I am looking to make a soft top for my 87 runner, Does anybody know of any links outside yotatech dealing with this. I've gone over several posts on here about soft tops, and everybody says buy one. I can't afford to buy one so i'm going to make it out of an army canvas. Hopefully, no support bows, and a lexan rear window, because i have a free lexan supplier. It i think it will end up looking like a hatch back. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

-John

 

Do a search, last spring there was a leanghty thread about making your own soft top.

In short, its much harder than you think.

 

http://www.wildyoats.com/canvas_top_tech.htm

 

Are you looking for a full sized top? or just a bikini top? Wabfab has bikini top kits that you only need to provide the canvas. And i got my bikini top from Doweny. It came with all the hardware and the cavas for something like $170.

I have a ton of pics of my top if you are interested.

 

A guy on 4x4wire.com has done some really cool stuff with the stock tops. Do a search there.

 

well i think its going to be a cross between a bikini, and a full cover. In the end it should look like a hatchback hummer. I want to use the rollbar as the only support and have zippers attaching it to the body. The back glass will stay in the tailgate when the soft-top is on, and a lexan window will be in the tarp.

 

That top will flap if the roll bar is the only support.

 

Ive been thinking about this a lot, i want to try it next spring when it gets warm again (although it never actually gets cold in GA).
My plan was to get a downey or wabfab and then modify into a top that will cover everything. I was thinking of attaching something like lexane to the bikini via zippers or maybe buttons. Then run hatchback style to the tailgate. I might velcro or magneticly tape that to the body...but i really didnt like that idea. So maybe i could come up with some aluminum channels that would screw into stock holes and then have buttons (i have yet to have my top off and dont know if this is possible, someone enlightened please advise) to the top. Maybe wabbit or someone could fabricate some type of channels and then and extra bridge over the tailgate channel that could be easily removed.
That way i could leave the bikini on generally and throw the remaining cover on before a rain....
Ive been mostly inspired by this guy... http://www.unc.edu/~drx/4runner/soft_top.html
So i was thinking maybe like that guys style but use a bikini top and the support bar as a strong base.....
However i also am poor and would like to get away from buying the bikini top if possible, but i dont really like the look of that custom top in the link...
I like the shape just not the saran-wrap-look. If you are trying to do it cheap i would contact the guy in the link, as prior experience can help things a lot.
Sorry for the rambling, does anyone understand what im talking about?

 

I would also talk to/get a look at somebody's kayline or something, maybe support bars running from the roll bar to rear corners, although i was trying to keep it simple and quick enough to be able to completely take down/ put up in a few minutes, and also fit easily into the cargo space..

 

Maybe i (or someone else) could make one with some sunbrella material, sounds pricey but worth it? Has anyone had experience with this material?
There would still need to be some kind of windows though....

 

I worked in Marine canvas for several years... there is nothing that comes close to the quality and durability of sunbrella.... But it still takes maintence... 5-7 yeards is all its usually good for in the marine world...

 

My top cost $45. It's a bikini top for a fj40. I got it from TPI. I can't weld, so I cut a piece of wood to pinch it against the cab.


You need something to push up between the roll bar and the cab if you intend to drive with the top on, or it will flap very bad. I bent a piece of conduit and use velcro to hold it it place.

 

I have a canback that I rocked all summer. Its really a quality piece, though I am going to look into taking it to a marine canvas shop and have it modified so the sides and rear zip off instead of roll up. I may also see if they can make the top part zip across the middle so it can be a bikini as well. I expect this wont be cheap as good custom work never is but oh well. I want it perfect. Im also going to put a power sunroof over the cab and possibly another in the hardtop or maybe one of those sliding canvas ones. Dual sunroofs would be the hotness.

 

My '98 has an electric sunroof. How are you going to do that on a first gen? Where is it going to slide to? I'm in the process of making a hard top with snap on windows, and I thought about putting a canvas sliding roof in the top, but those things are expensive. Here's a pic of a top a guy on pirate made, I've got the glass out of mine, but I haven't started cutting yet.

 

http://www.inalfa-sunroofs.com/

Event series for the cab and possibly a swing series on the fiberglass topper in the rear.

 

I know a guy who had a nice canvas top made. the sides rolled up safari style. it was totally bad. I'll go talk to him and see if he knows where to get them or if he made it himself, probably the latter. It was sweet and then he sold his runner and got a dodge.

 

Well, me and some friends made mine. Girlfriend at the time gave me some weatherproof leather-like material, and we made it out of that. Used just random scraps of metal, nylon, and thats bout it. Bent and cut a length of metal to fit by the cab, drilled it to fit in the holes from the old hard top, measured and cut the material, sewed it together, and sowed on the nylon straps for tie-down. Worked pretty nice.

 

I appreciate all the help, I think christmas break from school is going to be a big build time on the truck. I have sub boxes I need to build to go inbetween the roll bars, head unit, door speakers, and rear 6x9s, and sticking to my budget of nothing, those were all gifts for christmas, and birthday. And I hope I can get the top made and ready for summer time use, although, it has been pretty warm in virginia lately, I might not wait till summer. Its hard to keep my friends out of the truck with the top off.