Bestop CJ7 age?
- Thread starter barrys
- Start date
- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
Seems to me that would've been pretty early in their history. They started making the super top with the introduction of the wranglers, when they were first paired up with jeep in 87. Two piece soft doors were pretty much the standard within a few years (my 88 came with them when I bought it in 94), so I can't imagine the one piece soft doors had a very long production run, especially in that color. Bestop abandoned CJ factory colors early on as well - I've got a few bestop nutmeg items but the boxes are stamped no later than 89-90. After that it was all black canvas/black vinyl/grey/spice.
Does that help narrow it down any?
Does that help narrow it down any?
- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
https://www.bestop.com/about-us/ their history page suggests otherwise (at least as far as the supertop designation)
- City
- Dillsboro
- State
- IN
Hmmm, Possibly not "Named Super Top? it has the 2 piece doors and sidde and rear windows zip out rather than roll up and it has the Lip Seal / non snap mounting strips along the body lip. Doors are not proportioned correctly like later models. Best Top had a booth set up at Gravelrama and this was their CJ-5 Display Top.
- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
I'd buy that as more likely - same with the subject top. Is there anywhere on the top that specifically states "supertop?" Because just looking at the blue one, it screams "late 70s/early 80s."
For whatever reason, the history of Jeep accessories fascinates me. Feel free to fill in my blanks and correct my errors, but from the past decade or so of following the CJ market:
Whitco was the de facto producer of standard factory CJ soft accessories in the late CJ era, extending back how far, I don't know. There were other aftermarket companies in the game like Kayline, which made an appearance in the mid-80s, and of course Bestop which didn't completely take over the Jeep world until the late 80s.
At some point in the CJ era, Whitco acquired or developed the "Rough Rider" line - a name I've seen on a number of Whitco accessories. I believe around the AMC/Chrysler transition, both Whitco and the Rough Rider line dissolved, but "Rough Rider" was picked up by Bestop - because I've also seen that name on Bestop accessories.
In the late 80s or so, Kayline was reincarnated as STC (Specialty Top Co), who began producing aftermarket tops very similar to the Kayline products apart from some of the hardware. STC wound up leaving the CJ world in the 90s some time, but BD-Co eventually bought up some of their patterns in the late 2000s.
What's really neat is that all of these companies are/were based out of the Denver/Colorado Springs area. I also find it interesting that I can't say that I've seen many Bestop tops in nutmeg or garnet available in the resale market, so that suggests they weren't heavily involved in that era of CJs. Sure, they made seat and tire covers, etc., but I hardly ever see a top from them in nutmeg. They must've been pretty rare, like these guys I hadn't come across until last week. I had seen them in grey before, but nutmeg was a new one for me.
You know who'd have all this information on hand? @jerseyjeeps. Where is that guy these days
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- City
- Allen Park
- State
- MI
barrys, you could call Bestop and ask if you haven't already.
Bestop was remaking some special color tops for CJs to celebrate 60 year anniversary, called Heritage tops. But I think it's over now. Collins Bros. still have some of these tops. https://collinsbrosjeep.com/heritage-tops/ The blue is gone though.
Bestop was remaking some special color tops for CJs to celebrate 60 year anniversary, called Heritage tops. But I think it's over now. Collins Bros. still have some of these tops. https://collinsbrosjeep.com/heritage-tops/ The blue is gone though.
- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
It's weird to me that they hardly ever show up on the resale market? Either they didn't sell many or they didn't last very long after installation. I do a search for "Jeep Nutmeg" on eBay about once a week and rarely come across anything from the 90s. The label on this one suggests late 80s/early 90s, but I don't see them very often.
----I'd buy that as more likely - same with the subject top. Is there anywhere on the top that specifically states "supertop?" Because just looking at the blue one, it screams "late 70s/early 80s."
