defender1844
January 19th, 2008, 01:50 PM
I live in Austin, TX and have a '97 soft top. I have no roof between 7 and 10 months of the year just depending. I currently use a fiberglass hard top for our mild winters. The fiberglass roof is really showing it's age. I understand ECR does make an aluminum hard top that requires a new roll cage. I am sure they do phenomenal work but I would be looking at shipping the truck twice and not having use of it for quite some time. I was wondering if it would be possible to fab an aluminum version of the fiberglass hard top with the following improvements:
1) the side and rear corner piece could be made into one on both sides.
2) I could use the sliding glass window on the sides.
3) I could have a sun roof in the roof portion
4) I could incorporate a gutter system to hold the sliding doors tighter.
5) I could have bosses in the side and rear corner pieces instead of worrying about those stupid rectangular washers.
6) I can re-use my seal kit(or have a source from the factory for new seals) and factory roll cage.
I have access to a phenomenal metal shop. Look at the following directory: http://www.prismnet.com/~amit/Defender/ focusing in pictures: 35 to 50 to get an idea of some of the work he has done. Of note: I no longer have the hi-lift jack in the truck. I got the SG rear tire carrier.
Is building aluminum versions of the fiberglass top pieces a good approach? Or is starting over just so much better and I either swap roll cages every time I take the roof on and off or just leave the modified roll cage intact at all times?
1) the side and rear corner piece could be made into one on both sides.
2) I could use the sliding glass window on the sides.
3) I could have a sun roof in the roof portion
4) I could incorporate a gutter system to hold the sliding doors tighter.
5) I could have bosses in the side and rear corner pieces instead of worrying about those stupid rectangular washers.
6) I can re-use my seal kit(or have a source from the factory for new seals) and factory roll cage.
I have access to a phenomenal metal shop. Look at the following directory: http://www.prismnet.com/~amit/Defender/ focusing in pictures: 35 to 50 to get an idea of some of the work he has done. Of note: I no longer have the hi-lift jack in the truck. I got the SG rear tire carrier.
Is building aluminum versions of the fiberglass top pieces a good approach? Or is starting over just so much better and I either swap roll cages every time I take the roof on and off or just leave the modified roll cage intact at all times?