CJ5 Hard Top

[gillmore]

Do any of you have a CJ5 hard top? I may go look at this one (factory metal w/doors) tomorrow. It looks like the glass is good. I don't know about the seals. I expect a '78 and '79 are compatible.

JEEP - CJ5 Hard Top

I'm wondering if you have any advice in evaluating these and what you think of the $500 asking price.

My main issue with my aging Bestop Supertop (that might need replacing in the next 1-3 years) is that it lets quite a bit of water in through the doors. I need to keep it covered to keep the floor pans from getting significantly soggy. I'm not sure if the hard doors can be locked - but the increased security is enticing.

Thanks for any input.

 

[BigAl77cj5]

you can make the top fit. It is for an older model CJ5 so you will have to change some things. the main thing that I know has to be changed is your windshield hinges. the top hinges on the doors mount in different places so you have get older style hinges to fix this. other than that I think it will work out fine. The $500 price seems to be very fair. top looks pretty good for that price.

Oh yeah didnt read the part about the 78. It should work out fine. maybe ask the owner if he has the stuff for you to fix the hinges.

 

[BusaDave9]

From the pictures it looks like that top is in really good shape. $500 is very good price. I will be buying a new soft top in the spring. I expect to pay about $800 and soft tops have to be replaced every several years.
I want a soft top for lower CG and to put it down quickly but of course that's just personal preference.
If you want a hard top I'd say grab it before it's gone.

Also: that's not a factory CJ5 hard top, is it? Sold with a new CJ5 ?

 

[BigAl77cj5]

some of the cj5s did come with a factory steel hard top just like that one. I would say it is factory. ACME made the aftermarket fiberglass tops much like the cj7s have.

 

[ken98k]

Also: that's not a factory CJ5 hard top, is it? Sold with a new CJ5 ?

It may have been install by the dealer but NOT the factory.
No one has ever been able to prove to me that Jeep made cj5s with hard tops.

 

[IOPort51]

I would buy that one even if I didn't need it those things are far between and that one looks like a beauty. I don't think there was even a dealer installed option on the CJ5 I think I asked about it when I bought mine. this looks a lot like the one that could be bought from Sears for about a grand. I think you will find it to be aluminum rather than steel, at least I hope so it will be a lot lighter.

 

[BusaDave9]

this looks a lot like the one that could be bought from Sears for about a grand.

Yes, a Sears Deluxe Full Top. IO is right. It looks like this one:

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Sears Jeep Hardtops on The CJ3B Page
The doors look more like this Sears top. I guess they changed over the years. The green jeep above is much older (note the gas under the driver seat).

​

 

[bigge]

i was just over there this morning and i cant remember what the tag on the inside says exactly but its something like amc extra or something to that effect the sellers a friend of mine its in pretty decent condition

 

[imbobbbb]

It may have been install by the dealer but NOT the factory.
No one has ever been able to prove to me that Jeep made cj5s with hard tops.

Plenty of CJ5 steel tops have "authorized amc/jeep accessory" tags inside them.I've seen several govt cj5s that came with them including some late 70's ones the army bought,[they werent m-series vehicles,just stripped,plain jane ,flat green CJ5 's].My friend bought a '78 CJ5 at auction years ago from the dept of corrections that had spent its whole life driving in a circle between the double layer of fences surrounding the prison.im not sure if it had ever been out of first gear.The 'factory' never made any CJ5 hardtops but plenty of govt/fleet vehicles came with them.

I had one on my '75 CJ5 .I thought it made my jeep more top heavy then I liked and the tinny,echoing sound was fairly annoying to me.Of course the soft tops are really noisy too,in a different way.I suppose having carpet on the floor and gluing some of that sound deadener stuff to the roof would have gone a long way to quieting things down...but it would still have been too top heavy for me but it might be fine for you.I don't really want another steel hardtop but it amazes me that its gotten to the point where used hardtops of all eras can be found cheaper than buying a new softop that will need replacing again in a few years.

 

[gillmore]

Thanks everybody. I decided to pass on this one, partially because of weight and also that I do like having the open air in the summer. I really doubt that I would take a hard top on and off seasonally.

I did learn that the hard door mounts are different than with a soft top with a Meyer metal hard top. If you ever do buy a hard top, try to be sure and get both parts of the hinges (and various parts like windshield-to-door filler plates) so you don't have to fabricate parts if the seller has them in the garage somewhere.

The issue of whether a hard top came factory is a bit inconclusive -- I've found people who said "yes" and others who said "no way." Meyer seems to have provided after market tops to dealers who installed them new (but not officially "factory").

If you need replacement keys, you may be able to get one from Bauer Products - Bauer Products

Some other parts may be found at Industrial Commercial Vehicle Hardware - Hardware 4 Hard Wear

So for now, I'll take care of my soft top, add some extra Velcro so it doesn't try to break free at highway speeds, and try to bend and adjust the fit to keep as much rain out as possible.