RoadRunner42

This is my first real post on here so take it easy on me. LOL

So Ive had this old 4runner top with damage on one of the back corners just rotting away. Ive been needing to get rid of it but I hated the idea of it without making some use of it. Well, I got the idea to use a section of the front part as a brace for a bikini top.

Materials
- 1.5 yards of black marine vinyl ($20.99)
- 4 snap eye swivel hooks (~$8)
- 4 adjustable buckles and 3 yards of webbing (~$10)
(Coupons were definitely used)

Heres what I started with;


I then cut the brace right at the rain gutters;


Sanded and pressure washed it;


And I gave it a nice black coat of rattle can.


Now that I had that done, I measured the width of my brace and it measured exactly 48 inches. The fabric I was using was 56 inches across. So, I folded the sides over until the total width across was 48 inches;


Doing this not only gave me the desired width without cutting, it made the sides thicker/stronger and gave it a more professional look. You be the judge;


I then took the fabric and glued it to the top of the brace using some 3M spray adhesive careful to leave a 1.5 inch piece of fabric overhanging the edge. I then glued and folded this to the inside lip. When the brace is bolted to the cab, it will pinch the fabric between and add extra strength.


I then sewed some webbing to each back corner of the top and added a adjustable buckle at the end. The other half of the buckle was connected to the swivel hook and was a set length (non adjustable). I then bolted it up and tightened it down. Looked nice and slick. I thought I was done...


I took her out for her initial test run. At about 35mph, It flapped a lot and made a lot of noise. So, I went back to the drawing board. I decided to add 2 more adjustable buckle systems near the middle. This pulled the rest of the fabric nice and tight.


Took her out for another run, and everything was perfect. I got minimal flap at 60mph (I suppose its damn near impossible to eliminate all flap) and it made absolutely no noise. Not to mention, it looked amazing.


For about 40 bucks, I got an amazing looking top that I made myself. It took 2 days and a lot of sewing (Shout out to Grandma B) but it was well worth it. Now, I know most people don't have an extra top laying around or are willing to chop up their perfectly good one, so most people use flat bar to match the curvature and width for the brace. I did a lot of research before attempting this, but I didn't really find what I was looking for; a bikini top made from scratch (at least the fabric part). I'm VERY happy with the way it turned out and just wanted to show it off. Any questions just ask and I would love to see what anyone makes if this inspires you.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

For your first real post as you mentioned, You did great!!! Looks good. Always nice to see new ideas out there.

rworegon

Looks good, functional, inexpensive....a perfect combination.