Home made hard top storage for 40

[calixto]

The weather is so nice here in SoCal & I want to rip my hard top off my 40. I will probably end up leaving it off but it is a really nice top & I want to hold on to it for those Baja surf trips.

Anyone have any pics of custom storage set ups for their tops?

I rent so I can't really drill into the garage ceiling & put a lift in...the roof is too low also. That seems like a pretty ideal set up but won't work for me. I have a wide but low two car garage so I am probably going to build a riser shelf for the top that would still allow me to pull my car under. Am going to try to build big enough to get the cruiser under also but again running into the overhead clearance problem. A couple 4x4 and some 3/4 plywood should do the trick.

Let see some custom solutions.

 

[dgangle]

here's mine

 

[calixto]

Nice one! Didn't think about leaving the middle open so you could back the rig totally under the top.....I was just going to build a shelf that would require minimum lifting. Thanks! Planning on doing something very similar but will probably have to come from the floor with the rack instead of the ceiling because I'm in a rental unit. BTW how much did all your lumber cost? Looks like you used 2x4's instead of 4x4's?

 

[pigpen4x4]

Just find where there are new houses buing built and go through their scrap lumber piles. I can't tell you how much stuff I have built just by using scrap lumber!! That's the best way to go.

 

[dgangle]

Well I could 'technically' back under it but I would have to remove the spare and it would be one tight fit. There's only like 1/2" clearance on each side of the rollbar. My plan was to free up floorspace and get it out of harm's way. I put my other junk under it like mowers, kid's bikes, utility trailer, etc.

Lumber was stuff I set asside from scraps from building the house. Even if you have to buy it I'd say $50 or less. Careful digging through what you may perceive as a builders' junk. Lotta copper being stolen from houses under construction and people helping themselves to anything that they have no right to might get your ass arrested or possibly shot. Goto Home Cheapo.

 

[lostmarbles]

Love that yellow with the black dgangle.

"School bus yellow" (or "traffic light yellow" in this country) has always been one of my favourite colours.

Nice for a muscle car and looks good on your cruiser too,

 

[TLCHopII]

If it's not allowed to drill into the ceiling and as stated your garage is wide as stated. build a free standing frame and side lift the top. My prefference would be 1 1/4" or so square tubing. wood would be fine just not my personal prefference.

Good luck

 

[calixto]

Thanks for all the suggestion and really appreciate the pics. Pretty sure I'm not going to go pilfer a construction site.....you'll get shot out here trying to pull that. Probably going to do something similar to the pics but build from the floor up instead of from the ceiling. Sideways sounds pretty good too but I've already taken a bunch of space up in the garage with my other passion, surfboard shaping, and am running short on room with 15 surfboards at any given time. Got a big surf trip down to 7 Sisters in Baja in a month or so but will posts some pics when I get back and build the thing. Thanks again!

 

[Colorado Boy-74-FJ40]

I wish I could run topless all year. It rains so much here I'm lucky if I can go topless for 6 months!

 

[calixto]

I actually have a pretty good spot in one corner. You think it's a bad idea to just make a slightly angled carpeted wooden base that leans the top against the wall? Obviously the rear hatch would be on the floor, top interior facing out from the wall & roof leaning against the wall at a slight angle. Is this too much concentrated pressure resting on the back hatch? Seems like it might be okay if I build the base big enough to spread some of the pressure out. Anyone done this before?

 

[dgangle]

Love that yellow with the black dgangle.

"School bus yellow" (or "traffic light yellow" in this country) has always been one of my favourite colours.

Nice for a muscle car and looks good on your cruiser too,

Thank you. It's 2000 GM Millennium Yellow as used on the C4 'Vette. And I haven't had a top on mine going on 3 or 4 years now...God love the South.

 

[shelfboy1]

before i moved to the country i used an old swing set got it free .narrowed it and put it in the garage may not work for you but it worked for me goood luck