Turning soft top into ute?

[mroffroader]

Hey guys, Im looking at buying a full soft top 413 but am a bit put off by it becuase of the soft top (security, as it will be daily driver also) has anyone added in a bit of a roof above you head and filled in behind the front seats to make a ute? If so could you please post some pics for idea's? cheers guys

[nicbeer]

another idea is to put a cargo barrier behind the front seats and buy a single fibreglass section or make a steel one for above the drivers head.

[mroffroader]

Ah yea thats not a bad (cheap) idea.....cheers. Would like to see pics of any of you guy's creations like this....cheers

[fool_injected]

Have not finished mine yet but I was thinking of using fencing type mesh to fill behind the targa

Probaly could do the same for the roof

[nicbeer]

btw

this is my cargo barrier. this is in a hardtop but will work in a ST

[Gwagensteve]

This is a factory SWB ute.

They aren't very common, this is the only one I have seen that I KNOW is factory, but something similar could be made with the identical fibreglass cab back from a Maruti and a custom bulkhead from the floor to the cab back.

If you can find the roof and cab back, they are worth big $$$ from wreckers, as you're not the only person to have this idea.

This al unbolts in minutes allowing the owner to run this car fully open.

I paid $400 for a roof and cab back about 10 years ago.

Steve.

[The unit1]

mines a factory swb ute, but has had the tub cut off and a custom tray put on it, it is sweet lots of room in the cab and you can still fit heaps on the tray. the tray is lifted high enough to place the 31" under it so thats not in the road. also its for sale if anyoe is interested

[mroffroader]

That looks sweet! thats exactaly what I want to do! I would be keen for your rig the unit1 but im over in New Zealand LOL.

[fool_injected]

Rear window looks disproportionate and what's with the tray on the tray?

[mr green]

rear window is the same propotion
as the factory ute

[want33s]

Tray on tray is for extra storage I guess.

[fool_injected]

rear window is the same propotion
as the factory ute

The rear window looks to be a standard hard top
With the HT you have the door and jamb and in your pic the window is recessed. These give the window a proportional look

The window on Steves truck, whilst factory, looks too small IMO.
This is purely an ascetics thing and does not effect functionality

[Gwagensteve]

I agree the window looks too small, but that's how suzuki built it, who am I to argue. tHere is a fitted plastic liner inside so increasing the size of the window would leave the inside unfinished. It's not a restriction on visibility.

Yes, the tray on the tray is for storage. A large spacecase slides underneath leaving room above for an esky/clothes bags. It bolts to the top of the tub with countersunk bolts. the top of the tub was reinforced with 3mmX50mmX25mm C channel.

It's not my car, but the owner camps out of this car regularly and needed more storage room. Also the shocks come through the floor abour 2" and while they are covered, between the cab back and shock mounts, there's not a lot of storage.

Steve.