Which soft top is my tub drilled for? (1 Viewer)

[afmcgraw]

I have a bunch of holes in the top seam of my tub for soft top snaps, and I want to figure out which one it used to have, so I can re-use the existing holes.

The pics show where my holes are, if someone with a Tigertop, Kayline, or OE top would be kind enough to measure where their snaps are, hopefully I can figure out what it’s drilled for. Also, whatever top it had, it had it before 2003.

I know that the Bestop instructions say to use chalk to transfer the snap locations, and the holes on the pass and drivers side aren’t perfectly even, so I might be out of luck either way. But if they’re located for an old Tigertop, then I’m going to try to find a used one. I like the idea of being able to fold it down, as opposed to the Supertop.

 

[FF LC FREAK]

You can rule out OE since you don't have the footman loops to secure the straps at the corners. I can't help any further than that, though.

 

[kurtnkegger]

I have a tiger top (best top) Looks like the holes for the snaps are in the right spot for those...the smaller holes in the top of the tub rail is for the frame work to support it. They don't make the tiger top anymore.

 

[Living in the Past]

You can rule out OE since you don't have the footman loops to secure the straps at the corners. I can't help any further than that, though.

It looks like OEM to me. The very early factory soft tops used footman loops in the corners. Then around 66 all models of FJ40 had the option of using a hard top or soft top. The holes around the top of the tub were there thru 77. After 77 Toyota didn't import anymore soft top models into the US. All the things that made a factory soft top possible to install started to go away. The 72 thru 74 used footman loops in the corners on all models. What Toyota used on the few soft top models they inported thru 77 I'm not sure. But the hard tops included the 76 had the holes for the soft top twists all the way around no corner footman loops.

 

[Pin_Head]

My 5/76 did not have the turnbuckle holes. I'm not sure when they stopped having them.

 

[DSRTRDR]

I have a tiger top (best top) Looks like the holes for the snaps are in the right spot for those...the smaller holes in the top of the tub rail is for the frame work to support it.

yes, the holes are in the right places for that, including the inner mounting hardware for the bows

 

[Living in the Past]

My 5/76 did not have the turnbuckle holes. I'm not sure when they stopped having them.

Your probably right. My 76 has never had the hard top removed and not ready to pull it now to check. Plus I won't be around it for a while. It may be after 74 Toyota wasn't offering a soft top package to use on your hard top. The rear doors were not set up with the idea of using soft top. It is funny the fixed nuts were on the rear corners for the back bow plus the fixed nuts across the top of the windshield for that piece were still on the 78 models. I do know the top Kayline was making to fit the factory bows was not setup to use the same location for twists along the sides. Since Toyota offered tops thru the dealerships made by different manufacturers maybe they deleted the holes on the hard tops in the US market since chances were it wasn't going to match what you bought anyway

 

[Plowboy]

It may not be a tiger top. The very front hole is to far back. Mine is less than an inch. And the tiger has three snaps at the back. One at the tailgate, one halfway to the corner and at the corner. There are nine snaps on my tiger top. This is my second top in 20 yrs and some of the snaps on the second top didn't match up to the first. Some were at least 1/4 inch off.

 

[highlandcruzer]

You can rule out OE since you don't have the footman loops to secure the straps at the corners. I can't help any further than that, though.

It looks like OEM to me. The very early factory soft tops used footman loops in the corners. Then around 66 all models of FJ40 had the option of using a hard top or soft top. The holes around the top of the tub were there thru 77. After 77 Toyota didn't import anymore soft top models into the US. All the things that made a factory soft top possible to install started to go away. The 72 thru 74 used footman loops in the corners on all models. What Toyota used on the few soft top models they inported thru 77 I'm not sure. But the hard tops included the 76 had the holes for the soft top twists all the way around no corner footman loops.

^ This. My 9/71 FST rig has no footman loops on the tub. Just holes for twist locks. And, my late '60's Toyota top is the same. No straps for the tub, just the tailgate.



To op's rig looks to have the two small, vertical holes in the top rail for the Bestop bow bracket that I used to have. The side holes sure look similar in size, and location to stock though? A Kayline top maybe?

 

[afmcgraw]

Thanks all for the replies so far. Keep 'em coming!

I have a Tiger channel for my bikini top, and I think there might have been some extra mystery holes in the windshield frame, but I don't remember for sure, and I'd have to take it off to check.

I suppose if I could find a newer used Tigertop that has the covered snaps, I could put some more snaps in it to match the holes. It wouldn't look so great if they were the exposed ones.

If it is a Kayline then I guess I'm looking for a discontinued, used top either way. I don't think it is a Kayline though, since the ones I've seen have (9) snaps on the side, and (2) close together near the front.

From the pics I can find of a Tigertop with exposed snaps, there are (6) on the side panel, (5) of which are on the straight side of the tub, and (1) is on the corner. I get the feeling that it's the one, and I may have holes that aren't perfectly placed.

 

[thecrazygreek]

Is there a hole (or light) to the right of your glovebox door? if it was a FST it should have one of those...