[jtg]

So I built another 1/2 top. I really loved my first 1/2 top, but it ended up being a little short and a tall person didn't fit in the back so well. I built the first top thinking that no one had ever built one before because I couldn't find one on any searches. After I had built the first one I found out that bigbroncojeff had built one years ago. He had called it a chop top and I had never search for that. Jeff had gone about building it a bit differently and his top was a little longer. I had shortened my first top 31.5 inches and Jeff had shortened his 29.5 inches. My new 1/2 top is shortened 26 inches. I know that my first top got kind of mixed reviews and not every one likes the 1/2 top look but I love it.



This is my victim.

I cut the front and put it in place.

The back half waiting to be cut down to size.

Top of the back of the top half trimmed to size.

The two halves slid to gather to see how they line up.

Now the sticking the two halves to gather part of the project.

These hollow points are key to the structure of the 1/2 top.

This is 1" steel bar that will be glassed in to the hollow points of the top.

Getting ready to stick the two halves to gather.

I used fiberglass epoxy resin and fiberglass mat. The metal bars are encased in mat with 48 ounces of epoxy. I stuffed the epoxy soaked mat in the hollow points, put the bars in place, stuffed more soaked mat around the bars and slid the top to gather and bolted the top in place. In the first top I used square steel tubing just to give the top some back bone.
On this top I thought it might be kind of cool if I could beef up the middle of the top.

The gray stuff is fiberglass Bondo, It's good stuff.

I laminated a piece of the roof on the in side of the top.

The first coat of primer is on.

bolted up

Old top, new top and Jeff's top

 

[78BroncBuster]

Looks nice. I wish I had another Bronco to do this to.

 

[Tx460Bronco]

I like it. Keeps the sun form burning your head. :thumbup

 

[Broncocrazzy]

How did you know where to cut? Do you have any more detailed pics?

 

[jtg]

The windows are in. I had to use Lexan on the side windows , but I still like it. I used a stock back window.

 

[jtg]

How did you know where to cut? Do you have any more detailed pics?

I just basically cut 26 inches out of the middle of the top.

 

[86fordbroncoman]

that is pretty cool i found one on CL yesterday with a top like that

 

[Need4racin]

very nice.

I'm not a fan of half tops since I like to keep my interior real clean, but I wouldn't mind getting a spare top to remove the side windows.

 

[5billiondead]

Off topic, but how did you mount those fire extinguishers? It's kind of hard to tell from the pic but are those just the straps that came with it? The strap that came with mine sucked so I have it bungied down at the base of my rollbar. Not really the best hold, but I want it easily accessible in case I need it.

 

[jtg]

wouldn't mind getting a spare top to remove the side windows.

I kind of did that on another top I have, but a little more extreme. I cut the curved upper part of the top out too and made canvas roll down sides for it.

I took the Bronco camping with this top on back in September and it made a bitchen camping top. Really open air, but with a little shade and button down sides for a little security if you have to go in to town and park some were for a bit.

I took the curved upper parts of the side and made body lips for the doors so my cell phone wouldn't slide out the door again when I had my pipe doors on.

 

[jtg]

how did you mount those fire extinguishers?

I just strapped the the mount that the fire extinguishers came with to the roll bar using big ass electrical zip ties. Not pretty, but it works.

extinguishers

 

[big_ol_bronco78]

could you pm me more info on how you did the side canvas covers? i want to do that on mine. did you just use piece of plate steel at top to bolt them down. where did you get hardware? any info you can send would be helpfully, i want to tackle this this spring. thanks

 

[big_ol_bronco78]

also, on half cab, how well does that rear cover keep out rain from rear

 

[jtg]

could you pm me more info on how you did the side canvas covers? i want to do that on mine. did you just use piece of plate steel at top to bolt them down. where did you get hardware? any info you can send would be helpfully, i want to tackle this this spring. thanks

PM sent

 

[81Bronk36]

the top with the roll down sides makes your truck look like a ramcharger... check it out!

 

[jtg]

the top with the roll down sides makes your truck look like a ramcharger... check it out!

Yeah it does it also kind of looks like a bronco 2 top.

 

[Americandan]

PM sent

sorry to dig up an old thread but can you share that PM with those of us who are interested in doing a project like this? Thanks!!

 

[ndurst]

jtg if your still active could you do a write up of the top you made in post #10please.