Well fellas here we go this is my second chop top. The first one was on a 95 XJ this ones on a 97. I'll keep tabs on about how much i spent on this whole project step by step.

The most help i can give anyone is be confident and just go with it if u go slow and think ahead this is actually a very simple process. dont worry to much about unibody structure unless your chopping it in half.

Bought this old girl January 13 2013 bone stock and slapped a rack i made on it. ($1400 jeep) ($100 rack) ($120 lights)



That obviously wasn't going to last long so about 2 months after i got myself a RC lift/Pro comp/ basically its a bastard lift but u get the picture a bunch of old lift stuff and built it up bout ($750 lift) ($280 Aero rims) ($250 tsl's)(removable door mod free)(cowl hood free)



Now that i was bored with that yet again i decided to chop it

STEP #1 find a donar vehicle i chose a early 90's MJ with a sliding rear (same as the first time) cut as much out as u can gives u alot of extra play and designing room



($40 at the local junk yard)



now remove all the interior hatch glass ect from basically the front seats back also if u have a big xj throw some shop shoes on it (smaller tires)



When i chop a vehicle i cut about 1"-2" above the C pilar in the rear you'll want the extra metal in the back when u decide what to do with it. The way to get the front straight across the roof line is just good old masking tape i suggest going front the spot welds in the window seam. after you cut you end up with something like this.



Also i pulled the gas tank (planning on a fuel cell) and chopped the rear fenders a bit while i was having fun cutting stuff.
this is the list i came up with to finish asap



while the back wall was out and everything was easy to get to i decided to build an inner cage made out of 2" 180 DOM with 8x8 plates and subframe connectors. ($75 tubing) (spare odd and ends metal for plates i had laying around



set the back wall up in all i did to it so far was measure about 3-4 inches under the window seal and square it off. still have alot of shaving to do to it. also i kept all the inner structure from the MJ the corner post under the window and what not i cut the MJ "B" pilar post at a 45 degree angle this makes for almost a seamless corner on the inside



After some more cutting i got the drip rails and the body lines around it lined up. now i have to chop off the cap or the roof and lower it about 3/4 of an inch. if u line up the drip rails and the body lines around them you'll end up with a very very clean chop at the end of the day. (sorry for the poor picture)

 

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U said this is your second chop top. What happened to the first one? Folded over like a taco?

 

nice thornbirds, best tires evar made!!!1!!1

any close up shots of those welds? also why is none of the tube bent?