LoboMike

Ohh okay, I thought it looked familiar. I remember seeing this JKU version you posted earlier in the thread, I just couldn't find it and wasn't sure if this 2-DR version was also their creation. I think the biggest blunder is that lip off the back. Just doesn't flow.

Thanks for the info though. How's the spice color application going?

akpostal

The Smitty dosent look near as sexy as what you're building.

Any progress on the sliding windows in the stock hardtop?

jscherb

I'm waiting for the fabric I ordered to arrive so I can check the fabric color with the Spice paint sample. I've ordered Spice Denim fabric, it's the original fabric used on factory soft tops and should be an excellent match for the paint but I want to verify that before committing to having $130 per quart base coat paint mixed. The soft sides and soft barn door need to look just right with the painted top. UPS tracking says the fabric will arrive Tuesday, I'll post photos of the fabric compared to the paint then.

jscherb

The next step is for me to deliver the hardtop panel(s) to the RV window company for them to use to make prototype window frames to test install along with the retrofit kit. I've met with the window company and discussed that with them and they're ready to make up the frames.

I'm holding off on that next step for a bit though - there is a company that's expressed interest in signing up for the windows/retrofit kit and they're trying to determine if there's really enough interest in something like this to go forward, and if so, which model Jeep to do first (2dr vs. 4dr, late model vs. early model), and exactly what style window would be most popular (slider, swing-up, windoor, etc.). There's no question the kit can be made and will work well in the factory hardtop and be done at an affordable price, but would there be enough demand for it to make it worthwhile?

jscherb

This morning I finalized the fit of the soft barn door frame to the factory hardtop. There hatch opening has no straight lines, so the curves of the soft barn door frame have to be exactly correct to form a good seal to the weatherstrip. Everything's now been adjusted so the frame pushes tightly against the weatherstrip all the way around.

The barn door is secured to the same stakes that the hard barn door mounts to; I used wing nuts so it's very quick and easy to remove the upper.

The next step is sewing a skin for it and then it will be ready to use.

Here are a couple of photos of the frame installed, followed by a video of the barn door in action and how long it takes to remove it. Sorry for the lighting on some of these, it's zero degrees outside so I decided to do the photos and video in the garage today.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZwQ8gV_Q4A

jscherb

The other thing I did on the JK yesterday was finish up the tub side wiring. I had already done the connections at the back - wiper, defroster, third brake light and a plug for switched and unswitched accessory power, but I hadn't yet made the connections in the engine compartment for the accessory power.

I added a small fuse/relay box near the battery, it attaches to a fender bolt. Inside are three fuses - switched power, unswitched power and a fuse for the relay that controls the switched power. Power is drawn directly from the battery, and the relay to control the switched power is driven off a fuse tap in the TIPM (main fuse box).



Now the Jeep is completely plug-in ready for the Safari Cab and all of it's circuits. All of the wiring additions plugged in to existing locations in the Jeep, nothing complicated was required.

I haven't done the harnesses that go in the hardtop for the accessory power yet, I'll do that in the next week or two along with wiring the overhead console and the power vent windows/switches.

jscherb

My plan all along has been to use an XJ Cherokee third brake light on the roof of the Safari Cab. In most photos I've had a mockup installed:



I say mockup because in those photos it's only been the lens - the factory light has a bulb housing in the back that requires a huge hole in the surface it's mounted on. Since I don't want to have a big bulb housing sticking into the inside of the hardtop, today I modified an XJ Cherokee third brake light to make it surface mount. I cut the lamp housing off the back, installing LED panels inside the lens and epoxied a piece of aluminum sheet to close off the back and make it waterproof. I retained the factory XJ wiring plug. Here are a few photos of a stock Cherokee light and the modified one.



The LED version turns out to be quite a bit brighter than the stock version.

LoboMike

Ohh man, that thing looks too good! The engineers at Jeep better be taking some notes, because this hard-top looks to be better quality than anything factory. And that XJ brake light looks perfect on it.

jscherb

Thank you. I'm obsessive about details, so I spend a lot of time thinking about things like the perfect third brake light. And I always try to raid the factory parts bin when possible to keep a "family" look, which is why the XJ third brake light and the ZJ roof rack. It just wouldn't do to have a Ford brake light or Toyota roof rack on something like this .

BTW the XJ light modified as I've done would fit very nicely on a factory hardtop if someone wanted to get the stalk-mounted brake light out of their rear vision...

jscherb

Now that I've finished up the frame for the soft barn door, I'm getting ready to sew the skin. The design includes an openable window, which will unzip/roll down as shown in this drawing.



This next design sketch of the skin is mostly for my own reference, it shows how the parts go together:



Because the curves complicate the sewing and fitting a bit, I'll probably sew a test version using some fabric I have on hand before I sew one from the much more expensive soft top material. I ordered the necessary zippers today, so when they arrive I'll begin sewing.