Troopy Soft Top
- Thread starter crustyBJ60
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- #42
JohnnyC
that's awesome! that's more than enough of the "missing" info i was looking for to piece this all together.
no problem to make my own parts if i need them (i'm only missing a few brackets). the prices of Toyota parts from Toyota here down unda' would shock the pants off ya!
cheers
crusty
that's awesome! that's more than enough of the "missing" info i was looking for to piece this all together.
no problem to make my own parts if i need them (i'm only missing a few brackets). the prices of Toyota parts from Toyota here down unda' would shock the pants off ya!
cheers
crusty
I have some of the brackets if someone needs them.
Another ex-Norforce Troopy Softtop
I've got one here in LA, pretty much same as the one crustyBJ60 just bought. My top has been leaking in the recent rains, and I got quoted $2500-$2800 from a local auto upholstery shop for a custom replacement. Made me kick myself for not buying the NOS one Specter had on their site several years ago (for about $800).
I'd definitely be interested in something ocdbeetle puts together--the quality on his xJ40 tops looks very good.
I've got one here in LA, pretty much same as the one crustyBJ60 just bought. My top has been leaking in the recent rains, and I got quoted $2500-$2800 from a local auto upholstery shop for a custom replacement. Made me kick myself for not buying the NOS one Specter had on their site several years ago (for about $800).
I'd definitely be interested in something ocdbeetle puts together--the quality on his xJ40 tops looks very good.
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- Thread starter
- #45
nice.
i did a bit of a search, and i see that you have a NORFORCE troopy (and yes, they are quite rare). the top you have will be a modified factory set up. the side pieces that bolt to the tub are 5 1/2" tall, and your canvas would have been made to suit. a factory soft top would not "fit" your truck without some mods.
i'm uncertain if all the NORFORCE trucks (and tops) are the same, i have only ever seen one in person, and pics of maybe half a dozen. i believe there were only a couple hundred ever made.
i'm only using the bows, so i have some extra parts that would fit your truck. the canvas that i have is only good enough for a template, it's thin, ripped and rough.
what i'm looking for is some hard dimensions of a factory soft top for ocdbeetle to fab up a re-pro, and yes the quality looks to be top notch. that's why i'm working on getting one down unda.
i have something like pic 1, and pic 2 is what i'm after.
cheers
crusty
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I've got some photos on Flickr:
Search results for hj47 softtop
I purchased it in Ballina, NSW about six years ago, and had it shipped to the US once it was 25 years old.
- Thread starter
- #47
making some progress now...
anyone need a troopy hard top and a nice set of amby doors?
cheers
crusty
anyone need a troopy hard top and a nice set of amby doors?
cheers
crusty
That should look pretty cool, I've never seen a soft top troopy so it's piqued my interest, soft top shorties don't do anything for me as it seems every bloke and his dog has one. Is the windscreen frame going to be braced? it wobbles a bit at speed with no roof.
Edit: how much for just the rear doors?
Edit: how much for just the rear doors?
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- Thread starter
- #49
g'day herbs,
have you seen this? Outer Limits 4x4 Board :: Log in
i'd like to unload the lot, but time will tell.
sold the top, including the doors for $200. well worth it just for the doors, you never know if ebay will get you good $$$ or not.
as for the windscreen, i have all the factory soft top bits to make it work, including the door frames. the two parts are highlighted on the pic.
it'll look good over a modified metaltech cage
this bloke and his dogs (i think the handbrake will like it too) are looking forward to finishing this project, in this climate it's the only way to go.
cheers
crusty
have you seen this? Outer Limits 4x4 Board :: Log in
i'd like to unload the lot, but time will tell.
sold the top, including the doors for $200. well worth it just for the doors, you never know if ebay will get you good $$$ or not.
as for the windscreen, i have all the factory soft top bits to make it work, including the door frames. the two parts are highlighted on the pic.
it'll look good over a modified metaltech cage
this bloke and his dogs (i think the handbrake will like it too) are looking forward to finishing this project, in this climate it's the only way to go.
cheers
crusty
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Oh ok, I see it now, looking forward to seeing it finished.
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- #51
just out of curiosity... has anyone verified the dimensions of these pics?
