Hard top/ Soft top question (1 Viewer)

[Waterboy]

Is it possible to switch between a factory soft top and a hard top? I plan on running my hard for a while then switching to my factory soft top that I bought. Once the factory soft top is installed can I ever use the hard top again or should I sell it?

 

[bikersmurf]

People run the after market soft tops and hardtops all the time... Can't see it being different for the factory one.

In Florida you may find that you don't want to run the hardtop again... Here on the wet coast, hardtops are almost a must 6-10 months a year.

 

[cjgoode]

Soft top needs a channel on the top of the window, since you have a hard top then the it would need to be removable. The old fj40's that were factory soft top this channel was welded on. The other part is if this is a factory soft top then it would have the fasteners on the sides of the fj40 that would get in the way of the hard top. They would have to be taken off each time to switch, they would just unscrew. So it is not a real big deal to switch back and forth. Reality is in FL you will likely never put the hard top back on if you have a nice factory style soft top.

 

[bigndn]

Soft top needs a channel on the top of the window, since you have a hard top then the it would need to be removable. The old fj40's that were factory soft top this channel was welded on. The other part is if this is a factory soft top then it would have the fasteners on the sides of the fj40 that would get in the way of the hard top. They would have to be taken off each time to switch, they would just unscrew. So it is not a real big deal to switch back and forth. Reality is in FL you will likely never put the hard top back on if you have a nice factory style soft top.

That sums it up nicely.

 

[JohnnyC]

That sums it up nicely.

x2

 

[Waterboy]

Thanks for the input!

 

[bikersmurf]

Hard tops do offer more security... Soft tops are a lot lighter.

 

[Pistorman]

Hard tops do offer more security... Soft tops are a lot lighter.

Especially if you don't have a roll bar. Then again it may just seem safer, I'm not sure a fiberglass top and some side posts will help you much without a roll bar. There will surely be more resistance, then again someone down there may end up as a sardine in a can

 

[bikersmurf]

I was thinking of theft... Not roll over.

For roll over, a cage is the way to go.

 

[Eshu Elegua]

nothing beat a fj40 with factory soft top,even in Fl "winter time" or raining season the soft top do the job with the proper care. If your 40 is your dd like mine when i was living in Orlando, my FST was the ticket,of course hard top have many good things if you plan to have a radio, etc etc I will stick with the FST