Early Soft Top Door Skinning

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Also by wrapping the canvas all the way around the frame at the top took up some space so the window track didn't line up with the exisitng holes. I wasn't taking off the canvas so I lowered the track (and shortened the glass) some.

 

[Living in the Past]

I told you Jim your secret was safe with me This top and doors look great on the 25. Sorry for keeping late at work. Contacted Jim (ocdbettle) today. Not sure when it going to happen but I want one of these tops bad. It be going on a FJ25 but a early FJ40 that I going to paint sulfur yellow. There is getting to be way to many original FJ25 soft top models out there time for some early 40s.

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

OK, Last pictures, doors are done, weatherstrip, handles, and new glass are in. I did the outside weatherstrip by working it in with a dull screwdriver 1/4" at a time, time consuming but I couldn't get it to slide in the track.

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

I don't know what was originally sealing the bottom edge of the window opening to the glass. I stuffed a sock in there to keep the water from pouring straight in.

 

[foxfab]

With the threatening rain for Fall Gathering, I had to resurrect a set of doors. Theyre not nearly as nice as Jims

 

[Bill McC]

Having sat in the seat behind the duct tape door during several miles of trail with tropical like rain, duct tape has it's place in the universe of automotive coverings.

 

[foxfab]

Lol, thanks again for being my aftermarket defroster.

 

[destin]

With the threatening rain for Fall Gathering, I had to resurrect a set of doors. Theyre not nearly as nice as Jims

awesome

 

[nuclearlemon]

Adding to this thread as i am getting ready to blast, paint and re-skin my doors. i have the specter replacement outer weatherstrip and window felt (although the felt is literally just flat felt material and would probably be cheaper at a craft store). plan on 1-1.5 hours per door to chip out the old outer rubber seal

if measurements are the same as newer (67 ish) soft doors, the plexi is .125 (1/8) which cruisernerd said he used, but there is another post with conflicting info...i'll let you know what i find out with that. i don't have the lower channel for the window, so i'll have to make something there, i'll do that when i get the plexiglass.

in the meantime, i have the doors completely broken down and ready to blast. some helpful tips.

after getting the outer rubber w/s off, use a good j.i.s. screwdriver in what we would call a #2 and a hammer and tap it a few times into each screw. this is the third set of oem soft doors i've torn down (other two sets were later model) and i've gotten almost every screw out. they are stupid tiny, so be prepared to lose some

i also used #6 ss screws, but in 1/4" length on the last two doors and will supplement here. there are 7 across the top, 12 down the angle, 14 on the bottom and 7 on the backside, so 36 per door. the #6 screws are larger as mentioned, but if you push hard, they will go in. take note of which holes actually mate up to a hole...i had extra hole in the track when there wasn't holes in the door.

the window frame is bolted with nuts everywhere except the two top forward screws.

 

[nuclearlemon]

mine had been changed out and some were missing, so i can't comment on if it's 8mm or 9mm nuts with phillips or slotted machine screws as i had both. the two upper forward screws matched on both doors and are probably original. here's what i pulled off and believe to be correct.

i believe the screw to the right is correct for the upper screws. these have lock washers. i used a torch to heat them up, the pounded the screwdriver in with a hammer and they came right out.

these are the tabs that had the screws that were mis-matched or missing, but i believe a couple were correct. they also took a lot of heat and a lot of pb blaster to get off.

at the bottom of the channel there are rubber bumpers held in with a bolt/nut. these are window stops. i believe these bolts/nuts were correct.

 

[nuclearlemon]

the bumpers were toast, but it's just a rubber block with a hole drilled for the bolt to go through. measurements below

 

[nuclearlemon]

a view of the screw heads under the rubber outer w/s

and with the channel removed

channels three appear the same but the forward angled one is sided.

i did have a couple of longer screws. maybe these were used to get things started, then others driven in. i doubt the weather strip was ever pulled off and screws removed/replaced

 

[nuclearlemon]

measurements of the stop chain, chain guard and spring for handle. obviously, one end of the chain is incorrect

and view of how the handle fits together. mine was pretty stuck, so i used a punch next to the stud to get it to separate. don't know if they all do but the stud threads into one of the handles on an old set of door and could be replaced.

 

[nuclearlemon]

WINDOW FELT

the specter aftermarket window felt measurements were test fit today and appear to be correct ish. as mentioned, it's just flat felt stripping that you can probably get at a craft store or it's under $14 at specter. i bought the strip for the later model doors, but it works in the early doors.

1 1/4" wide, two long legs are 36" long with a 17 1/8" section in the middle and notched to fit in the channel correctly

 

[nuclearlemon]

WINDOWS

i ordered two 18x18 x .125 sections of plexiglass based on mark a.s measurements of a door frame a very long time ago.

BUT THIS WAS NOT CORRECT IN MY CASE!!!!

measure your window frames. at the full 18", it falls out of my tracks. i'll need to reorder plexi for my windows. measuring the bottom of my frames with them partially bolted in show's i'll need to be at 18 9/16" . the 17 1/2" tall appears to be correct. i don't have the lower channel, but somewhere i have the repro clip and will use the plexi i picked up to bend two lower channels.

 

[nuclearlemon]

haven't made much progress, but the door frames are all cleaned up and primed awaiting a shot of judson (can't do that until i get bows made, cant do that till i find someone that can )

did find that a heavy mudflap was thick enough to make the bumpers on the bottom for the window. got larger plexiglass and cut windows, and got the extra material ocd had sent with treeroots top for the doors (there was supposed be enough for both our rigs, but i'm guessing he figured 25 doors were only covered on the bottom)

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Looking good. I don't think I ever put bumpers in........probably still running a nylon tie in that hole. After all the canvak I put on mine and nine years of dirt my doors look an oily shop rag (patina).