Custom modular JK hardtop
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 2
From: Calgary, AB
I'm sorry my project is annoying, that's not my goal.
If there's a company interested in licensing the design so they can put it in production, I'll be happy to discuss it with them, but I really don't think there's enough demand for a hardtop like this or for the separate barn door to make it worth a company going through the expense and effort to produce them. I have been discussing it with one company that's interested, but I don't know it anything will come of that discussion. And even if a company does decide they want to take this on, I don't know if I want to do it - usually it's a lot more work for me than just turning over my prototype molds to a company - almost always I have to be involved and help them get from prototype to production.
I don't have any plans to sell the prototype, sorry. In all my projects, I've only sold one prototype and that was after a company started manufacturing it and they gave me a production model so I no longer had a need for the prototype. In most cases I keep the prototype and put it to use, because the main reason I build these projects is for my own use.
You didn't say so I have to ask - what specifically is it you want? The barn door for use with a factory hardtop, or the complete Safari Cab hardtop?
If there's a company interested in licensing the design so they can put it in production, I'll be happy to discuss it with them, but I really don't think there's enough demand for a hardtop like this or for the separate barn door to make it worth a company going through the expense and effort to produce them. I have been discussing it with one company that's interested, but I don't know it anything will come of that discussion. And even if a company does decide they want to take this on, I don't know if I want to do it - usually it's a lot more work for me than just turning over my prototype molds to a company - almost always I have to be involved and help them get from prototype to production.
I don't have any plans to sell the prototype, sorry. In all my projects, I've only sold one prototype and that was after a company started manufacturing it and they gave me a production model so I no longer had a need for the prototype. In most cases I keep the prototype and put it to use, because the main reason I build these projects is for my own use.
You didn't say so I have to ask - what specifically is it you want? The barn door for use with a factory hardtop, or the complete Safari Cab hardtop?
Sorry, I don't mean to make it sound like your project is annoying as reading that back that did sound a bit awful. What you are doing is great and its wonderful that you are willing to share your progress photos throughout. I simply wish it was accessible to acquire somehow lol.
I was interested in the barn door for the hard top. With everything that I have on the tire carrier, when wedged up against mother nature its impossible to open the glass on the hard top and access the gear. The barn door would be the perfect solution for that since as soon as the gate opens, the glass area opens as well
JK Newbie
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 89
Likes: 1
From: Portland, OR
Thank you very much. I think of myself more of a designer than a builder, but if you want to see your designs realized you have to build things, so I do 
.
Thanks for the Defender photos, they do look good.
I am still debating about colors, I was all set to paint the sides to match the body and do the roof in black, but like I said I saw a few color-matched factory hardtops recently on Jeeps that were the same color as mine, and I didn't like them at all. My LJ is completely color matched (the black one I posted a photo of earlier today), and I love the look of that one, but somehow I don't like the look of a color matched top on the color of my JK.
.Thanks for the Defender photos, they do look good.
I am still debating about colors, I was all set to paint the sides to match the body and do the roof in black, but like I said I saw a few color-matched factory hardtops recently on Jeeps that were the same color as mine, and I didn't like them at all. My LJ is completely color matched (the black one I posted a photo of earlier today), and I love the look of that one, but somehow I don't like the look of a color matched top on the color of my JK.
I hear what you're saying. There are definitely certain color combos that go together better than others. I'm having a tough time debating on an accent color to go with my Jeep since it's all black. I think the white, beige or black accent roofs will all look good. I'm excited to see how it turns out!
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 37
From: Elmira, NY
Sorry, I don't mean to make it sound like your project is annoying as reading that back that did sound a bit awful. What you are doing is great and its wonderful that you are willing to share your progress photos throughout. I simply wish it was accessible to acquire somehow lol.
I was interested in the barn door for the hard top. With everything that I have on the tire carrier, when wedged up against mother nature its impossible to open the glass on the hard top and access the gear. The barn door would be the perfect solution for that since as soon as the gate opens, the glass area opens as well
I was interested in the barn door for the hard top. With everything that I have on the tire carrier, when wedged up against mother nature its impossible to open the glass on the hard top and access the gear. The barn door would be the perfect solution for that since as soon as the gate opens, the glass area opens as well
I suppose it's possible the barn door could get picked up for production before (or instead of) the entire hardtop, it's only two molds and pretty simple to outsource the molding work to a fiberglass shop.
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 37
From: Elmira, NY
And speaking about the barn door...
While I'm thinking about what color I want to paint the top, I'm working on a few of the finer details of installing it. Today I put the barn door wiring in the Jeep, it runs under the carpet from the driver's side where the hardtop connections are to the passenger side, and then out to the barn door. I also finished up the dressing of the door, the mounting stakes are painted and a wiring cover panel has been trimmed to fit between the stakes. You can also see how the wiring/washer hose runs from the tub to the barn door.
