the rain.

Unfortunately because of the short (in terms of years in production and service) the M715 had there are not as much surplus parts for them as say an M37 or the M35 etc. Do a search on here as well as the web you will find you may have to get creative in order to seal things up. You may have to take a piece of the door seal to a local shop and see what you can match it up to. But for me that's part of the fun.

Good luck with your truck.

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Originally Posted by Lubes

Wait, I just realized you said "lock". How the hell do you lock your truck?? lol

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Well, about that...
A bicycle cable behind the cab, and a padlock through each door handle. :oops:

I've got a set of J-truck doors I eventually want to switch the locks from, but the latch mounting bolts (and the latches themselves) aren't the same, so it will probably be a PIA.

Thread here with dead pics:
http://www.m715zone.com/vb/showthread.php?t=27769

Eagerly awaiting pics from Tomb.