RatLabGuy

BLUF: Does anybody here have a SunTop for their 1st gen 4Runner, have had one, or even have good interior pics one?
Backstory:

I've had my 4runner since '02 and used to drool over these. Over the intervening years, they have all but disappeared. The old-timers here remember... for you younger guys, SunTop was a small father-Son operation that shut down in the late 90s. They sold it as a kit w/ a top (that folds down like a convertible), a boot cover for it when down, and a bikini top. Only sold 4-500 of them worldwide. Afterwards it became sort of a holy grail to acquire.

I recently had the fortune of acquiring one of these SunTops from a local guy.
He's not a Toy guy, but had it leftover from a friend who left it with him many years ago, after acquiring it from what sounded like a somewhat sordid history involving a bitter divorce and ex-wife selling a guy's stuff from under him while out of town or something... anyway, the result is that it is incomplete w/ no contact to who actually used it.

I have the top and hoops, but not the side channel hardware for mounting to the bedsides, or whatever the bracket is that the hoops mount to the channel (presumably this much was still on the guy's truck). I'm sure I can fab what is needed, but would be really helpful to see what all the pieces are.

Of course in the intervening decades, 90% of the interwebz has changed and few pic links work anymore. There are what would be some great threads here and on PBB but the pic are gone. Doh.
If anyone happens to have one of these, or knows somebody, or even where I can find good interior/frame mounting pics that would be greatly appreciated.

I also would be open to selling if I can get it completed... ironically as much as I love the top, my rear window motor is broken and the glass shattered so I actually need something like the newer KTT top.

Since everything in many threads are broken, here's what it looks like, stolen from another site:





This one gives a hint of the mounting.


I'm missing those downward straight poles and the brackets they connect to, as well as the long L-channel that he snaps are on.
I'd love to get pics of them.
Any leads appreciated. Given the state of info on these once I get started into this I feel somewhat obliged to continue a build/info thread to rebuild the Internet library.

mholme

RatLabGuy

Yes, that's the one.
I have finally started the rebuild process. It's going to be more work than I had hoped.
I have started a thread on NC4x4, which I frequent a lot more than here
https://www.nc4x4.com/forum/general-tech.7/

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

your link got chopped off
https://www.nc4x4.com/forum/threads/...runner.187992/

keycw

what exactly makes it the "holy grail" of tops? my softtopper looks loads better than this top to be honest, and it doesn't require your factory rear window to work. its possible that you could use the Softtopper hardware kit?

Melrose 4r

I don't want to pile on but in terms of looks, I think my Kayline has them all beat. The poles look more robust on the Suntop so I'll give it that.

SomedayJ

Can-back for me!

keycw

didn't they got out of business

keycw

their tops are kickass but cost a fortune

SomedayJ

Here:
https://www.can-back.com/product-page/toyota-4-runner


High quality, I love it, but I'd not pay what they ask, mine came included with my 4R.

keycw

yeah I knew canbak was available I was asking if kayline was still around. and yes, 2600 bucks seems a little ridiculous to me, even if it is high quality. you can buy a whole 4runner for that

Melrose 4r

Yeah, Kayline is still a brand, I think, but don't make 4runner tops anymore.

RatLabGuy

So it's been awhile, I should have kept up with this.
"Back in the day" this was a really sought after top, mostly because it actually folds down like a conventional convertable. E.g. you can un velcro it and fold it all back, and have the top folded neatly in the rear wit ha fully open roof. No others do that.
Plus, for those who care - which is very few anymore - this was sort of a piece of early 4Runenr hostory. The company that made them were a father/son team and only did a single run on them for a couple of years, they were among the first aftermarket tops made.

I gotta say, considering that this thing must be 25 or so years old, it must be really well made b/c its still in good shape.

But... it's for sale now, if anybody wants it.
I kept having problems w/ my rear window, and jumped on a sale for a KTT top (which I do love) so this project needs a new home. I did get a lot of info gathered on it, and foudn a guy in NC w/ one that has offered to get more pictures, but I did not complete making the frame. PM if ya are interested, I'll let it go WAY chaper than you can buy anything else.