For whatever reason, the history of Jeep accessories fascinates me. Feel free to fill in my blanks and correct my errors, but from the past decade or so of following the CJ market:
Whitco was the de facto producer of standard factory CJ soft accessories in the late CJ era, extending back how far, I don't know. There were other aftermarket companies in the game like Kayline, which made an appearance in the mid-80s, and of course Bestop which didn't completely take over the Jeep world until the late 80s.
At some point in the CJ era, Whitco acquired or developed the "Rough Rider" line - a name I've seen on a number of Whitco accessories. I believe around the AMC/Chrysler transition, both Whitco and the Rough Rider line dissolved, but "Rough Rider" was picked up by Bestop - because I've also seen that name on Bestop accessories.
In the late 80s or so, Kayline was reincarnated as STC (Specialty Top Co), who began producing aftermarket tops very similar to the Kayline products apart from some of the hardware. STC wound up leaving the CJ world in the 90s some time, but BD-Co eventually bought up some of their patterns in the late 2000s.
What's really neat is that all of these companies are/were based out of the Denver/Colorado Springs area. I also find it interesting that I can't say that I've seen many Bestop tops in nutmeg or garnet available in the resale market, so that suggests they weren't heavily involved in that era of CJs. Sure, they made seat and tire covers, etc., but I hardly ever see a top from them in nutmeg. They must've been pretty rare, like these guys I hadn't come across until last week. I had seen them in grey before, but nutmeg was a new one for me.
You know who'd have all this information on hand? @jerseyjeeps. Where is that guy these days
Glad the door pockets are going to work for you!
My wife gets mad when I use the kitchen counter to photo parts!
The Nutmeg top I have on Ebay was perfect- until someone in the storage unit next to mine started to store deer corn- now I have several tops with some chew marks in them from mice....
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The top in the photo looks like a Bestop TigerTop vs a SuperTop. The giveaway is the two piece doors. Bestop actually still offers this top but only in black.
To determine the age I believe Bestop stamped the date into the top below the Bestop imprint on the back window. I attached a photo of these numbers on a Bestop Replace a Top I installed on a Jeep I am working on. This top was made 10/16/2017.
Bestop for their 50th anniversary re-released this top in blue, levi tan, and white a few years ago. Collins Brothers bought all of them and has sold out of the Blue.
I have a Bestop Dual Matic (before the Tigertop) that is new still in my storage in Blue. Big difference between yours and the Dualmatic is the Dualmatic had upper and lower windows in the doors and a diagonal split of the rear side windows. They also use a rotary type handle vs. the paddle handle on your top.
To determine the age I believe Bestop stamped the date into the top below the Bestop imprint on the back window. I attached a photo of these numbers on a Bestop Replace a Top I installed on a Jeep I am working on. This top was made 10/16/2017.
Bestop for their 50th anniversary re-released this top in blue, levi tan, and white a few years ago. Collins Brothers bought all of them and has sold out of the Blue.
I have a Bestop Dual Matic (before the Tigertop) that is new still in my storage in Blue. Big difference between yours and the Dualmatic is the Dualmatic had upper and lower windows in the doors and a diagonal split of the rear side windows. They also use a rotary type handle vs. the paddle handle on your top.
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- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
I'd have contacted you directly, but I figure if people here wanted to sell off ebay, they'd have posted here first.
I'm drowning in nutmeg here. I couldn't honestly think of another nutmeg accessory I could add. If you came up with one, it'd blow my mind.
That sounds like a challenge!
I did not know I had these until I pulled everything out of my storage looking for mice....
- City
- North Dighton
- State
- MA
You know who'd have all this information on hand? @jerseyjeeps. Where is that guy these days
Very good question. I have not heard from Eric in a long time. I think his last post on here was in 2017. Not sure he frequents this forum a lot anymore, but sure do miss his insight and jeep knowledge. Not mention he has an awesome collection of pretty rare Jeeps.
- City
- Cave Creek
- State
- AZ
I've changed phones enough times I seem to have lost his number even
Maybe he got married or something?