How do you mount a canopy to one of these old buggars?
Is there some kind of S shaped bracket that I don't know about instead of the usual C-clamp?

 

Ummmmm.... Which old buggars Scofoco?

 

I figure that he is wondering how you attach a topper to the beds of 83 and older trucks. There is no lip on the inside of the bed. I have wondered about this myself since I am considering buying a top for mine. There must be a way...

 

79-83 you gotta drill holes . or actually any year with the "lip"

 

Yeah, I was referring to an '82 P/U. I should have specified.
The only way is to drill holes?
Bah.

 

drill holes in the lip i bought my 79 with one on (a longbed ranger cap)


and here's my 82

my 79 with that cap

 

AHHHH! now I can answer you...actually you gotta drill holes up until 88...
89 and up had the lip..

if you want to get sexy drill then tap the holes that way when you bolt it in... nut on the outside if the nut comes loose you don't loose the top.

 

hmmm .. isnt that what I said ?

 

I have actually seen people (prev owner of my old truck) use some HD self-tapping sheetmetal screws. It held, but always made me a bit nervous. Until I got rid of the canopy

 

I used 4 1/4 20 bolts with big wahsers and never had a probem (20 years on and off) until I hit a big gust of wind and it broke the 2 forward ones, and pulled the back bolts thru the canopy rails. Afew years later I was headed down the same road and watched the canopy of the truck ahead of me fly off, It was only 100 yards from where I lost mine. I now have 5/16 bolts holding it down,I wouldn't trust screws.

 

Have you ever heard of Nutserts or Klik Threads, their handy as hell and keep you from having to hold a bolt from one side while tightening up a nut from the other side. I'd recommend a large steel nutsert with a backup plate or washer, for a lightweight canopy I'd say three or four on the sides and two up front would work great.



This tool installs them.




They come in lots of various sizes.

 

Thanks for jarring my pre-oldtimer's memory. I was thinking of those when I saw this thread but for the life of me couldn't think of what they were called...

 

No problem, glad I could help.