Pakistan Tops

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

Getting the ropes in the channels was a bit of an experience. I had never assembled, installed, or put on a soft top on a vehicle before so I had to ponder the process for a moment. There is probably a thread on here somewhere that explains the process but since I am of the "COWBOY" sort I hoofed it. The first thing to do is fit the windshield channel (as best you can as you may remember I had some difficulties with that and used a "COWBOY" remedy). Next are the channels around the door openings (what ever the name of those parts are).

 

[ginsudan]

Ehsan Top

I ended up removing the windshield wipers it made it easier as it was a tight fit for the vinyl to pass between the wiper posts and the channel. I was glad it was a sunny day as the top needed to warm up some to help with the fit. The vinyl stretches better when it's warm. Does the canvas react the same way? Once the ropes were firmly in the channels I pulled the rest of the top over the bows. There is a flap in the back that has a velcro or hook and loop fastening strips that wrap around the rear most bow. Getting this attached correctly was greatly aided by the suns warming of the vinyl.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

Once I got all the ropes in the channels. Attached the hook and loop strips. Pulled the vinyl over the bows and surveyed my progress. It was time to prepare for the most daunting part of the assembly. "THE ATTACHMENT of the TWIST LOCK GROMMETS". But wait first I needed to remove al the crappy snaps from the PO's funky aftermarket Tiger, Best Top, jEEp clone POS top and install the wonderful, high quality, moderately expensive, and perfectly fitting Toyota Factory twist locks. By the way I found the part number here on iH8MUD.com, to save you a search here is the part number for the twist locks; 65928-60010, The part number for the windshield brackets from Toyota is; 65815-90800 for the right hand side and 65816-90300 for the left hand side. I bought them from ToyotaPartsEast.com. The grommet part of the fasteners, part # 95678A678 packs of 5 , I bought from McMaster-Carr 9630 Norwalk Blvd. Santa Fe Springs CA 90670 PH# 562692-5911 la.sales@mcmaster.com .

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

OK, now I am ready for what I have been secretly dreading, because I really don't want to mess this up with my "COWBOY" approach to well everything I guess. Sometimes it does not go well. So I took a break.:beer

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

After my break I got ready I cut a 4X4 to 46" and I prepared the tools I need. I have a hole punch, a ball peen hammer(a pretty heavy one), the grommet hole punch tool I borrowed from CAL40 by way of FARMAN33, a carpenters pencil, and a 10 mm combination wrench I had cut the open end off of and smoothed the cut end with a table grinder and wire brush wheel, and my utmost confidence that I would not mess this part up. I had discussed this part of the Ehsan Soft Top installation with FARMAN33. He is the one that suggested the use of the length of lumber. In this case I used a 4X4, I believe he used a 2X4. Either way I just happened to have a 4X4 handy. It did give me more surface area though.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

I was very glad I took the break and gave myself a little time to think things through. When Greenfox was helping (showing, no teaching) me how to put my !974 FJ40 Garage find back together, he stressed the idea of stepping back and taking inventory of what has been done and what needs to be done before you move on to what you think needs to be done. So you get done the thing that needs to be done before you do something else instead.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

I used the pencil to put some graphite on the top of the twist lock. Then I moved the material of the top in to the proper position against the twist lock and it left the graphite mark where I needed to make the hole with the grommet punch tool. I used the hole punch to make a smaller hole so I would be able to place the grommet hole punch tool in the right place.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

The grommet hole punch tool worked great just the way FARMAN33 said it would and just the way he said to use it. At this point I was really starting to relax. The top was going together really easily and my confidence that this project a lll but finished was high.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

With out the grommet hole punch tool this part of the project would have been more difficult. I found out how difficult later. In the mean time things continued to go as described and well. The grommets went on without a hitch the tool made th holes in the right pace and the 10mm wrench handle worked great.

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

The grommet application continued

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

Here are the pictures of the finished product "My Ehsan Top and Bows" all the way from Pakistan. I am very satisfied and very happy with the quality of the craftsmanship. You can not get a soft top like this of this quality with bows in this country for this price as far as I can tell. BARGAIN!

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

Before and After

 

[ginsudan]

My Ehsan Top

In my unhumble opinion the Ehsan Soft Top really enhances the look of my 1974 FJ40. Thanks for viewing my thread and I hope it will help you if and when you decide to get an Ehsan Soft Top. If you have been on the fence because of the price I paid $1050 for the Soft Top and Bows including shipping from Pakistan. It arrived via DHL to my front door on the day Ehsan said it would be there. In fact he sent me a e-mail that said "Answer your door your soft top is being delivered." I called home and my son confirmed that in fact my soft top had been delivered. It also required a signature. From my lengthy conversations with FARMAN33 he is also a very happy Ehsan soft top buyer. Look up his thread pertaining to his Ehsan soft top purchase on this site. More Pics. I am so proud of this top. I just love the way it looks on my 1974 FJ40, Tomorrow I will try it out with my full doors. YES!

 

[ginsudan]

BLOOPERS

Is this garage stacked or what?

 

[ginsudan]

Wake Up!

Just wondering, why doesn't everyone go 'Topless' ..... its a jeep after all, enjoy the openness.

We are not driving a jEEp. We own and drive authentic Land Cruisers. For that reason and that reason alone we demand excellence. Out Soft Tops, Bimini Tops , Tires, and Fuel, must be the best. Beautiful like our women, strong and healthy like our children, Powerful and long lasting like our zest for life. Land Cruiser Land Cruiser Land Cruiser is our battle cry. Then VICTORY come to us. Top less, unless you look like Kate Upton keep your shirt on! PLEASE! Trail Foul!

Picture of topless jEEp guys. Gross

 

[antFJ]

i will also add that 1050 is a steal... i was wondering whether or not to make my next cruiser a hard top and i think I just made my decision....

 

[myquestoyota]

Well done

What an excellent writeup!
Thank you for putting that together for us.

 

[DSRTRDR]

Just wondering, why doesn't everyone go 'Topless' ..... its a jeep after all, enjoy the openness.

topless is fine for short trips in an area where weather is predictable

it is not so good when you start out one morning in Moab, UT at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, hit a snowstorm on the Navajo Reservation where the only thing to keep you warm is your own heather (they had a massive power outage, restaurants closed, not even the gas stations could pump), and then roll into Phoenix, AZ 480 miles later in the evening at 85 degrees

also, at 65 to 85 mph, it becomes a real problem to keep the tarp over all of the crap in the rear from bellowing and ripping off

 

[DSRTRDR]

Has anyone approached a sail maker or a boat Bimini maker about building a high quality soft top? They use similar materials

yes, I have, see my earlier post in this thread

 

[Hogan]

I had to buy these from my local Toyota for around $7.50 each they are side specific so if you order get one right and one left.

Would you post the part numbers for these? BTW the top looks great! Thanks