Build Thread CJ5 Hardtop budget build. (converted CJ7 hard top)

[DiggerDirect]

Finally going to 'build' a hardtop for my 77 CJ5 . I've had an old CJ7 hardtop from a parts jeep kickin around for years as I always figured to fit it to my 5. The back hatch was missing and the side windows blowed out, (but the window molding and hatch hinges were still useable.)

Researching online I couldn't find much on the subject, can't believe no one has done it before, maybe just never published it online?

As it is my daily driver (only driver) its going to be a pain pulling the soft top and putting it back on repeatedly, and with this sloppy cold freezing weather the garage and vehicle are always wet & muddy. Pictures reflect that, lol.

I've took pictures as I go so if it comes out OK maybe others will see some of the pitfalls to avoid or improve on my attempt.

First off I pulled my jeep into the garage & removed the soft top & hardware.

Stripped the rear hatch hinges & hardware from top and set it on my jeep to measure.

I was immediately bummed. I knew the 5's are about 10" shorter and figured to chop the top in the middle, then just fabricate smaller side windows or glass them solid with panels, but the back dangled in the air, resting on the rollbar. My seemingly simple project just got more complicated! Now I'll have to chop it and Drop it.

Leveling it up its apparent a 5's tub (mine anyhow and its an original steel tub.) is about 2" lower from the doors & around the back then a 7. My measurements came out to drop the top 2 1/4 inches to give me about a 1/4" clearance over the roll bar, (figuring a new seal would add atleast another 1/4" making it atleast a 1/2" clearance over roll bar)

The length I came up with was 9 7/8" to chop it. Should be some flexibility in the windsheld hinges to have a little leeway so I measured max & min (10 1/2 & 9 1/2") then used the middle.

DISCLAIMER- Highly recommend you measure yours, These are just my measurements to this old top, your mileage may vary)

I had a pair of wrangler hard doors gave to me I had planned on fabricating to fit so I need to keep the top back corner curve of the door body the correct distance from the top of window frame, thus the funny cut on the front 'legs' outlined in picture below;

When I started cutting it I was using a jigsaw with a coarse wood blade. This top isn't fiberglass as I had thought, but rather some sort of composite, plastic like stuff. The jigsaw would only go a few inches then you had to let the blade cool for a few minutes or the heat would just weld the plastic back together behind the blade. Wasnt long before I used a hand saw, which worked great on the straight cuts.

After the 'legs were cut off I flipped the top back over, layed out the 9 7/8" lines and cut that (used the jigsaw, took forever)

Flipping the roof panels back over, I used pieces of the removed roof on the inside, epoxied and drywall screwed from the inside out. (removed the protruding screw ends with a grinder when I flipped it back over)

for the bottom sides I spliced them together with the pieces I had cut out as well, epoxied & screwed.

Its important that the molding groove for the window line up flush.

Now I cut a 2 1/4" spacer, then used a piece of wooden furring strip as a splice, glued & screwed from the inside. (protruding screw tips on outside were ground off with grinder later) to attach the legs front & back

The hatch also needed to be flush, I used short pieces of angle on those.

Ready for a 'test' fit!

 

[DiggerDirect]

A great feeling when it fit!

The only issue seems to be under this top in the groove are some tapered gussets to center it on a CJ7 's slanted lip, while my CJ5 has a square lip, so I cut these out (1 at each door & on each rear corner.

I did the top roof seam first, after grinding off the screws sticking out I layed up 2 layers of fiberglass mat, followed by a layer of fiberglass cloth. seems like plenty, but I realized my quart of resin wasn't going to complete this project!

The gaps on the 'legs' presented abit of a problem as I couldnt come up with a suitable backing material, so I took strips of fiberglass cloth & stapled them taunt

Then resined them up and let cure.(staples were ground off after it cured) This worked but the wetted out cloth sagged some.

After this cured I layed on two layers of mat.

Sanded it all down

and finally a layer of cloth,

The bottom center & front was the same, staple on cloth, 2 layers mat, cloth layer to finish, on the door jams I used a leftover piece of the top material on each side for backing, ground it flush & glassed inside & outside for strength.

