Half Tops

You guys that already have bikini tops, did you make them from scratch?, modify a soft top canvas?, modify a M-38a1 bikini top?

You guys planning on half tops, how are you planning on doing it?

My mom made mine. She's a seamstress. She looking into modifying my full top, but the fabric was too thick and I didn't really cotton to the low sides.

It took her about an hour to sew one up as all she did was fold the fabric at the front to make it thick enough to fit in the windshield rail, then put some nylon web straps on the back. It reaches to the bed eyelets.

I'm pretty happy with it, but it was her first and as such is a bit narrow (from passenger to driver's side). Gary Topaz got her 2nd attempt and from the test fitting on my rig it was alot nicer.

The tops flap in the wind at highway speeds, but block the sun and rain. Alot cooler (heat wise) than that heavy canvas top- with doors on or off.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8224/tn_TOP17.jpg

ARe our windshield strips the same as a M-38A1? I was thinking of modifying one of those.

I just bought a tarp at the Army/Navy store, folded the seam like -B.'s mom did for him, and sewed it up myself. I Attached it to the windshield then put bungee cords on to pull tension, Hand stiched it to the back support. Then I cut the sides a little long,folded the seam and attached snap heads to snap to the frame.This way it covers the sides of the top and works better with the doors closed and windows up. Only the back is open. I got a metal top with the truck,but it blew off during transport to Texas and got trashed. I think in the near future I am going to make a solid half top(metal or Fiberglass?) Members pics have a shot of my truck just before I put the snaps on.

mine is off of a jeep wrangler. my wife bought it at a yard sale for her cj7. didn't fit right so i got to looking at it. put it on the truck, it fit right in the channel on the windshield. the two long straps on the back were alittle short to reach the loops on the cab so i made some extensions out of a surplus sleeping bag carrier. fits pretty decent. and it was cheap. 10.00 .

When did the cj series switch windshield mount styles? I tried to make one from a cj-5 work. Wrong channel and way to short. It didn't even make it to the seat backs.

I don't know if you would call it a bikini top as the sides come down to the windows but here is mine. I made it out of some sort of vinyl that is tough as nails. You can't even tear a strip of it cut 1/4" wide. I made it with the sides to help keep the rain off me better.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/f8a941cf.jpg

the late model wranglers have a roll cage that goes to the back of the jeep. the one i'm using drops down about8 inches from the top of the cab. it fits in the channel just fine.

Larry,
You mean that the Wrangler bikini top goes in your windshield channel, over your stock top bows and then hangs down to withing 8 inches of the back of your cab?

Here is what I have and what I want to do. Somebody made a hard top out of my canvas top bows. I have seen several in my area like this. I like the hard top for severe hot or cold conditions. I don't want a full canvas top. I just want something for shade in the summer and maybe cut the wind down enough that I can wear my cowboy hat above 43 mph. I build my roll bar between the bed and cab to allow my tool box to waste as little bed space as possible. I want something that will go from my windshield to my roll bar. I don't care about the sides. Around here, it will normally dry out in early June and not rain again until mid to late September. This is what my now painted hard top and roll bar look like. So you can see, I only need a few inches longer than the top of the stock canvas cover.


http://photo.starblvd.net/Barrman/1-...;ro=4&co=3

I went by a 4Wheel Parts store last week. I had called them about the tops Larry mentioned. The price on the phone was $79.99. I wanted to go by and see and measure what they had. I ended up buying two '76-'86 CJ-7 bikini tops for a total of $40. I bought to with the intent of sewing one onto the other. This is what one looks like.



As you can see, it is just a little bit short of my roll bar. I think it would be almost perfect for the stock top frame. The top came with a 3/4" flat plastic piece sewn into the front to fit the CJ window frame. I cut the stitches out and sandwiched a 52"x 1/4" rolled steel rod in. It fit in the stock M715 channel perfectly. I still need to sew the rod in. What do you recommend for thread? I have used non waxed dental floss for stuff like this before and always had good results. Any more ideas?
http://photo.starblvd.net/Barrman/1-...;ro=4&co=4

When I have to sew things up and want it good and rugged I use Spiderwire fishing line. 80lb test is still thin enough to fit through the eye of a good size needle.

i will keep trying to post a picture of my top. do you have any pictures of your roll bar? i'd like to put one in my truck.

Larry, I'll post what I have from the house tonight and take more if needed.

I bought a speedy stich or something like that from Cabelas. It is basicaly an awl type sewing device. I have used it to sew up my YJ's soft top on several occasions and although it takes a long time to sew by hand it works great. They aren't that much to buy and come with several needles and waxed thread to use. The waxed thread creates a good seal to keep water out too.

Barrman, I make stuff sacks and stuff for camping gear. There is a black nylon thread that is extremely strong and will not rot over time. It is very heavy and can be found at craft stores or sewing stores. Thats all I'm gonna say as I'll get accused of knowing Christopher lowel again.... If I don't like what I see out there I'll make it myself. And it's always better anyway...

I take mine and fold it right below the rear window and then I slide it on the frame, it alows me to use the corner snaps and get the benifit of a bikini top try it

I had to work on my washing machine last night instead of take and post pictures. As all can see, my picture host seems to be down today anyway. Tonight I have my sons pre-school graduation, that means tomorrow night before I can do the pics of the roll bar.

Thank you all for the help about the thread for stitching.

Here is the roll bar and top 2 years later.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3...kinitopng9.jpg

Sweet...talk about bring a post back from the dead...LOL


Hers a bunh of misspelld words just to try out the spell checkerd


Cool, it works...went ahead and ignored then for the time beingw.