soft top vs hard top

Post by **shorty_f0rty** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:38 pm

i am thinking of throwing the softtop on but have no idea what its gonna be like. I want to keep the full doors a bit more security and speakers.. i have a fast top. I also have a fair bit of crap in the back that i like to leave in there.. even tho the hardtops on there at the moment there are often oceans in the passanger and driver side footwells after some steady hard rain.

what are others opinions about the pros/cons of each, personal experience, etc?

soft top

pros:
lower COG.
less weight

cons:
exhaust?
exposure?
theft?
noise?

hard top

pros:
no exposure
security
lack of road noise

cons:
weight
higher COG

Churs!

Post by **scorched** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:43 pm

Pro's for soft top also

Convertible style.
Add a nice big chrome bling rollbar(sportsbar

)

yer go softop

Post by **bj42turbo** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:06 pm

Yeah I dont regret soft topping mine, although when funds permit I will get one of those square soft tops from Eureka Off Road that are better fitting than the fast back style I have.The bikini top that Possum Hunterm made is great when you dont want to 100% topless. Security is an issue so I put a lock on the glove box and when the rear drawers are in I am able to the rear tailgate thus securing the doors

Cheers Dazz

Post by **pcman** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:02 pm

umm why not just have both i plan on getting a soft top or a bikini top to go along with my hard top
its what a 15 min job to remove the roof so i say keep the roof for winter and have a bikini top and soft top for summer

Post by **shorty_f0rty** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:34 pm

i have both.. just haven't planned on going soft top until now.. i will probably do it but i would still be interested in others experiences and opinions on the matter..

one of the most prominent things is the fact that the rag top gets so noisy.. although i dont think this will be too much of a prob with a half decent stereo an speakers!

Post by **daddylonglegs** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 10:12 pm

If you do a lot of wheeling in heavily treed areas a hard top would be preferable. When I used to run soft tops I would have to buy a new one on average once a year. I have had the same hardtop(series 2 LandRover) on for over ten years now. it has a million dents but is still structurely sound even after one complete slow rollover without cage.
Bill.

Post by **shorty_f0rty** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 4:58 pm

hmm.. hard top is off and soft top is on.. it needs a bit of work with the full doors and the back is real hard to see through. but it should be ok..

i notice the pickup is soooooo much better.. who needs a turbo when you have a softtop!

Post by **DIRTY ROCK STAR** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 5:52 pm

yeah dude my soft top cops a hounding off road. gonna fix that and take it off! i wish i had taken it off from day 1, they are so $$$ i have the big square back job, and seems to find trees near the roll bar area.

but once its gorn only be the rollbad holding me up.

i recommend using softy over summer and hardtop for winter.
thats what i would do if i had a hard top!

my 2 cents.

Post by **bj42turbo** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 7:35 pm

shorty_f0rty wrote:. who needs a turbo when you have a softtop!

Yeah but imagine what its like with soft top AND turbo

Post by **A*D*A*M** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:11 pm

If you're worried about security, I got some marine ply, piano hinges and barrel bolts and boxed in the whole back tub. Semi waterproof (more than my soft tops anyway) and if I needed the tub for bigger stuff, the hinges would disengage when pushed sideways and the lid was open. I put the stereo in the glove box with a lock and the speakers mounted between the seats facing forward so I could take the doors off too. My jeeps didn't have a glove box, so I built a centre console out of marine ply. Ugly but it locked. It won't stop a determined thief, but neither will a hard top. It kept things are out of sight from casual observation by bastards.

I got sick of soft top cars though (I owned 5, FJ40, 3 x Jeeps and a sierra). Too much sunburn in summer, Too much getting wet when it rained, too much flapping on the highway, too much getting my face slapped by branches. Maybe I'm just a wuss. Love driving a soft top on the beach though.

cheers,

Adam.

Post by **bj42turbo** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:15 pm

A*D*A*M
I have being thinking of doing the hard tonneau for a while now, Gumby on one of the Yankie cruiser sites did one and covered it in vinyl, looked cool. Dont supose you have any pics Adam

Cheers Dazz

P.s. Sorry to highjack thread :oops:

http://www.wideopenwest.com/~rballa...eau%20cover.htm

Post by **Jeeps** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 2:51 am

Nice

Now all you jeep wannabe owners need is a set of soft doors, to complete the ultimate softop vehicle :cool:

BTW, have you looked at BESTOP? They make the best soft tops available - if you have the money. They make the factory tops that come with TJ's. Most aftermarket jeep specialists can import them direct for you.

Post by **A*D*A*M** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:56 am

Dazz,

Sorry no pix. Mine were along the lines of the picture of the 'Cruiser you posted but imagine marine ply painted black and a bit dodgy around the roll bar. On my 'Cruiser I had steel boxes bolted to the top of the wheel wells and only enclosed the area between the wells. Again, ply painted black, not pretty. It suited the car. It wasn't real pretty either.

Adam.

Post by **Utemad** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:43 am

shorty_f0rty wrote:i notice the pickup is soooooo much better.. who needs a turbo when you have a softtop!

Sure it's not just because it sounds faster :lol:

We took my brothers FJ45 roof off to fix rust and it wasn't that heavy and it's twice the size of yours.

Post by **bj42turbo** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:05 pm

Jeeps wrote:Nice

Now all you jeep wannabe owners need is a set of soft doors, to complete the ultimate softop vehicle
BTW, have you looked at BESTOP? They make the best soft tops available - if you have the money. They make the factory tops that come with TJ's. Most aftermarket jeep specialists can import them direct for you.

I would love a set of those soft doors but they are a bit pricey
But I am going to cut down some steel doors soon to make jeep style half doors :oops:

Post by **Wooders** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:11 am

I have a factory Softtop, then bought a factory Hard top and now have Bestop door sliders & bikini/duster combo.....So I just pick which one I want to run depending on mood/time or year etc....
Right now I still have the hardtop on - but it will be coming of tonight hopefully (I'll be fitting a sport cage tonight :cool:

)
The lighter weight is noticable and the overal "feel" imho is better - but for long drives I like the hardtop on again....

Post by **Jeeps** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:58 pm

So can ya get me a price on the Bestop Hardtop?

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