brian
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Soft top suggestions?
- Thread starter Roastchestnuts
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RevISK
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That’s what I imagined.
Doesn’t look too hard to recreate.
Living in the Past
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The top itself wouldn't be that hard if you have the bows already. Today reproduction bows can get costly.
But that would be a great to have a full cover. Who makes a full top for factory bows, Specter Off Road?
brian
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Living in the Past
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If you were close by I would trade for the correct bows.
Did the VIN on that start 1~FJ40~10XXX?
Did the VIN on that start 1~FJ40~10XXX?
brian
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how are these not the correct bows?
RevISK
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Wood slab bumper for the win!
- Thread starter
- #148
My guess is the b pillar is different because the different doors? the tube part seems the same to me? I love that early 40 though! its so cool!
Living in the Past
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The B pillar beside being further back is not straight to fit inside the B pillar on the tub. Back bow is shorter. Door headers are different. Center cross is different. Side runners are longer and much heavier the later bows. Last three channel on the windshield besides being different it is welded on.
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brian
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Living in the Past
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Had it backwards, the earlier doors and doors frame opening is narrower. That bracket it fits in is forward of B pillar location on hard top models and later soft tops models. The rest is correct. Here is a old picture of the center bow I took years ago.
The shorter one is from a FJ25. That matches the 61 FJ40 bows I still have. My previous picture of bows there is two sets of red bows, 61 and 67. The 67 bows match the three other sets of later factory bows I have. The 67 did have the old style windshield channel but was not welded but used the same seven holes as the later style windshield channels.
Like posters before me have stated, I'd highly recommend going to Toyota for your twists and McMaster Carr for your twist female fittings.
Toyota pn 65928-60010
TROA hardware just isn't very good. Plus they provide only three twists per side and I think 5 looks better.
Toyota has 6 straps on the rear footman loops and TROA has four, spaced to use only the outside loops on each door. If you use your top as much as I have, you will understand the wisdom of reducing the number of straps, as four is plenty to hold it taut and six would be a major PITA to mess with constantly.
No complaints about the canvas bits, though, and I've put some miles on this one and its held up.
brian
SILVER Star
Yes. 10413
- Thread starter
- #154
I actually bought 8 toyota twist locks last year before I switched gears for the engine swap. But I did not get the the other parts. Thats good to know on the footman loops.
Living in the Past
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Toyota reduced the number of footman loops from six to four with the 72 model. Didn't matter hard top with barn doors or soft tops with a tailgate.
Corner footman loops went away in the mid 1960s. Twists were used until the 72 model when Toyota went back to footman loops with straps on the corners.
Toyota switched to vinyl for their soft tops back in the mid 1960s. To my knowledge canvas was never used after that while soft tops were still an option in the US. Because the US required three point seat belts in the front from 1/76 and didn't move three point seat belts to the roll bar 2/78 soft tops ended in 1975.
Chungas Revenge
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I always enjoy your posts, it’s a history lesson in short paragraphs…
- Thread starter
- #157
My Troa top came in yesterday! I unpacked it. I am going to try and start assembling it after work today. I am very impressed with the soft top itself! the top is worth the whole cost of the kit in my opinion. the main bows and frame work seem really nice as well. I will have some fitmit issues that I will have to massage and finess with the door channels and B pillars though. Ill be sure to post and report back here and on my build as I dive into it.
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Chungas Revenge
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- Thread starter
- #159
Lots of updates! friday was the last day of the school year. This teacher is on summer break now!
This top is awesome!!! I got the top installed quicker than I thought. the upper door bows were the tuffest part! I ended up lopping off more than I think I should have and taking the center part out? dont know what that part is called but it unbolts. BE AWARE: I have early style doors and this was the only way I could get the doors to shut properly. I think @HelloKitty65 told me about this in a PM. It was easy to take this part out because it was just bolted in on the Troa part. I think on real steal its tac welded in. I will have to find some good weather stripping to put in this area. but it fiits really nice after I took this part out. Ill get a picture this afternoon if I have time.
The turn buckles are garbage and I did indeed use the toyota turnbuckles. I did order 4 more toyota ones as I only ordered 3 per side but I think I am going to do 5 per side. the troa ones would not hold up down where I live. also I am pretty sure I could just bend them around with my hands if I wanted to. I have not added the turnbuckle fittings to the top yet but i will sometime this week. I ordered some better quality ones that should be here soon.
The windsheild channel: this part was tricky as without instructions I installed it the first time around upside down. the channel is curved but it is curved in the opposite direction you think. I used m6 nutzerts to attach it to the windsheild frame. Probibly the most stressfull part of the install was drilling the holes for the nutserts. luckly I guess from factory some pre done holes were there but no captive nuts.
The door B pillars were concerning to me as my doors are strait. but it seems to fit just fine with only minor massaging to a corner (because I dropped it unpacking and bent it a hair...
Attaching the rear part of the top was much easier because Troa actually had factory style mounting stuff now for the back bows. A step up from real steel in my opinion. I used nutserts again for the bottom thing and the side tub mounts.
Some other notes: the troa b pillars have a mount for an iterior light so I ordered one. Ill post more on that when It gets here.
all in all this top is awesome and I could not be happier! even though I waited almost two months to get it. Plus even troa's customer service was awesome when I need help with customs
Ill post more photos when I get a chance! and apologize for the crap photos.
.
This top is awesome!!! I got the top installed quicker than I thought. the upper door bows were the tuffest part! I ended up lopping off more than I think I should have and taking the center part out? dont know what that part is called but it unbolts. BE AWARE: I have early style doors and this was the only way I could get the doors to shut properly. I think @HelloKitty65 told me about this in a PM. It was easy to take this part out because it was just bolted in on the Troa part. I think on real steal its tac welded in. I will have to find some good weather stripping to put in this area. but it fiits really nice after I took this part out. Ill get a picture this afternoon if I have time.
The turn buckles are garbage and I did indeed use the toyota turnbuckles. I did order 4 more toyota ones as I only ordered 3 per side but I think I am going to do 5 per side. the troa ones would not hold up down where I live. also I am pretty sure I could just bend them around with my hands if I wanted to. I have not added the turnbuckle fittings to the top yet but i will sometime this week. I ordered some better quality ones that should be here soon.
The windsheild channel: this part was tricky as without instructions I installed it the first time around upside down. the channel is curved but it is curved in the opposite direction you think. I used m6 nutzerts to attach it to the windsheild frame. Probibly the most stressfull part of the install was drilling the holes for the nutserts. luckly I guess from factory some pre done holes were there but no captive nuts.
The door B pillars were concerning to me as my doors are strait. but it seems to fit just fine with only minor massaging to a corner (because I dropped it unpacking and bent it a hair...
Attaching the rear part of the top was much easier because Troa actually had factory style mounting stuff now for the back bows. A step up from real steel in my opinion. I used nutserts again for the bottom thing and the side tub mounts.
Some other notes: the troa b pillars have a mount for an iterior light so I ordered one. Ill post more on that when It gets here.
all in all this top is awesome and I could not be happier! even though I waited almost two months to get it. Plus even troa's customer service was awesome when I need help with customs
Ill post more photos when I get a chance! and apologize for the crap photos.
.
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