 

[DiggerDirect]

Now some sanding then a coat of primer. This is where the uneveness of my seams really showed up!

I cut the sheet of plexiglass into pieces larger than the side windows, clamped them on and scratched with a scribe the finished window size onto them, it had to be a hair less than 3/8" smaller than the opening to allow for the molding. Marked each one with a sharpie because each one was slightly different.

Finished it up with a couple coats of paint. Its painfully apparent that I'm no body man but it suits me. (A better bodyman or perfectionist would do a much better job!).

I'm going to take my windows and use a buddy's bandsaw to cut them out, much neater job!

 

[DiggerDirect]

Buddy was gone for the holidays so I used the jigsaw on the windows. Found if I used the air hose with the nozzle blowing on the jigsaw blade it kept it cool enough to cut without melting, still a slow process but do-able.

The window molding was certainly a lesson in frustration! The first window I figured to seal the molding to the top then insert the window into it, 2 plus hours later I decided to do the other side the opposite, seal the molding on the window then insert into the top. This went easier but still took me over an hour. I was pleased with the final results, all things considered.

The tub seal on this top was shot, dried out & only half there, at the local home depot getting some plywood I was thinking what they had that might work, came up with this foam 1" pipe insulation, 12 feet was only like 3 bucks so home it went. Not sure how well it will hold up but time will tell. It fit over the 'lip' just right, doesn't look half bad and will do for now.

Bolted her down to the tub and windshield frame, shes a thing of beauty to me!

Now its on to the back hatch and the dreaded doors. I said earlier I had a set of wrangler doors gave to me that I had figured on fabricating to make fit, but a reality check made me realize that just wasnt in the cards. I decided to go plywood with a layer of glasscloth, maybe use parts of them like the hinges and whatever else I can scavenge, atleast until I can figure a better door.


More to follow, I finished the back hatch last night and am starting the doors. Will add to this thread when I get pics downloaded, ect.

I've heard the phrase "Experience is what ya get when you dont get what ya want", so true. Hatch came out fairly decent and I gained alot of 'experience' working with plywood & fiberglass that I'll use doing the doors.

 

[thiswontbetooexpensive]

Nice work. Now, if you had to put a price on it, would it be more expensive than an original?


This won't be too expensive Dear! That's what I keep saying. Over and over again.

 

[rr41mag]

I have done several restorations on vehicles and this is undoubtedly the most interesting thing I have ever seen. You have done some very impressive work! I can't wait to follow along with the doors. If you weren't so far away I would love to come by and look at this in real life.

 

[DiggerDirect]

Nice work. Now, if you had to put a price on it, would it be more expensive than an original?

Thats yet to be determined, lol. Keeping track of the costs, so far I'm into it $183.oo (not counting my time or beer costs) I could have saved a fair bit of money on the materials, especially the glass cloth and mat as well as the resin (started with a quart, ended up buying another gallon) if I would have bought them online from one of the boat building companies or even ebay, but being in the big hurry I always am I got the stuff at Napa and Advance Auto.
As far as versus an original, I've had my eye out for one a few years now, lost out to bidders with deeper pockets than mine twice now on eBay, only seen a few within traveling distance and fewer of those were for sale. Seems to be about a grand and up for anything halfway decent. Besides this time of year things are slow so I'm out in the garage doing something anyhow, mights well be something constructive.

Al

 

[Bowbender]

Very clever! I'll be following your progress.

 

[thiswontbetooexpensive]

I am having a terrible time finding even an ugly one for myself without selling an organ on the black market to get it! I guess those that have them aren't willing to part with it.....


This won't be too expensive Dear! That's what I keep saying. Over and over again.

 

[DiggerDirect]

For the hatch I had some 1/2 inch plywood pieces left over from a previous project, so I fashioned it from two strips. I took measurements and made patterns of the curved corners with a piece of cardboard, then cut the plywood to shape.

Temporary attached a piece of furring strip and checked the fit. (it needed some tweeking)

Then marked out the window opening and cut it out.

