Chop top and Roll cage

[Bamaboy]

SO a while back my cruiser was in a roll over due to a faulty install of an air locker. This left my whole driver side, the windshield, and the roof pretty jacked up! So I decided to chop the top and put on an exoskeleton roll cage and also spray the whole thing in bed liner. This is the beginning of that build up and and all critiques/tip/thoughts are welcome and appreciated! the following pics are the damage after the rollover...

 

[Bamaboy]

Pre first cut, and sprayed bed liner on the hood and front quarter panels

 

[Bamaboy]

pics didn't upload in the last one, here they are

 

[Bamaboy]

here we are after the first cut with the roof off. used a saw zaw and a grinder with a cutting wheel. this is as far as i have made it. more pics to come on Monday at the earliest

 

[Bamaboy]

can I get the opinion of the group? what to do about the doors? i like em off but when driving through mud it might suck.. i was thinking about cutting my doors in half and putting em back on i also plan on getting a soft top cut and and putting buttons on it for the winter and during rain. anyone have any ideas on the door subject?? thanks

 

[mwalls54]

Looks good. I would cut the stock doors down to half doors. There are a few guys on here that have done it a few times. I would cut your rear hatch along the body line then weld it to the top of the tail gate to even the back out.

 

[cult45]

Could you save the front and make a FJ60 ute? Keep the wagon rear, weld in the bottom half of the doors, extend the lower tailgate up to meet the tops of the rear quarters as mwalls54 said.

Use the stock b-pillar and add another smaller one, but angled rearward and put lexan triangle glass between. Also a lexan rear screen in it [or actual glass if you can].

So you will end up with pretty much a FJ60 pickup. Pretty rare, handy too. It's not like you would have put your Nan in the backseat without a cage anyway, so a ute would still be practical.

Then.. source a 1HD-T or an LS3 blah blah blah. Sorry got carried away.

 

[cult45]

This thread has some cool custom 60's on it.

ANyone ever chop a 60 - Pirate4x4.Com

Check out the grey one [pic 5], that's my pick. Also, the silver dual-cab from NT, Aus has some cool snaps to help you build.

 

[justbecause]

Following.

 

[tat2matt]

"SO a while back my cruiser was in a roll over due to a faulty install of an air locker."

How was the air locker installed that this was the result? Maybe save someone else the same headache.

 

[pistonpete]

Heres a COOL pig i saw on the site..Great cut..

Is that not the sexiest thing you have seen

 

[darwink1]

^^^wow. Theres your door solution on that 55 as well. Keep the fronts and either weld in/cut down the old rear ones or make a panel. Id do the weld in/cut down since you already have the old doors although they doo look a little tweaked on the ds..

Try to keep your windshield/frame, maybe its just me but it stops looking like a cruiser when that goes and looks more like a buggy. Unless thats what youre going for.

Heres the half doors Im workin on. Try to integrate some cool storage solutions into the whole chop if you can, weld frikkin ammo cans in everywhere lol.

D

 

[Bamaboy]

im diggin all yalls ideas. the locker was installed improperly. from what i understand there is a bar that goes straight through the gears with 2 screws on each side only one screw was installed sorta like this if you can picture it l l but only one screw... locked up my front right tire on a dirt road goin about 35 ish and took me into an embankment then rolled me heres some pics

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/Stretch25/047.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/Stretch25/048.jpg

it also ripped the front drive shaft out by cork screwing it seeen in this picture
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/Stretch25/049.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/Stretch25/050.jpg

im a little confused on what some of yall ment with the welding on the half doors, you mean weld em shut?

also yes I am using lexane in the windshield but the front pillars are slanted so i am having to use square tubing so i can have it all square and even on each side

 

[wardharris]

Ute Lust

Could you save the front and make a FJ60 ute?

Then.. source a 1HD-T or an LS3 blah blah blah. Sorry got carried away.

No apologies, Mate! Rig below now in process of being built - Central Valley, CA.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Keep it coming, I'm a big fan of chop - cut - and make Bigger and Better!!

 

[robustbambi]

That's an amazing pig up there. And great job on the 60 as well, it's coming out very nicely!!!

 

[cult45]

No apologies, Mate! Rig below now in process of being built - Central Valley, CA.

YES! I searched google very briefly but found nothing that illustrates what I meant, til now. Your truck is fxxxing sick as. I would totally build a HZJ61 but with a styleside/wellback tray - separate though like a 45. 1HD-T/H55.

Save the hijack - you got a build thread?

 

[cult45]

^^^wow. Theres your door solution on that 55 as well. Keep the fronts and either weld in/cut down the old rear ones or make a panel. Id do the weld in/cut down since you already have the old doors although they doo look a little tweaked on the ds..

Try to keep your windshield/frame, maybe its just me but it stops looking like a cruiser when that goes and looks more like a buggy. Unless thats what youre going for.

Heres the half doors Im workin on. Try to integrate some cool storage solutions into the whole chop if you can, weld frikkin ammo cans in everywhere lol.

D

Nice fab skills. Ammo boxes are wicked man.

 

[Tapage]

 

[Rigger]

The half top that Tapage posted looks cool! Bamaboy, there's your design cue right there. Keep that part of the roof over the front seats.

Edit: darwink1, you got some great fab skills. Nice going!