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Half soft top vs. simple bikini top? Or a better option?

O

Omega1300

Basic User
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Hey all - so I'm hoping to get some form of soft top for the summer. I've found a few vintage half soft tops with mounting hardware, but they're a couple hundred bucks at least and look pretty complicated / time consuming to attach.

For anyone that has one, once the top is on, are they easy to take down for sunny days and put back up if it rains? Do they fold back or do you have to completely remove them?

The other option I'm considering is a bikini top - but I'm wondering how well those protect your dash against rain? They also appear to be easy to install, but I'm wondering if the snap rivets you install in your windshield frame interfere later with putting the hard top back on?

If there's another better option out there as well, please let me know!

Thanks!!
 
I can tell you based on my experiences with an STC top. And from looking at the Whitco instructions, they are similar.

The half top does not fold down out of the way. I have to take mine completely off. That is why I added pins with retaining wires in place of the bolts that connect the frame to the bracket on the tub. It only takes a few minutes to take it off or put it on. But it is not something I leave in the bed when I am driving. It stays in my garage. So I have to be sure about the weather.

The bikini top is an option. I have one, but it will not keep you dry. At all. Big gaps between the windows and doors. And a windjammer would be needed for the back.

The windshield channel for the soft top or bikini would need to come off when you want to install the hard top. And maybe the brackets that support the half top over the door. But the snaps are fine on my windshield. They stay put even with the hard top on.

All this said, I have been using my soft half top since March. The hard top is away until next winter. I have found myself leaving the half top up and driving doorless with the rear window rolled up most of the time. We have had rain hit a few times a week. Maybe if I see a dry bunch if days, I will remove the top completely. But that has only happened a few times this summer.
 
I don't have rivets on the channel of mine (although I don't have a hard top, I think it would be easy to remove the 5 machine screws if I needed to).

I run a half soft top (an old K-Line) in the winter. The rest of the year I use a bikini top... yes it will let you get a little damp sometimes, but it's not that bad (just the other day, I drove for 2+ hours on the highway in heavy rain and barely got wet at all).

The soft top I have is pretty easy to remove and install (takes about 5-10 minutes and no tools are required). It does not fold down, so it needs to be removed and stored in the garage (or in the back of the Jeep).
 
If u can get away with getting it wet once in a while, and or carry a rain gear type cover with u, in my opinion Soft tops of any kind are a pain in the butt so I just go with the bikini top only.
 
Thank you for all the responses and opinions everyone. That's exactly the kind of information how was hoping to get. I have to agree, the soft top sounds like kind of a pain.

The fact that they need to be completely removed, and put somewhere, as opposed to just folding down, makes me think maybe I should hold off on getting one.

I hope to be driving the CJ primarily on nice sunny days, and to avoid the rain. Jeep will definitely be stored in the winter.

Given that, the bikini top sounds kind of perfect for me. Plus, with it being less expensive, that's probably a good first option. Then I can upgrade later if I find a need to.

Thanks again everyone - are there any thoughts as to who makes the best, or highest quality, bikini tops?
 
as an aside, if you add a windjammer to the bikini and use your doors you have about 85% of the effectiveness of a soft top unless its a torrential rain
 
X2 on bikini as the right choice. I've had the Bestop for a year. It's gone on and off many times and holding up well. Brackets come off easily. Not good if you are squeamish about drilling your windshield though.


 
I have a Supertop full sofftop and a bikini top. When I bought the softtop I thought that without the windows in it would be pretty nice shade and let the Jeep life flow. Actual practice has thought me a couple things, with the Supertop even if you had the windows with you, it's prolly a 10 minute job to install them all, I would usually rather just get going and get home 10 minutes sooner; second the Supertop is too tall visually to make the proportions of the scrambler look right unless you are running 4" lift and 35s,I just didn't like it on my jeep, and lastly, the bikini seems to be quieter with less flapping at 75 mph.
 
I traded my full TigerTop for my STC half soft top. While the TigerTop was great to lay back and reinstall when needed, and had the windows attached, I just did not need the rear area covered. So I am happy with my soft top. It just takes planning with the weather. If I get caught in the rain, I usually don't care. Unless I am on my way INTO work. And it pretty much guarantees me that none of my coworkers will ask me to drive if we go anywhere.
 
cdvcj8 said:
X2 on bikini as the right choice. I've had the Bestop for a year. It's gone on and off many times and holding up well. Brackets come off easily. Not good if you are squeamish about drilling your windshield though.
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Are there bikini top options that don't involve drilling the frame? I guess it'd be nice if I didn't have to. Only one I've really seen so far is the bestop bikini @ Quadratec...
 
Once you start the first hole, the rest are easy.

I have not seen a no-drill windshield channel for the CJ. Maybe someone else has.
 
My half hard top is setting on a couple of sawhorses..I use a bikini top as well when I need a top. I dont drive the 8 in the winter either....

Any info on where to pick up a windjammer?
 
skiptown said:
My half hard top is setting on a couple of sawhorses..I use a bikini top as well when I need a top. I dont drive the 8 in the winter either....

Any info on where to pick up a windjammer?
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I have a windjammer that came with my 8 when I got it. I have used it twice. Not my thing. I would let you have it for the cost of shipping.
 
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That's an awesome offer! If it's open to anyone, and Skip doesn't end up taking you up on it, I might be interested :)
 
Omega1300 said:
That's an awesome offer! If it's open to anyone, and Skip doesn't end up taking you up on it, I might be interested :)
Click to expand...

That works for me. Send me a PM. I have not heard from Skip yet.
 
I'll take it. Let me know how you would like to get payment. Ill pm with my address
 
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