[Wilson]

I picked upa new soft top today, for what I felt was a fair price. I got home and started to put it on and found some small pieces missing like the bow couplers and windshield mounting brackets. I got to thinking about just modifying the cage to hold the top up. Has anyone had any real luck with this, or should I just track down the pieces and follow the instructions. Pictures or just ideas if you've got them please

 

[FJ40|RUNNER]

I'd just get/make the stuff needed to mount the bows. I would love to just use the cage as the bows as well, but you would need to make the cage about 10' tall to make it work.

 

[Wilson]

Thanks, that's pretty much what I've decided for now, considering the season. If I got it to fit nice and tight now, it would be loose as hell in the summer. I've got some tubing I can turn down or bore to use for the sleeves and the windshield bracket looks easy enough to fab up too. I will tackle the cage this summer, if anyone has done this, I wouldn't mind seeing some pics.

 

[easypeasy]

I'm pissed at my soft top right now...we aren't talking. I put half my hard top on today. My soft top can go to hell. Untill I get one of those cool Pakistan tops . They rock!

 

[Wilson]

I keep hearing about those pakistani tops...got a picture? I was going to run my bikini top and half doors this winter until I found this top. I'm too skeered to mess up my hard top.

 

[JasonH]

I run the front bow on my Kayline and let the rear part of the family cage hold up the rest. It's a lot easier to stretch the sides over and I was always catching the rear bow on trees. Plus it fits in the garage better.

It's a bit floppier on the highway, but it's so loud in there anyway it doesn't really bother me.

 

[Wilson]

Yeah, It will be easy enough to bend up some stuff for the front part that ties into the windshield and will catch the door seal. My concern with building the back part of the cage now is that it hasn't been getting much out of the 40's lately and I know the top would be pretty loose when it warms up.

 

[GloNDark]

I thought about it with my Kayline. But decided I didn't want a huge goofy ass looking cage all summer long. So I build the cage sleek and low, and use the stock kayline pieces for the top. Fits very snug, has take a beating and pretty much everything short of a Roll and it has held up pretty good.

I have a bunch of old softtop parts laying around. What parts do you need exactly?

 

[Wilson]

I'm missing the windshield mount brackets and the couplers for the bows. Probably easy enough to make but if you've got some let me know what you want for them to get them on their way.

 

[DaveWest5150]

If it's a best top just use your stock hard top brackets at the windshield, and I think the bow couplers are just e.m.t. that you can find at your local hardware store.

 

[GloNDark]

Cool man, I'll check it out tonight and see what I got.

 

[orangefj45]

yeah jeremy, try to track down the proper parts. also, install the top on a nice warm sunny day. once the material warms up a little it's a lot easier to get everything to fit and snap in place.

 

[Wilson]

So the L shaped brackets thatt screw on the windshield are for the hard top as well? As far as I know my hardtop hasn't been on the cruiser since it was painted 8 years ago and the brackets are MIA. I'll check the fit on the EMT, I'm guessing it would be 3/4"? I've got the top in my living room right now, no warm sunny days in the forecast for a while.

 

[Plowboy]

I will be replacing my tiger top after 15 yrs. The new top came with all the bows and channels new. If you can tell me what parts you need, I can salvage them from the old top. Am in calif now, top and cruiser in Idaho. Will be in Idaho the middle of January, can pick up parts then. Will be in idaho for a month before returning to cal. Let me know if this would work out for you. PM or email ok

 

[Wilson]

Thanks, I found out the bows are made from 3/4" EMT. I bought 4 EMT couplers and a foot of EMT and was able to join the bows together. I made the windshield brackets out of some angle I had. Now I just need to track down some more stainless snaps, or should I not waste my time and go with the turn-locks? I think I may hit the turn-locks on rocks in the summer and rip them off, are the snaps that bad?

Plowboy, I'll take the pices I'm missing, if you don't mind. The coupler pieces and the windshield brackets.