funfool
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- July 30, 2015
- Messages
- 106
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Albuquerque New Mexico
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1998 sport explorer
I need to cut the top on this one. A tree fell on it, I jacked it up some but did not spend any real time on it.
I took the hatch and cut it down already. The hatch though is really just junk as it is twisted and wont shut straight. But I have not cut it to the finished hight.
I am trying to install standard Brass exterior House door hinges on it.
As a result, I have raised it, lowered it, I have trimmed some of the plastic from the bumper. As it is now, it opens.
But it rubs badly on the bumper, is not matching the body lines and just not acceptable.
Reading ALL of Turdles vitamin D post, he just hung his on the strikers and left it as is.
Another poster with a generation 1 took a ranger tailgate and made it work, never said what he did for hinges.
Another 2 more posters just hung them and tack welded them shut.
This really may be the direction I take, but still wondering how the guy took the ranger tailgate and made it work with the tight tolerances between the bumper and the tailgate, and if I can do it with a generation 2.
Any ideas on this I would love to hear.
Next I need to cut the top. I drew up a proposed plan and please excuse the bad drawing, but it gets the idea across.
I want to save the back seats, I know it would be easier to just follow the existing window line. I want to save the seat belt shoulder harness, and why I choose to cut it where I drew the line.
I plan to order some 32 ounce marine grade vinyl to make a top.
A standard 36 ounce convertible top material would be nice. The 32 ounce is less then $10 per yard and 36 is $40 per yard ... I need 2 yards minimum, but maybe 3.
On my CJ5 years ago, I had a 36 ounce soft top, and the bikini top was 32 ounce ... to give a idea.
But one big help I need on this project, and I have been searching. What to do with the unfinished edges, once I cut them?
I think I need about 20 feet of something to cover everything.
I would really be interested in knowing what was done with vitamin D, it looked clean.
Any ideas on how to make this project go smooth would be greatly appreciated.
I was hoping to just make a middle piece with no back window, sew a side curtain on each side. Very simple and cheap, cost is a big issue for me right now.
Will this small cover to keep most the rain out and cold wind in the winter, turn into a parachute and snap and pop? Fall off?
This is the current hight and what is needed to open the tailgate 95% of the way, before it rubs/sits on the bumper.
This is what I started with.
I took the hatch and cut it down already. The hatch though is really just junk as it is twisted and wont shut straight. But I have not cut it to the finished hight.
I am trying to install standard Brass exterior House door hinges on it.
As a result, I have raised it, lowered it, I have trimmed some of the plastic from the bumper. As it is now, it opens.
But it rubs badly on the bumper, is not matching the body lines and just not acceptable.
Reading ALL of Turdles vitamin D post, he just hung his on the strikers and left it as is.
Another poster with a generation 1 took a ranger tailgate and made it work, never said what he did for hinges.
Another 2 more posters just hung them and tack welded them shut.
This really may be the direction I take, but still wondering how the guy took the ranger tailgate and made it work with the tight tolerances between the bumper and the tailgate, and if I can do it with a generation 2.
Any ideas on this I would love to hear.
Next I need to cut the top. I drew up a proposed plan and please excuse the bad drawing, but it gets the idea across.
I want to save the back seats, I know it would be easier to just follow the existing window line. I want to save the seat belt shoulder harness, and why I choose to cut it where I drew the line.
I plan to order some 32 ounce marine grade vinyl to make a top.
A standard 36 ounce convertible top material would be nice. The 32 ounce is less then $10 per yard and 36 is $40 per yard ... I need 2 yards minimum, but maybe 3.
On my CJ5 years ago, I had a 36 ounce soft top, and the bikini top was 32 ounce ... to give a idea.
But one big help I need on this project, and I have been searching. What to do with the unfinished edges, once I cut them?
I think I need about 20 feet of something to cover everything.
I would really be interested in knowing what was done with vitamin D, it looked clean.
Any ideas on how to make this project go smooth would be greatly appreciated.
I was hoping to just make a middle piece with no back window, sew a side curtain on each side. Very simple and cheap, cost is a big issue for me right now.
Will this small cover to keep most the rain out and cold wind in the winter, turn into a parachute and snap and pop? Fall off?
This is the current hight and what is needed to open the tailgate 95% of the way, before it rubs/sits on the bumper.
This is what I started with.