• Notice for iPhone users: DO NOT use the image size reduction option when uploading photos to the forum. This causes portrait images to post as landscape. We have added a warning to the image insert pop-up as well.

New World Cabs?

jeepdreamer said:
Always a bone of contention...To cut a big gaping hole in the roof just to install a potential leak called a tent.?. I suppose as long as there is enough bracing to hold a roof top tent...? I really like it man!! Now do the trial fit for a scrambler one...:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Sorry, since I don't have a Scrambler any longer, I don't plan to mold a Scrambler top. The molds can make a Scrambler top, but I don't have a reason to make one any longer.

I am thinking of making a CJ half-cab for the Gaucho though.

Here's the concept I did a while back on the pop-up. The drawing is rough and unfinished because I decided while drawing it that I didn't think too much of the idea...

PopUp-1.jpg
 
Wow, Jeff. That looks fantastic! The proportions and lines are perfect!:bow:
 
The top is starting to look a little more like a finished product... here are a few photos from this morning, I've got everything in final position to finish up the drip rail. So now I've got to remove it all again, drill the mounting holes in the drip rail, weld in the blind nuts, and bond the rail to the roof. I'll also install the windshield header latches. Once that's all done, the top is structurally complete and can be fully bolted together on the Jeep and driven.

DripRail22-1.jpg


DripRail20-1.jpg


DripRail21-1.jpg


DripRail23-1.jpg


Should start on the rear barn door assembly tomorrow.

---------------------

Here's the link to the survey again for those who haven't taken it yet: Safari Cab market survey.

---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
 
That is so cool it is ridiculous! :thumbsup:
Many thanks for being such a good sport for so long detailing the conceptual to the physical products that come out of your computer and your garage.
All the best.
Todd
 
jscherb said:
Sorry, since I don't have a Scrambler any longer, I don't plan to mold a Scrambler top. The molds can make a Scrambler top, but I don't have a reason to make one any longer.
Click to expand...

I've got a Scrambler you could borrow for a year or so if you want to make a Scrambler top.:D
 
I got the rear barn door put together this morning. It worked out just as I had planned - it fits very nicely and is nice and rigid. I have no worries at all about the strength of the fiberglass upper. I'm very pleased with it. :)

BarnDoor11-1.jpg


Below are a few detail photos... clockwise from upper left,

- I welded four blind nuts into the tailgate to mount the "stakes" to.

- Details of a stake bolted to the upper and the tailgate

- The upper installed (I didn't bother to put the rest of the hardtop on today, so I will have to do some final trimming and fitting of the upper next time I install the top).

- The upper removed. The stakes could also be removed so the upper could be stored in less space.

BarnDoor12-1.jpg


I've got the upper attached with Allen button-head screws, but they could also be attached with thumbscrews for tool-free quick removal of the upper.

Of course if these tops come to market for the Scrambler, the rear door would be configured as a liftgate, because the Scrambler has a drop-down tailgate instead of the swinging one. Only TJ's and YJ's would get this barn door.

---------------------

Here's the link to the survey again for those who haven't taken it yet: Safari Cab market survey.

---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
 
Hard Bikini anyone?

Today I'm doing the final fitting of all the parts and the barn door prior to beginning to prep everything for primer. To make it easier to do final fitting of the door surrounds and the barn door, I removed the side window panels and configured the top as a "hard bikini."

HardBikini1-1.jpg


HardBikini2-1.jpg


HardBikini5-1.jpg


When I was originally designing the top, I believed this configuration wouldn't be strong enough and I would need metal support posts for the rear corners instead using the fiberglass corner modules. Today I have to report that I was wrong about that... the rear corners are strong enough to support the top in hard bikini mode as shown above. There would be no problem using the top configured as shown.

---------------------

Here's the link to the survey again for those who haven't taken it yet: Safari Cab market survey.

---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
 
Last edited:
Would there still be enough strength in the rear corner supports to support the "hard bikini" and still be able to drive at highway speeds with the lateral force of the wind on the supports?
 
Polarfire said:
Would there still be enough strength in the rear corner supports to support the "hard bikini" and still be able to drive at highway speeds with the lateral force of the wind on the supports?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is strong enough for that. I drove it around town a bit today; we've got terrible roads here, potholes all over the place... the top was very solid - not a creak. The configuration with the door surrounds is very sturdy.

The configuration without the door surrounds would need something more than just the windshield header latches in order for me to feel comfortable driving it around much.
 
My ultimate goal for my Scrambler involves a YJ tailgate and attaching my Acme rear gate to make a barndoor for easy entry to the rear. I was very concerned about how to make this attachment strong. How sturdy is your attachment? What kind of straps are you using (looks like 1/4" steel strap)? Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Thoma
 
twmattox said:
My ultimate goal for my Scrambler involves a YJ tailgate and attaching my Acme rear gate to make a barndoor for easy entry to the rear. I was very concerned about how to make this attachment strong. How sturdy is your attachment? What kind of straps are you using (looks like 1/4" steel strap)? Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Thoma
Click to expand...
My setup is very sturdy. You can grab the upper outside corner of the door and push as hard as you want there to slam it, no problem.

I designed the upper to have enough depth to be rigid, near the bottom of the upper the rails that surround the window are over 2" high, I'm not sure what the Acme hatch looks like. Also the upper goes over the outside of the tailgate, just like the bottom edges of the hardtop do, and since the "stakes" are on the inside, the "v" formed by the stakes and the outside of the upper "wedges" onto the angle at the top of the tailgate, which also stiffens things.

I'm using 1 1/2" x 1/2" 16-gauge rectangular steel tubing. It's much more rigid than steel strap, and lighter too. In addition, the space between the inner shell of the upper and the outer shell has an oak block bonded inside so I can use through bolts to attach the stakes to the upper.

This may help explain:

DoorHardware-1.jpg
 
Very similar construction...I am relieved to know it works so well. And, your design is considerably less obtrusive when compared to what I was thinking about. Thank you so much!!!
 
more progress... now I've got the sides primed in black epoxy primer, and today I installed the top and laid out the windows. I haven't primed the roof yet, so I've got the "FJ Cruiser" look going with the white roof :).

I think these are the shapes, sizes and positions of the windows I'll go with:

WindowMockup1-1.jpg


WindowMockup2-1.jpg


WindowMockup3-1.jpg


Next I've got to prime the roof black. (Unless I decide to keep the FJ Cruiser look...)

---------------------

Here's the link to the survey again for those who haven't taken it yet: Safari Cab market survey.

---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
 
Last edited:
looks awesome!!! i am in awe

as for not priming the roof... its a Jeep not a FJ Cruiser. ;)
 
Here are some more shots of the window mockups, this time from a high vantage point. Unfortunately the bright white roof gets overexposed a bit so you can't see the roof detail too well :(. It looks better in person than it does in these photos...

Overhead1-1.jpg


Overhead2-1.jpg


Overhead3-1.jpg


Overhead4-1.jpg



---------------------

Here's the link to the survey again for those who haven't taken it yet: Safari Cab market survey.

---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top