Fellow Mudders, @Charles4x4 was good enough to take his time and start trying to coordinate a Group Buy thread a whiles back, but alas it never came to fruition.
Can-Back however has finally gotten to the point that they are geting ready to produce the newest batch of Can-Backtops for the 1st Gen 4Runner. They aint gonna be cheap at $2650, but they will be well made if the company folows through with their plan. They arent looking to compete with the lower cost tops out there, they are trying to make the best top with the best materials.
I called Can-Back today and talked with Bryon there and got the full update on the tops. This is what I got from Bryon from Can-Back after a chat.
The tops are still in R&D as they are upgrading the design a little bit from the original Can-Back top and want all the wrinkles ironed out before they go into production.
Upgrades from original: (hasnt changed much from @Charles4x4 GB post)
- Upgrating material from the Sunbrella Plus to the to the Seamark canvas. Looks like Seamark is a little less breathable, but is 100% waterproof being vinyl backed and a bit more abrasion resistant than Plus.
- Better thread, Vortex IIRC which is very good and they went that way at their old thread would start to fail at about 10 years.
- The entire frame will be stainless steel now, the old was part stainless and the non-stainless parts tended to rust.
- The hoops are now 3-piece (vice 1-piece) to give some adjustment play when the top invariably shrinks a little over the years.
- The side panels will now be zip on/off vice the old tops that only could be rolled up.
- They come standard with tinted vinyl windows with Strata vinyl, but you can order or add on later side panels with screens.
- They are adding a reinforcement kit for their load bars. They hold 75# stock and the kit will allow IIRC 150# per bar with the kit. So with 4 bars and the upgrade kits, you could hold an RTT on there, for a total of 600#. The rep said they will not be cheap by any means.
- They will add some type of side mount, but the rep didnt elaborate and I didn’t follow up.
BLUF, they aint gonna be cheap, but it sounds like they want to keep the reputation of Can-Back intact and have put some thought into the tops and they took all the lessons learned form the old tops and incorporated improvements in the new tops, that with the increased cost of materials has made it a tad spendy.
It will come in Black and Linen (a light khaki) as their stock offerings, but you can get a custom color for an extra cost as long as Sunbrella makes the color in Seamark.
They are currently only taking names and contact info right now, and are looking to start production in late October. Bryon said that they will call for confirmation, color and options a week before the tops go into production and will require no money or deposits until that point.
Other than wanting to buy one myself, I have no other vested interest. I am cautiously optimistic and am glad at least they the tops are moving forward.
That is all
Original group buy thread:
Group Buy on 1st Gen 4Runner Can-Back Soft Tops
Can-Back however has finally gotten to the point that they are geting ready to produce the newest batch of Can-Backtops for the 1st Gen 4Runner. They aint gonna be cheap at $2650, but they will be well made if the company folows through with their plan. They arent looking to compete with the lower cost tops out there, they are trying to make the best top with the best materials.
I called Can-Back today and talked with Bryon there and got the full update on the tops. This is what I got from Bryon from Can-Back after a chat.
The tops are still in R&D as they are upgrading the design a little bit from the original Can-Back top and want all the wrinkles ironed out before they go into production.
Upgrades from original: (hasnt changed much from @Charles4x4 GB post)
- Upgrating material from the Sunbrella Plus to the to the Seamark canvas. Looks like Seamark is a little less breathable, but is 100% waterproof being vinyl backed and a bit more abrasion resistant than Plus.
- Better thread, Vortex IIRC which is very good and they went that way at their old thread would start to fail at about 10 years.
- The entire frame will be stainless steel now, the old was part stainless and the non-stainless parts tended to rust.
- The hoops are now 3-piece (vice 1-piece) to give some adjustment play when the top invariably shrinks a little over the years.
- The side panels will now be zip on/off vice the old tops that only could be rolled up.
- They come standard with tinted vinyl windows with Strata vinyl, but you can order or add on later side panels with screens.
- They are adding a reinforcement kit for their load bars. They hold 75# stock and the kit will allow IIRC 150# per bar with the kit. So with 4 bars and the upgrade kits, you could hold an RTT on there, for a total of 600#. The rep said they will not be cheap by any means.
- They will add some type of side mount, but the rep didnt elaborate and I didn’t follow up.
BLUF, they aint gonna be cheap, but it sounds like they want to keep the reputation of Can-Back intact and have put some thought into the tops and they took all the lessons learned form the old tops and incorporated improvements in the new tops, that with the increased cost of materials has made it a tad spendy.
It will come in Black and Linen (a light khaki) as their stock offerings, but you can get a custom color for an extra cost as long as Sunbrella makes the color in Seamark.
They are currently only taking names and contact info right now, and are looking to start production in late October. Bryon said that they will call for confirmation, color and options a week before the tops go into production and will require no money or deposits until that point.
Other than wanting to buy one myself, I have no other vested interest. I am cautiously optimistic and am glad at least they the tops are moving forward.
That is all
Original group buy thread:
Group Buy on 1st Gen 4Runner Can-Back Soft Tops