Smash-or-Trash - - Rollup Windows On Hardtop ?? (1 Viewer)

[Skydog]

I Must Ask, cauz the concept has long been on my mind : a Good idea or Bad... and/or ... Why Not ???

The Haartz material would be attached to the hardtop up underneath the metal gutter of the fiberglass roof cap, between the roof cap and top of hardtop sides. When unrolled, it would bond to the metal of the hardtop, to each side of the window and below the window, via flexible magnetic strips sewn into the Haartz material. The high-quality, clear vinyl window material would be bonded to the fabric Haartz material along the same lines of fabrication as any professionally manufactured soft top. For further weather-proofing, a very small flange would be created for the inside bevel of the hardtop opening - hindering the potential ingress of moving water, vapor moisture, and unwanted airflow. For augmented security, a pair of nylon straps would be added on the inside bottom of the roll-up window, which would clip to the inside of the hardtop.

When each of the three windows are rolled up, I see this concept (with the OEM hardtop) creating 'almost' as much open air space as would an OEM styled soft top. To me, the concept would be significantly less expensive for the owner of an existing hardtop than that person obtaining the needed bows and actual soft top - for an OEM styled soft top. And the concept would of course maintain use and durability of an existing hardtop, albeit with the new functionality of a soft top - without significantly molesting the hard top with the roll-up window material. Hence, the side glass and ambulance doors/rear hatch could still be easily reinstalled.

To reveal to you what is envisioned in my mind, I created (via Photoshop) for this thread a four-image illustration of my roll-up window concept, shown here, from a '78 vehicle that was previously on eBay :

~Skydogger

 

[lelandEOD]

Interesting!

 

[middlecalf]

Well that might work for my rear windows that are missing on my FJ45

 

[thebigredrocker]

Very creative idea you have. Anything is possible, I say go for it

 

[skidplate]

Last summer I rolled with the hard top, tube doors, and a home made tail gate. I wanted something similar to what you have proposed. Brilliant idea!

 

[jim land]

i like the idea of using the roof cap with soft sides and rear
i found those pics in an old toyota trail mag

 

[ginmtb]

I’d be interested in that rear hatch replacement option... great idea! I do have a fiberglass rain gutter now so not sure if that impacts the mounting.

The side windows are definitely a tougher option since one would have to remove the windows (and hopefully not damage the weatherstrip). Can be done but if your weatherstrip is old and crusty it could present problems.

 

[Pete]

Your pics show you're obviously not immune to snow where you are. In my mind one of the big pluses of the hard top Cruisers is they are much more weather-tight in my opinion than the soft tops. I'm referring to a Bestop, not a factory soft top. I think you'll lose a lot of this with your roll-ups but if you prefer the fresh air hard top openings to the more weather-tight windows, then go for it. Me, I preferred the hard top and fixed windows in the climate where I live (-10 to -15 F predicted for the next few days here in central Illinois) and took off the hard top and replaced with a bikini in the 90+ temp and humidity of the summers.

Pete

 

[jim land]

if i make one in the futur , i will keep the corner glass and make the side panel removable , so you can switch from hard panel to soft one , maybe a hinge on the side pannel so it can open up as a lid

the yellow lines on the pic is the cutting line for the side panel
this is someting i will do with a rusty used top

 

[Skydog]

i like the idea of using the roof cap with soft sides and rear
i found those pics in an old toyota trail mag

View attachment 1600047

View attachment 1600048

I recently saw a color image of an OEM fiberglass roof cap used with soft top material on the three sides, just like your pic shown here, but a more modern pic. I don't know where it was that I recently saw this - I'm looking for it.

 

[Skydog]

I’d be interested in that rear hatch replacement option... great idea! I do have a fiberglass rain gutter now so not sure if that impacts the mounting.

The side windows are definitely a tougher option since one would have to remove the windows (and hopefully not damage the weatherstrip). Can be done but if your weatherstrip is old and crusty it could present problems.

Technically, the side windows could safely be removed within minutes, with the proper technique. And technically, reinstalled within minutes as well. Regarding the rubber weather stripping, if old & crusty, would need to be replaced regardless. That's simple procrastination

 

[Skydog]

Last summer I rolled with the hard top, tube doors, and a home made tail gate. I wanted something similar to what you have proposed. Brilliant idea!

I'm mulling the idea of setting myself up to fabricate these, as an entrepreneurial business. The more I think about it, the more I really like this idea of mine. So many of us here have hardtops, which seems to be the vast majority of us. And this idea of mine would permit us to switch back & fourth at low cost and low hassle - permitting us the "almost" full benefit of an OEM type soft top - though with our hard top still in place.

