Options for soft top bows

[Catch22]

I’m contemplating on of the soft tops from Julie. The quality looks good, and I’m willing to pony up the $$$. My hang up is the options for the bow hardware. It seems like some emt conduit and a couple of weekends could get you very close. Are there any good options for hardware under $1K?

I’m looking at this as a possible alternative.

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40/BJ40 Soft top frame kit | eBay

OEM style soft top bows for the FJ40/BJ40.

www.ebay.com

I also have a damaged hardtop that I may could leverage for the portion that meets up with the doors. Thoughts?

 

[whitey45]

Have had many oem soft tops, don’t even waste your time thinking a little emt will work. If you are all in, get a Julie top, and some real steel bows, you will thank me later!!

 

[BeerM3]

^^^what he said. I’m not just the president, I’m also a member...

 

[Living in the Past]

The OEM bows the radius is much shorter than you will get using EMT and hand bender. Something to keep in mind is what doors you intend on using. I run factory soft doors with OEM bows. My new bows and doors are from my 2/73 FST. These are straight on the B pillar. 74+ the B pillar bow has a bend that matches the hard doors from the mid sixties on. If you plan on running factory hard doors want to be sure the B pillar bow matches. US was one of the few markets that had the quickly removed soft doors. Finding 74+ soft doors would be much harder than finding E-73 soft doors. Just something to think about before buying any bows.

 

[Catch22]

Thanks guys for the input and talking me out of something ill advised. So what is a good source for some aftermarket bows? I want to keep the hard doors.

 

[BeerM3]

Pretty much the only source. You can check eBay or the Mud classifieds, but they don’t come up often for reasonable $$.

Soft top bow kit complete

1965-1984 OEM reproduction soft top frame. Kit comes complete with all hardware. ready to install. Soft top and paint not included.

www.realsteelcruiserparts.net

 

[71FFJ40]

Real steel bows and dirt road soft top.Anything else will be a frustrating waste of time and money.

 

[Living in the Past]

Pretty much the only source. You can check eBay or the Mud classifieds, but they don’t come up often for reasonable $$.

Soft top bow kit complete

1965-1984 OEM reproduction soft top frame. Kit comes complete with all hardware. ready to install. Soft top and paint not included.

www.realsteelcruiserparts.net

I hate the one size fits approach. There are two different B pillar bows styles. Once the corrugated style hard top ended the hard top sides angled in at the base of the side window. If you put a straight edge on the B pillar you will see the angle. If the B pillar bow has the angle then say that. If it is straight which would match our soft doors up to 9/73 then say that. If they making a straight B pillar bow it will not be a good fit for hard doors made to fit the hard top with corner windows. I remember the Pakistan made bows were made with the angle because their market always had hard doors on soft top models. This worked for most US buyers because most didn't have soft doors made for the straight bows. Since they don't mention it it I would message them and ask this question. Simple question would want resolved before I spent over $1K. This issue has been know for a long time on mud and would think Realsteel has been asked this more than once. Personally think they would make the angled bow then a statement it will not fit early sixties hard doors or soft doors up until 9/73. I know if I spent a couple grand for a soft top and had to slam the door because it didn't fit my hard doors I would be pissed.

 

[thecrazygreek]

Or just spend 30 minutes bending the bow?

 

[Living in the Past]

Or just spend 30 minutes bending the bow?

You make it sound so easy. If you don't have the skills or the proper tools you very well could mess up your brand new bow. You do that then you have no recourse against the vendor once you've done any mods to the bow. Think for over $1K it should work without any mods. Only bow I would ever think about buying aftermarket is the angled B pillar bow. Have plenty of OEM bow just no angle B pillar bows. Not going risk messing up a good OEM bow.

 

[gr8ful]

I believe that all 74+ soft doors were still flat. If you bought a soft door set up, you got the flat style soft door main bow. Hard door set ups (most of them after 74) got the bent bow.

It’ll be a while, but I’m working on importing a bunch of OEM bow sets again, depending on your timing.

 

[Living in the Past]

I believe that all 74+ soft doors were still flat. If you bought a soft door set up, you got the flat style soft door main bow. Hard door set ups (most of them after 74) got the bent bow.

It’ll be a while, but I’m working on importing a bunch of OEM bow sets again, depending on your timing.

I have never seen a 9/73+ FST model in person and would only make sense no to redesign the doors after so many years. I know the part number changed 9/73 for the doors and the B pillar. But seen Toyota change a part number for no apparent reason. The site I use shows the back runners on the factory roll bar having the same part number 9/73-2/8/78. 2/78 was the date the seat belts moved from the hard top to the roll bar. Actually 8/76 (76 model) the radius changed other paint color there were no other changes to the side runner. So I would agree very possibly the doors or bows didn't change after 9/74 in the US. I have switched out the hard top for a soft top a few times on my 68. I have always switched the doors and hinges at the same same time. So never attempted using hard doors which are off a 79. My poor 68 has become a real mutt over the years.

 

[gr8ful]

I have never seen a 9/73+ FST model in person and would only make sense no to redesign the doors after so many years. I know the part number changed 9/73 for the doors and the B pillar. But seen Toyota change a part number for no apparent reason. The site I use shows the back runners on the factory roll bar having the same part number 9/73-2/8/78. 2/78 was the date the seat belts moved from the hard top to the roll bar. Actually 8/76 (76 model) the radius changed other paint color there were no other changes to the side runner. So I would agree very possibly the doors or bows didn't change after 9/74 in the US. I have switched out the hard top for a soft top a few times on my 68. I have always switched the doors and hinges at the same same time. So never attempted using hard doors which are off a 79. My poor 68 has become a real mutt over the years.

View attachment 2440055View attachment 2440056

that’s a great looking mutt though! I don’t recall what month the build was, but my US spec 74 oem soft top had The flat bow &flat soft doors. I’ve seen one is spec 75 soft top that was the same. I’ve never seen a later model US spec soft top, so I don’t know if you could buy them In the USA after 75. I’ve owned a couple of later model global spec 40’s that had the flat soft doors &main bow. But most of them also came with hard doors & the later bent bow.