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"Not Alaskan" Postal CJ8 Hardtop idea

jscherb

jscherb

CJ-8 Member
City
Elmira
State
NY
Because of my CJ-8 World Cab, I get lots of email from people wanting to know where they can buy World Cab hardtops. Of course you know the answer to that one...

But I had an idea tonight, it's not quite a World Cab, but... with the body sheet metal from two DJ-5 postals you could build a pretty cool CJ-8 hardtop.

The DJ's have one-piece body sides, so you'd cut the side panel horizontally at the right height to be a hardtop. Finishing off the bottom of the cut to mount on the CJ-8 tub would be fairly trivial.

You'd need two bodies to make a hardtop long enough for the CJ-8, but they'd be easy to piece together since they're square and parallel in every important way. The roof panels would be very easy to piece together into a longer panel.

The DJ's rear "barn door" would fit the CJ tailgate opening, and since you'd be using the DJ sheet metal from the belt line up, the door would of course fit there also.

The only original fabrication would be the side door jambs; to use the normal CJ swinging doors you'd need to build the jambs from the belt line up. Wouldn't be too hard though.

This would be a very straightforward project, not really difficult at all. Certainly no more difficult than the hardtop I'm building for the Retro Wrangler right now.

Of course it wouldn't look like a World Cab really, it actually would look quite a bit like a Land Rover 109 hardtop because it would be more square than the World Cab. The 109 in the photo below has smaller side windows, but you get the idea.

What do you guys think? Goofy or cool?

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So you'd end up with massive side windows? There wouldn't be much sheet metal on the sides as I picture it in my head.

With no rise on the front part of the roof, would it clear the top point on the rollbar?

It would certainly be a different look, that's for sure. I'm trying to picture an -8 with completely vertical back corners, every top I've ever seen had some degree of slant to the back wall.

Where do the hinges fall on the DJ door? I've never looked at one before.
 
Should clear the roll bar because the roof panel is fairly deep, I think at least as deep as the deepest part of the World Cab top.

DJ rear doors I believe have long piano-type hinges. Might need to replace these with standard CJ-type door hinges for this application.
 
jscherb said:
Here's a concept drawing alongside a World Cab...

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I like it. A person should be able to put a little slope in the front if they wanted to without too much work.
 
Or you build one for a TJ or CJ7 for a different look. :)

Given the current prices for postal Dj's, you should be able to get a couple of them to provide the sheet metal you need for $500 or so and you could probably part out the rest and break even. There's a DJ in my local Pick N Pull right now, I'll bet they'd sell the necessary sheet metal and rear door for a total of $100

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Reminds me of AEV's Expidition Unlimited- I like the look although I think making the front slope would be aesthetically required.

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Of course- french some lights into the leading edge, make the top pop like the old VW vans, Hmmm...

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Good idea, Jeff. :thumbsup:
 
Randy,
Here's a drawing with your slope added - looks a lot better. Adding the slope would be simple enough; anyone who knows enough about sheet metal work to join two tops to make one CJ-8 length top could do it. Also did this one in USPS colors :)
Jeff

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I was in the Pick n Pull today getting a few minor bits for another project and I spent a few minutes checking out the DJ postal they've got there. There's no reason I can see why two of these couldn't be pieced together to make a CJ8 hardtop as described above. It's an intriguing project... if I didn't already have a metal hardtop on my Scrambler I'm sure I'd be building one of these :)
 
"another project"? That the Unlimitruck or something else that you owe us photos of??? ;)

The look isn't for me, but I could definitely see how it would appeal to folks wanting a different/metal hard top. Interesting with the two windows, I didn't think that both of them would fit like that on the side, pretty cool.

I'd love to see someone try it!
 
bigwalton said:
"another project"? That the Unlimitruck or something else that you owe us photos of??? ;)
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The other project: the Retro Wrangler hardtop. I'm going to use a Dodge Dakota CHMSL that also has bed lights. I'll control the lights from a switch in the stock center switch panel of the LJ. I'm using a fog light switch from an earlier model (the LJ fog lights are controlled from the stalk), the fog light switch graphic could reasonably be interpreted to be bed lights :). I needed a plug for the switch, got one out of a later model CJ Cherokee, they have the same dash switches/plugs.

bigwalton said:
I'd love to see someone try it!
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Me too!
 
very interesting idea.

meant to reply to this earlier.. this would indeed be an interesting project. I've got a bunch of those slider side windows for the full cj8 tops I could use in one of these.

Question.. in a couple of these pictures, the DJ's look like the hardtop is actually all part of the tub? Is there different models that the top came off and some that was actually part of the tub?

Matt
 
if I would only read..

Never mind, reread the post.. see that it is actually all one piece and would have to cut and put a lip on there.
 
If you build it Jeff, they will come......

Well, something like that, how about a camper shell for the retro wrangler, I bet you could whip one up using a couple of postal tops pretty quickly. Might be pretty neat
 
jscherb,
I think Mahindra might have beat you to the punch, because your drawing reminds me of this Mahindra 3 Door Hard Top

KORANDO9KH7WDgif-1.jpg


I wish I could import some Mahindra vehicles; I'm sure it would be a nightmare.
 
mssldn said:
jscherb,
I think Mahindra might have beat you to the punch, because your drawing reminds me of this Mahindra 3 Door Hard Top

KORANDO9KH7WDgif-1.jpg


I wish I could import some Mahindra vehicles; I'm sure it would be a nightmare.
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Are you sure that's a Mahindra? It looks like a Korean Korando to me. I've been to India dozens of times and always check out the Mahindras, but I've never seen a two-door like that. All the longer WB Mahindras I've seen are 4-door. Mahindras also generally have the front turn signals on the fenders like those below.

I've often thought of importing just a Mahindra Marshall body (the 4-door blue on on the right), I'm sure you could get that into the country without too much customs and DOT hassle; then you could drop it on a lengthened Wrangler frame and have something really cool. Last time I checked, you could get an almost-new Marshall for maybe $8000 US over there, and it would be no problem to find someone to strip it down to the body and crate it, that kind of stuff is easy to do in India.

Mahindra Marshall body plus TJ Wrangler frame = Jeep Dakar Concept? :)

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Here's a photo of a SWB Korando, notice:

- Front turn signals
- Rear side window shape
- Windshield shape at the top
- Door handles

Compare them to the photo you posted - I'm pretty sure the photo you posted is a Korando based on these spotting signs - but you are correct, they beat me to it! :)

Edit: Just noticed, the link to your photo has this photo name: KORANDO-9KH-7WD.gif ;)

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Yeah, I've seen several Korando's in Korea, but I never actually got to check one out.

Truck
 
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