I haven't yet explained how the barn door gets mounted to the tailgate, it's pretty simple. The stakes bolt to the tailgate with 4 bolts. The bolts are longer bolts installed in 4 of the spare carrier mounting holes. It's a simple task to drill from the outside through the spare carrier holes to make the necessary holes on the inside of the tailgate. Once those holes are drilled, the long bolts are run in, which stick out on the inside and serve as studs to mount the stakes to.
When the barn door isn't installed, the inside of the tailgate looks like this:
While I'm thinking about what color I want to paint the top, I'm working on a few of the finer details of installing it. Today I put the barn door wiring in the Jeep, it runs under the carpet from the driver's side where the hardtop connections are to the passenger side, and then out to the barn door. I also finished up the dressing of the door, the mounting stakes are painted and a wiring cover panel has been trimmed to fit between the stakes. You can also see how the wiring/washer hose runs from the tub to the barn door.
I haven't yet explained how the barn door gets mounted to the tailgate, it's pretty simple. The stakes bolt to the tailgate with 4 bolts. The bolts are longer bolts installed in 4 of the spare carrier mounting holes. It's a simple task to drill from the outside through the spare carrier holes to make the necessary holes on the inside of the tailgate. Once those holes are drilled, the long bolts are run in, which stick out on the inside and serve as studs to mount the stakes to.
When the barn door isn't installed, the inside of the tailgate looks like this:
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 431
Likes: 5
From: SW FL
Jeff
I am with you on the color issue. I think the same when I see the j30's with color combos. Have you checked out the Ursa minor fb page they have a ton of different color schemes on the jeeps already. Some sides color matched top up top white. I think a textured black personally for both the top and barn door would be best but again that is my personal preference and about it. If it was white an all white would look awesome. Idk too many decisions glad it's you and not me
. Btw next time you are down here throw that in the back of your vehicle and we can see it on my jeep also lmfao. Great job as always my friend.
Donny
I am with you on the color issue. I think the same when I see the j30's with color combos. Have you checked out the Ursa minor fb page they have a ton of different color schemes on the jeeps already. Some sides color matched top up top white. I think a textured black personally for both the top and barn door would be best but again that is my personal preference and about it. If it was white an all white would look awesome. Idk too many decisions glad it's you and not me
. Btw next time you are down here throw that in the back of your vehicle and we can see it on my jeep also lmfao. Great job as always my friend. Donny
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 37
From: Elmira, NY
Based on how you use your Jeep, especially with the half doors, what you need isn't the hard barn door, it's the soft barn door I'm working on. You could keep the window rolled down, but it would be quick to roll it up when a thunderstorm came along, or you could remove the soft upper altogether and throw it in the back if you wanted the back more open. Maybe I'll bring that along next time I'm down there
.jeff
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 303
Likes: 1
From: Blue Bell, PA
what you need isn't the hard barn door, it's the soft barn door I'm working on. You could keep the window rolled down, but it would be quick to roll it up when a thunderstorm came along, or you could remove the soft upper altogether and throw it in the back if you wanted the back more open.
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 37
From: Elmira, NY
A soft barn door would be stupendous and better yet making it work with the soft top. Think you hinted to being able to do that way back in the thread or maybe I'm just dealing with information over load with all the reading I have been doing but my JK's are soft tops and I would grab one of these in a split second.
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 37
From: Elmira, NY
While I haven't picked a hardtop color yet, here's what I'm thinking at this point...
- I'll do a single color in the earth tone range: desert sand/tan/khaki. I'll color match the paint to fabric for the soft soft sides/soft barn door or if that's not practical I'll pick paint and fabric colors that look good together; I'm in the process of getting fabric samples now.
- I'll do 2-stage base/clear. The clear will be a catalyzed matte clear. The clear will give the finish a nice depth that a factory hardtop finish doesn't have. I won't texture the finish.
- Any raw fiberglass on the inside will be finished in white bedliner. The inside of the barn door, which has a smooth gelcoat surface, will be done in base white/matte clear.
- The insulated headliner will be either white or a complementary earth tone. I have to research headliner fabric colors to see what's available.
- Accents: the jerry cans I carry in the side mounts will be color matched to the top. The small "Safari" logos that I'll put in the rear lower corner of each side panel will be a complementary brown.
- I'll do a single color in the earth tone range: desert sand/tan/khaki. I'll color match the paint to fabric for the soft soft sides/soft barn door or if that's not practical I'll pick paint and fabric colors that look good together; I'm in the process of getting fabric samples now.
- I'll do 2-stage base/clear. The clear will be a catalyzed matte clear. The clear will give the finish a nice depth that a factory hardtop finish doesn't have. I won't texture the finish.
- Any raw fiberglass on the inside will be finished in white bedliner. The inside of the barn door, which has a smooth gelcoat surface, will be done in base white/matte clear.
- The insulated headliner will be either white or a complementary earth tone. I have to research headliner fabric colors to see what's available.
- Accents: the jerry cans I carry in the side mounts will be color matched to the top. The small "Safari" logos that I'll put in the rear lower corner of each side panel will be a complementary brown.