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Hard top for 66 CJ5

Discussion in 'Early Jeep Restoration and Research' started by etu, Aug 11, 2005.

  1. Aug 11, 2005
    etu

    etu Member

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    Aug 4, 2005
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    68
    I've just finished restoring my 66 Cj5 and just after I thought I was completely satisfied with its binkini top, today I ran across an original metal hard top complete with doors and glass - all in good condition. Its already off sitting on shop floor and ready for painting.

    I'm tempted to get the hard top but I'd like to hear from others who have tried it both ways. Some questions:
    1) Is it practical to take off and put back on seasonally.
    2) Would you paint it the matching color as the body or contrast (my jeep is white with black bikini top and it looks clean and crisp.
    3) any other comments and especially any pictures of the hard tops would be appreciated

    Eddy
     
  2. Aug 11, 2005
    kcjeep

    kcjeep Member

    Stillwater, Oklahoma
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    Just personal option here...but I think you will like the soft top look much better. I would pass on the hard cab. KCJ
     
  3. Aug 11, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    1. No. :D
    2. They can look nice, but IMHO a soft top looks better
     
  4. Aug 11, 2005
    $ sink

    $ sink Gazillians of posts

    Virginia Bch
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    I like the look of a hard top, the one that came with my jeep (kelly) is part of the reason I bought it and passed up others. after driving it with the top, without it, and with a bikini/half doors, There are 3 things I do not like about the metal tops: increased interior noise (echo chamber), added topside weight (a couple hundred pounds right where you don't need them), and lack of clear visibility. that being said, I would grab a half cab in a heartbeat if I find a good one available. :)
     
  5. Aug 12, 2005
    $ sink

    $ sink Gazillians of posts

    Virginia Bch
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    To answer your questions;

    Taking one on and off on a regular basis would be a chore and probably result in damage to the top over time. If you have the room for a special lift that would remove it in one piece and store it that way it is doable.

    Opinion: color wise, most of the tops came from the factory in white. they look good white against any color of jeep. I have also seen several painted the color of the jeep and they look good that way as well. I have seen black and can't immagine how hot that gets in the sun. contrasting color could be a nice choice if the color was carefully selected.

    I am planning on cutting my top into a half cab unless someone here wants to work a deal on it. when I do, it will be painted the same color as the jeep.


    $.02 given

    <end transmission>
     
  6. Aug 12, 2005
    etu

    etu Member

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    Thanks for all the feedback.
    I was worried about the "noise chamber" as well. I use my CJ5 year round with the Bikini top. In the winter I use it on nearby (10 mile radius) hunting excursions and I'm already in appropriate gear for spending a lot of time in the open. Our winters in Ga are mild by any standards so its not a big deal. One of the things I like with the bikini top is the crisp & clean look and the visibility.

    Having said all that I may still grab this top and doors and hold on for possible resale at later date. Whats the value for good square top and doors with no cracks in the glass & in need of priming/painting with very minor bodywork?

    Eddy
     
  7. Aug 12, 2005
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Look at my avatar for an example of hardtop the same as body color. I definitely will agree the soft top looks really sharp compared to a hardtop. I am personally through though with replacing soft tops.
     
  8. Aug 12, 2005
    56WillyCJ5

    56WillyCJ5 Oops! Actually 55WillyCJ5

    Columbus, GA
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    Before I gave up on finding one and bought the Supertop, the value would have been great! Especially since you're also in GA! Seriously, what few I found for sale on the west coast or some other great distance from GA ranged from $400 to $1000. I was really wanting a hard top as opposed to the soft, but with everything mentioned here, perhaps the soft was a better choice. One thing I learned though. If I take the jeep to Florida with the top on, and the weather is nice, I can fold up the top and go 'topless'. That's a wee bit hard to do with a hard top! :D

    On another note, I vote for the contrasting color but would choose something other than black for temp reasons. I'd choose an accent color like neon green and use that for the top, and also use the color for lettering or stripes to pull it together.

    My $0.0175 in!
     
  9. Aug 12, 2005
    56WillyCJ5

    56WillyCJ5 Oops! Actually 55WillyCJ5

    Columbus, GA
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    I was under the impression the hard, half-cabs were not feasible for the CJ5s because of the differences in the doors and the distance from rear door opening to the windshield. Otherwise, I'd love a half-cab as well!
     
  10. Aug 12, 2005
    $ sink

    $ sink Gazillians of posts

    Virginia Bch
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    you've been watching too many of those decorating shows
     
  11. Aug 12, 2005
    $ sink

    $ sink Gazillians of posts

    Virginia Bch
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    I have seen several of them on ebay and such but never close enough to me to justify the trip at the price. I have a complete Kelly top just like the one in Glenn's Avy, but prefer the look and lighter weight of half cabs.
     