I have other ideas in my head as well; one of which is a tail gate which negates the need for OEM barn doors or the solid metal, non-movable replacement panel. Regardless, the OEM barn doors and/or solid metal, non-movable replacement panel would work seamlessly with my roll-up windows for hardtop concept.

I'm thinking about it...

 

[Skydog]

Your pics show you're obviously not immune to snow where you are. In my mind one of the big pluses of the hard top Cruisers is they are much more weather-tight in my opinion than the soft tops. I'm referring to a Bestop, not a factory soft top. I think you'll lose a lot of this with your roll-ups but if you prefer the fresh air hard top openings to the more weather-tight windows, then go for it. Me, I preferred the hard top and fixed windows in the climate where I live (-10 to -15 F predicted for the next few days here in central Illinois) and took off the hard top and replaced with a bikini in the 90+ temp and humidity of the summers.

Pete

Hey Pete !!

What I have envisioned & in mind, for my concept, would be a roll up window that is most definitely weather-resistant : for cold, for moisture, and for air flow. It would be more weather resistant than an OEM styled soft top. And likely far more so than that of a Best Top. I have envisioned a specially fabricated rubber gasket / weather strip that would fit on the inside of the opening of the window and would augment seamlessly the roll up window, both on the sides and at the rear. For temperature control, I have envisioned the use of a second clear vinyl window, that adheres magnetically on all four of its sides to the inside of the rooftop wall. In essence, for cold weather environments, an optional system of the use of two transparent vinyl windows, with trapped non-moving or very slow moving air in between the two vinyl windows, which will naturally help further with the properties of insulation.

~Marc

 

[Skydog]

if i make one in the futur , i will keep the corner glass and make the side panel removable , so you can switch from hard panel to soft one , maybe a hinge on the side pannel so it can open up as a lid

the yellow lines on the pic is the cutting line for the side panel
this is someting i will do with a rusty used top

View attachment 1600142

Jim :

If hinged, you're speaking of like on a Highlander or Piper Cub ? ... to serve in part as a small awning ?? ... I don't see how it could open to the inside - with roll bar, etc. As you know, things are pretty tight on the inside :

~Marc

 

[ginmtb]

Technically, the side windows could safely be removed within minutes, with the proper technique. And technically, reinstalled within minutes as well. Regarding the rubber weather stripping, if old & crusty, would need to be replaced regardless. That's simple procrastination

Yup all mine are replaced - the old ones were not easy to remove since they were older (but not fully crusty). I haven’t tried removing the windows since I swapped the weatherstrip. Assuming you will make side windows to accommodate the tops without the vent windows.

 

[jim land]

yes , it will open just like the plane

 

[Skydog]

Yup all mine are replaced - the old ones were not easy to remove since they were older (but not fully crusty). I haven’t tried removing the windows since I swapped the weatherstrip. Assuming you will make side windows to accommodate the tops without the vent windows.

I'd say the vent widows (pop-out wing vent windows) would be kept (as displayed thru my Photoshop example above). Only the fixed glass of the side window is what I speak of. On the older vehicles, where there is no such pop-out wing vent window, the larger, fixed window opening would therefore become the roll up. On the newer vehicles with the half-way sliding glass within the large opening, that sliding glass, which opens-up only half that opening, would therefore be removed to become fully open with my roll up window concept.

 

[Skydog]

yes , it will open just like the plane

Roger that.

 

[jim land]

Jim :

If hinged, you're speaking of like on a Highlander or Piper Cub ? ... to serve in part as a small awning ?? ... I don't see how it could open to the inside - with roll bar, etc. As you know, things are pretty tight on the inside :

View attachment 1600352

View attachment 1600354

~Marc

is it you on that yellow piper with your dog ?

 

[Skydog]

is it you on that yellow piper with your dog ?

EDIT : I deleted the image of the young man flying the Piper Cub with his dog. I was remiss to have posted an Internet grab image revealing a person whom I do not know.

Negative. Those two pics above, of the Highlander and the Cub, were very quick grabs from the common Internet, that I could show to you for reference purposes only my own thought of a hinged, opened windowed door.

Although I've had stick-time in both a Highlander and in more than one Cub.

Below is me in a vintage warbird Cessna Bird Dog scout plane. I'm seen sitting backward, about to be taken up for an air-to-air photo shoot of a warbird Huey helicopter :

One of the images I'd made that day :

An image of me out on the skid of a small, Robinson R-22, over the Atlantic Ocean and one of its beaches. I was photoing a little bit larger, Robinson R-44 :

One of the images I'd made that day :

My doggers in their '96 4Runner Dogger Car :

~Marc