Does anyone besides CCOT sell new rain rails? They look great, but are higher then I thought they would be...
Rain Rail - Hardtop Restoration
- Thread starter TJeep_1999
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
dgangle
total rice
If you think the parts are expensive, just wait until you get the price to put them on! The bodyshop that painted my truck looked at them and said "what do you expect me to do with those things?"
Sorry, no other source that I know of.
Sorry, no other source that I know of.
I have what I believe to be the last FACTORY rain rail in the US. In 1994 I bought the last four, used three in restos, have the one left. New in box. CCOT's rail is not correct or original, and must be welded up out of several pieces. I've had it on ebay but did not meet reserve.
I saw that on eBay. What was your reserve?
For the amount it will cost you to buy, ship and install the raingutter that Texx has for sale, you can get a mint hard top. Look around, there are a lot out there.
Not trying to kill your sale Texx, I think you'll agree with me on this one.
I'll let Texx give you the price for his raingutter.
You can find a whole top for between $100 and $500 depending on what part of the country you are in. Wally in VT has a few for $100, but they need a little work. I understand he also has an absolutely mint condition one in primer on consignment for $750
. It's probably beautiful though.x2. Just wait till you add up the cost of the rail and the rubber seals, plus the amount of work involved to replace it, and those hardtops for sale will look damn cheap by comparison.
- Thread starter
- #11
It definitely is not cheap. I like to think I’ll have a “new” top when I’m done for the price of a used one. That’s my logic anyway… CCOT it is then.
Last edited:
If you look on craigslist you will find one. Try craigshelper.com
I found this one on CL in Newport, NC, but it is already sold.
"Have a very nice FJ40 Hardtop from a 1975. All glass is good, FJ40 was from Arizona so very little surface rust. Email me for pics or call 252-723-8175. $400.00, pickup only too big to ship."
FineWynsFJ40
Too much to do...
What my dad & I did was a little fixturing. We made a wooden plyboard jig, set the CCOT rain gutter down, put the fiberglass top on top of it, then aligned the rain gutter to fit the top. We then took a Sharpie, traced the gutter out, removed the top, then realigned the gutter pieces. After using fender washers and wood screws to anchor the gutter pieces, we welded them together, sanded and touched them up, then primed, pop-riveted it to the top, then painted & sealed. Worked out really well. Good luck!
Brian
Brian
By the looks of the 678 area code I wil wager Atlanta area. There are top often available down here. I believe TPI 4X4 sells a fiberglass lid with the gutters molded in. Very stout. Bob has one on his Troopy. I do not know the price.
TJeep (and anyone attempting a hard-top resto):
I've removed/replaced the rain gutter from my fiberglass top and am in the final stages of completely restoring it all (i.e., metal repair, light bodywork, prime/paint, seals, headliner). Also converting from ambulance doors to swing-up hatchback.
My metal rain gutter was reusable (some rust pitting, but not enough to require replacement), so I can't speak to the CCOT gutter. But if you want to re-attach the gutter to the fiberglass top you'll need some SOLID 1/8" flat round-head aluminum rivets, 1/8" pop-rivet washers, and a rivet punch (special all-steel $18 tool for setting solid rivets). If you don't care about originality, then pop rivets will work just fine.
Would suggest a couple tubes of Sikaflex (can purchase at West Marine) to bond the fiberglass top to the gutter and then some 3M seam sealer to lay inside the gutter to seal everything up and cover the rivet heads.
Also, about 50-75 1/8" clecos (and of course the cleco pliers) comes in VERY handy to securely hold the gutter to the top while the Sikaflex sets up.
In the end, I'm going to have $100's of dollars in new seals alone...not to mention the body work/paint materials, and headliner. If you can find a good condition hardtop for less than $600 that doesn't leak around the rain gutter, you are WAY ahead in terms of time and money verses a restoration.
I've removed/replaced the rain gutter from my fiberglass top and am in the final stages of completely restoring it all (i.e., metal repair, light bodywork, prime/paint, seals, headliner). Also converting from ambulance doors to swing-up hatchback.
My metal rain gutter was reusable (some rust pitting, but not enough to require replacement), so I can't speak to the CCOT gutter. But if you want to re-attach the gutter to the fiberglass top you'll need some SOLID 1/8" flat round-head aluminum rivets, 1/8" pop-rivet washers, and a rivet punch (special all-steel $18 tool for setting solid rivets). If you don't care about originality, then pop rivets will work just fine.
Would suggest a couple tubes of Sikaflex (can purchase at West Marine) to bond the fiberglass top to the gutter and then some 3M seam sealer to lay inside the gutter to seal everything up and cover the rivet heads.
Also, about 50-75 1/8" clecos (and of course the cleco pliers) comes in VERY handy to securely hold the gutter to the top while the Sikaflex sets up.
In the end, I'm going to have $100's of dollars in new seals alone...not to mention the body work/paint materials, and headliner. If you can find a good condition hardtop for less than $600 that doesn't leak around the rain gutter, you are WAY ahead in terms of time and money verses a restoration.
dgangle
total rice
Unless Bob changed it since, he made the original top on his Troopy from grafting to 40 tops together. I was at his shop in Gallitin the day he and his son were laying the fiberglass back in July of 2000.
Really? That is not what he told me. Maybe he is trying to make us search for a dodo.
dgangle
total rice
Maybe he changed it, has a different truck now or ?? I don't mean to speak as though I really know the dude, just there that day picking up some parts.
I know that Real Steel in TX is working on a rain gutter, not sure when it will be available. I just ordered a rear sill and Tail Gate from them, there prices are not as steep as CCOT so maybe there rain gutter will be cheaper as well. I was told that there rain gutter was going to be made from galvanized steel. You might want to give them a call; it could be worth the wait.
Real Steel Tail Gate $450.00 or around that
CCOT(Pilgrim) Tail GAte $800.00 plus/minus
I will post pics when I get the parts, they should be here some time next month.
Later,
Corey
Real Steel Tail Gate $450.00 or around that
CCOT(Pilgrim) Tail GAte $800.00 plus/minus
I will post pics when I get the parts, they should be here some time next month.
Later,
Corey
- Thread starter
- #20
Thanks! I will look into that... I'm also going to see if I can find a used fiber top with a good rain rail close to where I am located... wish me luck!
