opinions

I've been giving some thought to cutting my steel hardtop down to a half cab. I could do all the work myself but the welding might not be the best. I also can fabricate some filler panels out of some metal cabinets I have on hand. I used the same metal when I replaced my floor panels. I also have a sliding rear window from a toyota PU I could mount instead of the rear gate/doors.

I can imagine a pretty serious weight reduction with top on and easier loading in what would become the bed and the advantage of not having to smell a deer in the jeep while bringing it home.

Any opinions or thoughts out there.

Scott

 

The weight saving will be around 200lbs.

I seriously would not do it, half cabs are far less desirable that full cubs - I would trade you in a second for mine. It is not real hard to find a decent half cab, but finding a full cab can be very difficult

Replacing the rear window is a real good idea.

 

Go for it.

Biggest issue I see is the curved lower rear corner vs the straight body side after the relocation.

Take lots of photos for us.

 

Huh. I would have said just the opposite. Good half cabs are tough to find, and full cabs are comparatively plentiful. Shipping is an issue for any of them.

Half cabs are way way more desirable, IMO.

Come to Massachusetts and take what's left of my CJ-6 Meyer full cab away for nearly free.

If you need practice welding, I suggest you do that before you start. What kind of welder will you be using?

 

Seems like a waste of a good top.

 

Hardtops are definitely more desirable in different parts of the country. Sometimes around here the hardtop is worth more then the Jeep. Not really hard to find either if you look. You may be able to find a half cab cheap without doors and just use the doors you have.

 

Half cab is very practicle for Hunting/Trapping/ Fishing.

http://www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3B/Photos/Finds/Bushdiecker/Bushdiecker.JPG

 

Show how areas differ. I have only twice ever seen a full cab for sale here in Texas. I have seen countless half cabs - I have one sitting in my back yard collecting cob webs. The only person I know around here that even likes the looks of a half cab is probably my uncle

 

"the advantage of not having to smell a deer in the jeep while bringing it home."

A tow bar receiver-mount cargo carrier would be easier.

 

A friend of mine cut one down...about 30 years ago.
Building the bulkhead was the most time consuming(for him, fabricating is easy)
He then put a stowage/storage box behind the seats.
The rear floor is storage behind the cab, and a piece of plywood over the top of the wheel wells
supports the ice chest and water jug.
You can see the seam in the picture at the port side window; he cut out a flat section of the roof panel.
He used several tubes of a "heat block" gel when welding the two panles together along the seam to eliminate heat warpage. Body filler was minimal.
I might point out that he used a bent/damaged roof section to do this.
ymmv

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/348Win/arizonajeeping032.jpg

 

Full Top Koenig weighs 478 lbs, half cab Koenig wieghs 281 lbs

I am guessing it would be very close to 200, maybe more if he used thinner metal

 

Is that a young oldtime? That pic looks out of the 70s.

When I first was brainstorming my DJ build, I was going to stretch the frame and make a pickup of it. The top on it is essentially a Meyers top with the goofy sliding doors, etc. The plan was to shorten the top to make a half cab by removing about 20" of top- basically removing the side windows and the corresponding horizontal area on top. Then welding the two parts together to make a half cab. That way I would keep the rounded corners intact, etc. I was confident it would look good and be functional, though still a fair amount of fabrication. But since, I decided to keep a stock wheelbase and the top intact. And that is an old postal jeep I bought for 300 bucks.

If you lose weight, much of the loss will be in getting rid of glass and especially the rear door.

You are looking at a lot of fabrication. Don't forget that many an old jeep survived because it had a functional top on it as it sat in the rain and snow for 30 years while the ones without tops rotted away. It won't take long for the back to start rusting if it is uncovered.

A CJ5 Meyers half cab was advertised near here a while back. Someone got it for 550 and it did not sell right away.

 

I've been in personal posession of several full hard tops and I see them for sale all the time. I even have a CJ-6 hardtop right now. Very very rare to even see a half cab around here let alone one for sale. They just aren't around in my area...

 

Having said that above, I would have a hard time cutting up a good top. I'd try and find what I wanted first.

 

:iagree: yep, yep.

 

Yeah, that's me back about 1985.
I have very few pics (2 or 3) partly because I lived much of my life in recluse / remote areas.

 

Why not just build your own?
Basically all flat pieces.