IIRC it was pinhead who posted these originally. i've sent a pm, i guess i'll wait to hear back.
the big one for me is the front width? is it really 2" wider than the back?
any thoughts/comments at this point would be helpful.
cheers
crusty
IIRC it was pinhead who posted these originally. i've sent a pm, i guess i'll wait to hear back.
the big one for me is the front width? is it really 2" wider than the back?
any thoughts/comments at this point would be helpful.
cheers
crusty
- Thread starter
- #53
thanks ocdbeetle,
that's what i thought, but 2" seems a lot from the looks of what i've got going together.
i'm having quite a few "that can't be right!" moments. not as much fun as you would think.
the bows i'm working with are that bent.
cheers
crusty
that's what i thought, but 2" seems a lot from the looks of what i've got going together.
i'm having quite a few "that can't be right!" moments. not as much fun as you would think.
the bows i'm working with are that bent.
cheers
crusty
- Thread starter
- #54
i think i might have found my missing 2" 
seriously, the vertical door pieces have the same slight bend as the hard top sides, and from a quick look, it could be about 2" by the time it reaches the top where the bow meets.
i've gone over the all the pics i can find for a factory shorty soft top, and most of the cruisers look to be 78 and older. different tub. different doors. different tops?
the pics of the repro and factory soft top parts i can find show the door opening piece as dead straight (or it looks that way in the pics).
i'm thinking that the 79 and later (with the thicker doors and different tub) may have different tops?
so it looks like all the bows are the same width all the way down the truck.
to make the "B" pillar 62 3/4" at the top is going to be a stretch. the tub is 63 3/4" at the top lip, and that would make the "B" pillars the same width at the bottom where the rope rail for the top attaches, but tapers upwards to about 60 3/4" at the bow.
does that make sense? it's got me thinking that newer tops taper upwards at the "B" pillar and older tops do not.
here are a couple of pics of what i've got so far. thoughts?
cheers crusty
seriously, the vertical door pieces have the same slight bend as the hard top sides, and from a quick look, it could be about 2" by the time it reaches the top where the bow meets.
i've gone over the all the pics i can find for a factory shorty soft top, and most of the cruisers look to be 78 and older. different tub. different doors. different tops?
the pics of the repro and factory soft top parts i can find show the door opening piece as dead straight (or it looks that way in the pics).
i'm thinking that the 79 and later (with the thicker doors and different tub) may have different tops?
so it looks like all the bows are the same width all the way down the truck.
to make the "B" pillar 62 3/4" at the top is going to be a stretch. the tub is 63 3/4" at the top lip, and that would make the "B" pillars the same width at the bottom where the rope rail for the top attaches, but tapers upwards to about 60 3/4" at the bow.
does that make sense? it's got me thinking that newer tops taper upwards at the "B" pillar and older tops do not.
here are a couple of pics of what i've got so far. thoughts?
cheers crusty
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- Thread starter
- #55
i've been busy and i think i've got it nailed now.
- Thread starter
- #56
i ended up chopping my rear seat frames up 
for the material i needed for the bows (it's exactly the same OD and thickness i have discovered, and the corners provided me with enough to cut and weld for the missing bits).
not that big of a thing, i had two sets of seats, the s*** ones got the chop.
i have also found a great deal on a set of rear slide out draws, so running seats in the back was not going to be an option with the drawers.
for the material i needed for the bows (it's exactly the same OD and thickness i have discovered, and the corners provided me with enough to cut and weld for the missing bits).not that big of a thing, i had two sets of seats, the s*** ones got the chop.
i have also found a great deal on a set of rear slide out draws, so running seats in the back was not going to be an option with the drawers.
- Thread starter
- #57
so the rain stopped for a bit this arvo, got the troopy out in the driveway so i could clean the grinding dust and crap out of the garage and get a look at the bows in the sunlight.
ocdbeetle, there are a few more detailed pics coming your way with measurements.
now i'm waiting on another set of rear door hinges, then on to a couple of spots of body work, then inside of the tub rhino lined (or whatever i can get down here) and then start thinking about paint after i get all the "new" body parts on.
the last parts of the cage should be done this week, and i can get at that as well.
need to get a few small parts blasted, i have found an aussie made "por15" that is chemically the same, but much cheaper. KBS looks to be good stuff.
just had to renew the rego, so i'm looking forward to getting this back on the road.
every time i look at those bows now, i think "silk purse"... or "turd polish"... but i don't think they turned out that bad, considering what i started with.
cheers
crusty
ocdbeetle, there are a few more detailed pics coming your way with measurements.
now i'm waiting on another set of rear door hinges, then on to a couple of spots of body work, then inside of the tub rhino lined (or whatever i can get down here) and then start thinking about paint after i get all the "new" body parts on.
the last parts of the cage should be done this week, and i can get at that as well.
need to get a few small parts blasted, i have found an aussie made "por15" that is chemically the same, but much cheaper. KBS looks to be good stuff.
just had to renew the rego, so i'm looking forward to getting this back on the road.
every time i look at those bows now, i think "silk purse"... or "turd polish"... but i don't think they turned out that bad, considering what i started with.
cheers
crusty
looks perfect 
Cheers
Peter
Cheers
Peter
Looking good, are you going to install a rollbar/rollcage? Also, thanks for the heads up on KBS, an alternative to Por 15 would be nice, especially as Rust Bullet isn't available here at the present time.
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- #60