After a test fit attached an inside frame

And rounded over the outside and window edges with the router

On the inside sealing edge I put a strip of glasscloth and the corners got some mat for reinforcement.

Flipping it over the outside was covered with a layer of cloth, (took some doing to get it to bend over the rounded edges)

After abit of sanding another test fit, looking back I should have made it slightly under sized as the glasscloth around the outside edges made it to snug, (nothing another 1/2 hour of tweaking didnt fix tho)

Measured and cut out the plexiglass, run a bead of silicone around the lip then held it in place with molding tacked on the inside frame. I'll tackle the interior of the whole project after its buttoned up weather tight!

Primer & paint, just need to attach the hinges and figure some sort of latch. I want to also have it able to lock, back in the 80s while I was working some bum cleaned out my 79 CJ5 with a soft top, (stereo, speakers, and everything else that wasnt nailed down) ever since I've wanted something alittle more secure!

Now on to the doors....

 

[Petescj]

I like the look of your converted CJ7 top on a CJ5 . As you know the toughest part will be getting some half decent looking doors. Cant wait to see what you come up with.

 

[81CJ5baller]

Awesome. No other words necessary. How much for one for my CJ5 81?. Hah. I know. Really nice job?

 

[rocmoc]

Why did you chose to shorten the roof in the window area instead of in the door area?
Plan to do the same project myself. Thanks!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

 

[thiswontbetooexpensive]

Very nice work!


This won't be too expensive Dear! That's what I keep saying. Over and over again.

 

[DiggerDirect]

Why did you chose to shorten the roof in the window area instead of in the door area?
Plan to do the same project myself. Thanks!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Hi rocmoc, I had a set of hard doors from a wrangler that originally I had planned to use, and the 5s and 7s (atleast I thought) were pretty much identical except for length from seats back. The hard doors were aprox. 30" wide, the same set back from the windshield/dash as this top measured in the first try-on. To cut down 10" or so over the door area would give, I think, a way small door opening, be like climbing into a broom closet, and its tight enough now for us 'larger' type guys!

Al

 

[rocmoc]

Thanks Al for the response.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

 

[DiggerDirect]

So I've been driving around with my 'new' hardtop and my old, in shambles soft doors bunji corded shut to the roll bars. I never used to mind, Kept me right in tune to the barometric pressure so to speak. But since this much of the hard top has been completed I seem to really notice the cold and drafts as well as the snow blowing down the back of my neck. Guess thats what happens when you get old. Now the weather has turned cold, 4 degrees this morning, and looking out the window this is what greeted me.

Time to get these doors done! I've tossed a thousand ideas around in my head as to how. I'm sure I can make a suitable set of doors with the plywood/fiberglass combination, the problem has been coming up with an idea for the windows. I've never really seen a homemade jeep door that I could say I liked the looks of, and all my design drafts and drawings so far have ended up in the circular file. Maybe its just the nature of the beast. Why didnt I start this project back in the summer when it was sunny, warm and time not of the essence!

Upshot of it is I've decided to make a set of 'fixed' window doors for now. I am going to call these my WINTER doors, (for lack of a better name). It will get her buttoned up and give me more time to design a decent looking window system that opens (before spring!)

 

[elwood blues]

Just a thought, why not use a set of marine windows that slide open, kind of like the ACME tops used?

Standard Duty Sliding Window – Series 1200 | Motion Windows

 

[81CJ5baller]

Re: Winter Doors

Saw your snowy dilemma....and i concur.....high school.....drove around in the snow with NO top! Now......not so much......on you hard door, here is an idea.....hard doors with zip in windows like the soft doors? What do you think????

Good luck and still waiting for that price on a CJ5 top for my 81??!!!

 

[Petescj]

Once I drove the Scrambler around in the winter I knew Id always have a hardtop for whatever Jeep I have during the winter. I didnt know you could actually feel warmth in a Cj.

The Scrambler only had to heat that small 2 seat area but the hardtop I put on my CJ7 afterwards made a ton of difference as well. Dont give up on those doors my friend. I have faith in you.