BJ73 soft top help

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diggerdan

diggerdan

10 Year
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Threads
3
Messages
8
Hi all.

I could do with a little help from some of you guys who have fitted a soft top.

I have a bog standard Japanese built BJ73 with the FRP top. I want to fit a Bikini top which I'm considering fabricating myself. If anyone knows where I can buy one for a reasonable price or has a pattern that would however be a massive help.

The biggest issue I've got right now is finding or fabricating a header bar for the top of the windscreen frame.

Is there a part number for one of these? Can't find anything on partsouq for 70, 71, 73 or 74.

I'm thinking of a simple bit of steel bolted along the top to form a lip maybe with a 90 degree upstand at the rear to lift the canvas and give the front a sloped angle of attack.

If anyone can help I'd be really grateful.

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Strange times. Cheers.

Dan
 
diggerdan said:
Hi all.

I could do with a little help from some of you guys who have fitted a soft top.

I have a bog standard Japanese built BJ73 with the FRP top. I want to fit a Bikini top which I'm considering fabricating myself. If anyone knows where I can buy one for a reasonable price or has a pattern that would however be a massive help.

The biggest issue I've got right now is finding or fabricating a header bar for the top of the windscreen frame.

Is there a part number for one of these? Can't find anything on partsouq for 70, 71, 73 or 74.

I'm thinking of a simple bit of steel bolted along the top to form a lip maybe with a 90 degree upstand at the rear to lift the canvas and give the front a sloped angle of attack.

If anyone can help I'd be really grateful.

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Strange times. Cheers.

Dan
Click to expand...


The easiest, and probably cheapest is to get one from a Jeep. Thats what I'm planning on doing.

You want a bikini from the 2004~2006 Jeep Wrangler LJ Unlimited. They are the "long wheelbase" TJ which is almost exactly a 73/74 wheelbase.

Here is one brand, of bikini tops, there are several to choose from, but for $76.00 it's a cheap experiement.
Smittybilt Extended Brief Top (Black Diamond) - 93735


To mount on the windshield frame, you just need the top channel.

Bestop Windshield Channel, Drill-In Style - Black | Morris 4x4
pdint_2_image_31269.15718374712024.jpg



Also you can get a trail cover for the same Jeep 2005 LJ unlimited for water protection when camped/parked.

Here is a custom one on a 40.
1-jpg.281517







You can of course have the whole thing custom made and it might be cheaper than the above pieces depending on your shop. Just make sure the front of the bikini matches the channel for the windshield. Pretty sure the 2 I posted will work, but I would double check. For sure the YJ/CJ top channel and Extended top should match and fit, but I think the Jeep Unlimited LJ 2005 is a better physical dimension map and will match the 73/74 dimensions better.
 
Maybe these pics will help you fabricate your own. These pics are from the soft top I used to own. There is no part number for the header itself as it comes welded on the fold down windshield frame that is exclusive for the soft top. I don't recall the p/n for that frame, sorry.

soft top 1.webp
 
The guys that made my soft top used a channel like in this pic along the top of windshield frame. Front of the top has a rope sewn in it that goes in the slot.
1591724945303.webp
 
Thanks for the responses. Very useful.

A friend who I buy a lot of parts off sent me this image today. Think this is the road I'm going to go down. Will let you know how it works out.

jfrench... like that top alot. where did you get that aftermarket cage?

cruiser headbar.webp
 
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