  12. Aug 12, 2005
    Schlotka

    Schlotka default member

    Weed, CA
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    What do you mean exactly "from rear door to windshield."? cj5's had the factory option of a steel halftop. If mine was on right now, I'd post a pic. The same halftops will fit a cj6 as well, with wheelwell inserts.
     
  13. Aug 13, 2005
    dishwolf359

    dishwolf359 Full Time Bum

    Burnsville NC
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    Well, I like the soft tops for all the reasons mentioned, especially the weight factor and lack of echo. I live in North Carolina in the Appalachian Mountains, and there are some extremely steep roads here. I was traveling up a steep one a few years ago and the Jeep was lurching badly to the left (drivers side). Unfortunately, I ended up laying it over onto the drivers door because of the added weight of the top. Fortunately, the dirt was soft and damage was minimal, a minor dent to the top, but no broken glass. That said, I also like the steel cab that it came with from the factory (special ordered by my grandfather) because it is so uncommon, and draws a lot of admiration here. It also looks very nostalgic. The top came white, and the Jeep ('66 CJ5) is blue. I like the transition of colors. I also like being able to drive into the higher elevations (above 6000 feet) in the winter with the heater on (also special ordered) and enjoying a nice warm interior while it's below zero outside. Plowing through 3 feet or more of snow can get hectic, but that's part of the fun. So, I guess I'm split down the middle....just my 2 cents worth....thanks for the email etu...
     
  14. Aug 13, 2005
    66cj5

    66cj5 Jeep with no name

    NorthWest Indiana
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    other than the echo chamber effect, i prefer the hardtop in winter and no top in summer.
     
  15. Aug 13, 2005
    Mojave

    Mojave Member

    California High...
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    I personally prefer the soft top, as most of my Jeeping is in the boonies in decent weather, and I like the "wide open" effect of the open Jeep. We also hunt quail in the desert out of our CJ3A, and jumping out of an open Jeep is much quicker than it would be with sides and doors. I used to run a Landcruiser, and pulled the hard top every summer, and stored it overhead in the garage. It was kind of a PIA to pull and store, but I only had to deal with the switchover twice a year, so what the heck? The HT was a joy to drive in the winter, while I freeze my butt off in my softy in the winter, even with the heater on full-blast. As far as the noise is concerned - a steel hardtop is easily insulated and soundproofed, and can be made much more quiet than a soft top. The comfort aspect may be more or less important - depending on where you live. My son selected our CJ6 because it had a "factory" hardtop (and a Koenig winch). He says the hard top makes it look a little like a mail Jeep, but he's suffered enough cold winters riding in my CJ3A. Besides - adding A/C into the hard top model will be more effective than with a fabric one. BTW - I once bought a Koenig HT for my 3A, but sold it after it sat 4 years in the yard without it being used. We now have an old CJ5 HT rusting away in the yard, which we'll probably also never use.
     
  16. Aug 15, 2005
    56WillyCJ5

    56WillyCJ5 Oops! Actually 55WillyCJ5

    Columbus, GA
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    Ouch! BUSTED! Too many episodes of 'Trading Spaces'. Of course, I've been able to cut my viewing down drastically now that they've cut Paige Davis out! :D

    BTW, for all you 'Trading Spaces' fans. Did you know Paige kept her maiden name when she married? As it turns out, her husband's last name is Page so if she took his name, she'd be Paige Page! :rofl:
     
  17. Aug 15, 2005
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    I had a hardtop on mine and I liked it pretty well. I think I'd have liked it better had I went the extra mile to fully repair the seals and weather stripping. It's dry in rain and warm in the winter and mine had windows that rolled up and down. And where I'm located I'd put it on @ Thanksgiving and pull it off @ Easter. Not really much handling besides that. You might find pics in the webshots link below my signature. I also really like the looks of an old jeep with an old metal top on it. It seems to fit the look of an old jeep better than the new Super Top does.

    Sounds like it's all just personal opinion whatever works for you.

    Here's a pic
     
  18. Aug 15, 2005
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    I have a relative named Dorothy Dorothy. Same situation, except she took her husband's last name.

    The visibility in the rain a hard top is better than a soft top, otherwise I'd say they're about the same.
     
  19. Aug 15, 2005
    sasquatch

    sasquatch I'm big in Japan.

    Kadena AB,...
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    http://community.webshots.com/photo/373242263/373247539UVRfjz

    Even though I didn't keep it, the half cab is what caught my eye with my JEEP. Probably wouldn't have given it a second thought without.
     
  20. Aug 15, 2005
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
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    My JEEP came with a Half-cab. I sold it for $20 to a friend who proceded to kill it by trying to get it to work with his full cage. Man I am kicking myself for that one.
     
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