Factory Soft Top Materials Used? (2 Viewers)

[Arekusan40]

I’m restoring a ’71 FJ40 factory soft top and would welcome help on what soft materials were originally used. My soft top is long gone (replaced by a hard top early in its life) but the truck always kept its original soft doors. The soft doors are a tan vinyl with the interior backing a grayish-black color – see pics. The vinyl is very well installed and prior owners vouch that this is the original factory covering.

Curiously, the original 1971 "Models Specifications Accessories" booklet lists the FST model as a "FJ40L 2-Door Vinyl Top,” and the Owner's Manual lists it as "Model FJ40(L) Canvas Top."

Can someone confirm if Toyota made both vinyl and canvas FST models for 1971? Is there a way I can confirm exactly what my Cruiser came with, either by the serial number or through some other means? Assuming my doors were originally vinyl, does this mean my top must have been vinyl also? Or did Toyota mix and match and use vinyl on the doors, perhaps for durability, but offer the choice of vinyl or canvas for the tops?

A related question is the original style of side windows on the soft top. FST pictures in both the booklet and the Manual mentioned above show a single plastic roll-up window on each side. Reproduction tops I see available today have two plastic windows on each side. Either will work fine for me, but can someone with an original soft top confirm if they used single or dual side windows?

Thanks and appreciate the help.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

In 1971 one it would have been white vinyl, I believe the canvas tops stop around 1964 at least here in the states

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

I lifted these off mud a few years ago...maybe from @whitey45? It was an OEM top that was for sale.


ETA: Found the link. From the 60s according to him...

For Sale: - 1960s factory oem vinyl canvas soft top!!!

@JohnnyC will know exactly what the material was.

 

[whitey45]

That was my top, a factory oem top from the early 70's. It was vinyl, but the inside was canvas and heavy. The oem tops were very well made and durable. I have had several repro tops and the oem weighed double. Have also had dozens of doors, and all have had the same vinyl covers.

 

[JohnnyC]

USA would definitely had been vinyl ... And in white

The tan you have was an early kayline replacement vinyl ... The vinyl is on a heavy black denim on the inside... Just like oem vinyl

canvas was used in other markets

Toyota calls them tarpaulin as opposed to hard top and you will see listed everywhere canvas doors ... As generically just soft top doors

 

[JohnnyC]

Btw and @ClemsonCruiser has the date correct ... Late 64' build some time they went to the vinyl

 

[Arekusan40]

Thanks all - very helpful! Puzzled over my doors maybe being Kayline recovered... prior owners say doors are original. Is it possible my "tan" doors are just faded and stained original white vinyl?

Whitey, don't suppose you have another serviceable OEM top, do you?

Assuming I need to go repop for my vinyl top and doors, who do you all recommend I consider for the "closest to factory 1971" for the vinyl material and look?

 

[JohnnyC]

It could be just dirty and stained

If you take off the lower door hinge you will see the original color of what's on the door... If it was white... You'll tell

 

[JohnnyC]

This is the closest material you can get right now ... From @Trollhole

Link: 7 Window PVC Soft Top - FJ40 or BJ42 Toyota Land Cruiser

 

[Arekusan40]

Me again... I just removed the hinge on my "tan" vinyl door... it's white underneath!

 

[JohnnyC]

Oem .... Nice

 

[Arekusan40]

Yeah I might see if the original door vinyl is cleanable and the one hole patchable instead of having them recovered. Will make restoration of the metal parts a bit challenging but I am always up for the challenge.

 

[Trollhole]

Vinyl. Perfect. Gives me a reason to stop canvas production. Which has already begun on the black canvas. From now on I'll only make canvas tops as a special order. They fade, and shrink and require way too much maintenance. Pvc is the way to go.

 

[JohnnyC]

unfortunately the rip is most likely due to brittleness of the original vinyl because it went so long without care... the old toyota stuff since being on a heavy backing would also shrink become brittle and deteriorate

modern pvc materials and synthetics are so much better than the ol' canvas and vinyls used then.

you could try to save them... but... it will most likely not match the clean top you put on. They are not all that hard to recover. but... if you chose to save them... take a piece of black denim and silicone it to the inside or use Bish's tear mender... then paint the white on the outside ... making your own layer to the outside this way you can control the color and have it blend better as well.

I cant recall what Marshall (@Trollhole) recommends ... but...

for the pvc canvas and vinyls a good protectant is '303 protectant' ... http://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-marine-recreation-aerospace-protectant you can pick this stuff up just about anyplace.

The aerospace version has UV resistance... and is recommended by sunbrella.

high end synthetics (german canvases) this site has some good product... however some are expensive because it is used by mercedes dealers on the german canvas stuff: http://www.wolfsteins.com/

Troll's tops come highly recommended

 

[Fast Eddy]

canvas tops ... They fade, and shrink and require way too much maintenance. Pvc is the way to go.

For guys who already have one, what maintenance do you recommend? I haven't done any yet, and it's been a couple years. It lives outside, covered with your cover. It does have some mold on the top, presumably from staying wet between the cover and the top after rain.

 

[Bluebird2121]

Vinyl. Perfect. Gives me a reason to stop canvas production. Which has already begun on the black canvas. From now on I'll only make canvas tops as a special order. They fade, and shrink and require way too much maintenance. Pvc is the way to go.


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I have one of your green ones and it is faded to beige

 

[Mechnizer]

Me too. But its not my rig !
The owner will probably notice the extreme color difference.
Thing is the vehicle rarely sat in the sun .

Probably the biggest reason I run a hard top, besides the road noise .