Removable Hard Top.
 

Has anyone thought of doing a removable hard top like the old toyota 4 runners. I know you would have to strengthen the unibody alot if you remove the roof. I would cage and plate. Is it possible? I've seen alot of soft top conversions but I've never seen a hard top.

Is it possible? Why not? Anything is possible...
If you value your time it would probably just be easier to buy a Wrangler... time is money.

Also you should probably google before you post stuff like this... lots of stuff on google.

I have googled it. I haven't found pretty much anything helpful. I always get the same ''if you cut the roof off your going to fold the unibody up."

Its possible. Do it and post pics. Need to install cage though to strengthen unibody when you remove roof.

You'll find a thread of such a conversion on Pirate 4x4. A cage is pretty much mandatory. Also the XJ's roof and sides as a hard top is really not a good idea, all that steel weighs a ****load. Worse than trying to get the top back on to a JK Unlimited. It's about half of the body.

I think the hardest part would be the doors and pillars. how much would you want to remove? can you just make a large sunroof like detouroffroad did?

I wanted to the trunk area off but then kinda like a big whole in the roof. kinda like the old broncos I guess. I should have said that from the beggining. I think the harders part would be how to reattach to the body.

I don't think this is something you want to undertake without the proper tools and fab knowledge... otherwise it's just going to come out like a hack-job and waste a unibody.

http://www.culpwrit.com/wp-content/u.../07/2cents.jpg

well. here's the last build I saw with a removable top. look at these pictures and work backwards from there

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-...ndsight-8.html

Thats a little more extreme. I want something more subtle.

Why not buy a k5 blazer or big bronco they are cheap and have a removable hard top.

well you're not being very specific. start cutting it the way you want and we'll tell you how to fix it from there

:popcorn:

You are cutting the roof off of a unibody. There is nothing subtle about any of it, LOL

Best advice ever!! :rofl:

I thought about cutting it and then puttin an edge on where it would mount so i can secure it.

This is something I've always wanted to do as well. My father had a '78 Ramcharger when I was a kid, and I loved it when he'd remove the roof and take us all out on a cruise through town. The Ramcharger's roof was steel, BTW, and it came off right to the windshield, not just over the cargo compartment like K5-s and Broncos. It's memories of that Ramcharger that have had me wanting to do this to an XJ for years. Unfortunately I don't have the bodywork skills it would take to do this. I can fix a rust hole or replace a rocker panel, and I can weld thick metal quite well (I've made a bunch of trailers, roof racks, bumpers, etc), but this is beyond my skills.

If I ever did do it, I'd do it like this: I'd put a cage in it, necessary not only to stop the unibody from folding up, but for rollover safety as well (you don't think I'd go through all this trouble and not lift the little bugger too, and drive it in the woods, do you?). The roll bar would have to fit as close to the windshield header as possible, and as close to the tops of the doors as possible as well - I'd want it to intrude as little as possible on the interior. I would also have a second set of doors with the window frames cut down, or maybe even a set of home made tubular lower doors. I'd have a set of custom made roof racks on the roof that would integrate hooks to connect to a hoist in my garage for removal. The roof racks would also help stiffen the roof to keep it from sagging under its own weight. The tailgate would be made up of an MJ tailgate for the lower half and a cut-down fiberglass Cherokee piece for the upper half. It'd be two-piece, just like the old Ramcharger (come to think of it, this would be a cool mod removable roof or not).

This project is on my bucket list. unfortunately it's a really, really long list, and a big bucket. Probably never happen, but it's fun to dream about...