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richtrek
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2006
Posts: 204
Location: Santa Clarita Valley Area
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 Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: Modify Thing top instead of Bikini |
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Have any of you customized your Thing top by modifying the rear window so that it can open and roll upwards similar to a Jeep top?
It seems like a neat modification in lieu of a bikini top. |
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pjmacua
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2003
Posts: 199
Location: Cantal, France
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77kafer
Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2008
Posts: 845
Location: New Windsor, NY
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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That is a nice mod to a standard top, is that zipper in and out or velcro.
The only thing I would worry about would be wind stress to the material around the rear window while driving at highway speeds.
_________________
Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard
Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer" |
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pjmacua
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2003
Posts: 199
Location: Cantal, France
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:21 am Post subject: |
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| 77kafer wrote: |
| That is a nice mod to a standard top, is that zipper in and out or velcro. |
Hello
The answer is velcro but a zipper should do the job.
http://www.181spirit.com/portail_phpBB/index.php?p...pic_id=601
I think that an upholstery store can go further and add a roll-up rear window or a removable one.
I would ask them to reinforce the vinyl at the rear with a double layer.
Regards
Pierre-J M. |
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77kafer
Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2008
Posts: 845
Location: New Windsor, NY
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:00 am Post subject: |
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| pjmacua wrote: |
The answer is velcro |
Nicely done....
_________________
Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard
Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer" |
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colorider181
Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Slightly off topic but, I've been looking into making my own bikini top from scratch. I like the Thing Shop's but I have a roll cage and think the straps and frame are unnecessary, plus my thing will probably never go on the highway, it will serve as more of a sun shade for me and my bulldog back in the dunes.
Anyone made one themselves? Any thoughts on material? I'm going for something like what Surfarii has on his.
Whatever I end up doing I will post the results/project here and on www.romtoc.com. |
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Pbotsonis
Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2008
Posts: 506
Location: Parker, Colorado
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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| colorider181 wrote: |
Slightly off topic but, I've been looking into making my own bikini top from scratch. I like the Thing Shop's but I have a roll cage and think the straps and frame are unnecessary, plus my thing will probably never go on the highway, it will serve as more of a sun shade for me and my bulldog back in the dunes.
Anyone made one themselves? Any thoughts on material? I'm going for something like what Surfarii has on his.
Whatever I end up doing I will post the results/project here and on www.romtoc.com. |
I had the same porblem. So when I got mine done I put snaps on the roll bar and the top snaps to the roll bar. It works really well. |
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Captain Spalding
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 8:41 am Post subject: Re: Modify Thing top instead of Bikini |
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| richtrek wrote: |
| Have any of you customized your Thing top by modifying the rear window so that it can open and roll upwards similar to a Jeep top. |
I think it's a great idea. You'd have to be careful about how you did it. My top is pretty tight, and if the center section were removed or rolled up, it would put a lot of stress on the parts of the back of the top that were still attached to the body. (I think that makes sense.) |
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ladder332
Samba Member
Joined: November 19, 2004
Posts: 308
Location: Long Island NY
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:02 am Post subject: |
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Great idea with those zip out sides.....
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www.dasvolks.com
Long Island's only Vintage VW club |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2003
Posts: 879
Location: Clifton Park NY Saratoga County
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:13 am Post subject: |
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| The problem is the exhaust fumes coming into the passenger compartment, ala carbon monoxide poisoning, |
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yellow73kubel
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Columbia, SC
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| [email protected] wrote: |
| The problem is the exhaust fumes coming into the passenger compartment, ala carbon monoxide poisoning, |
I can't see where that would be a problem. Jeeps have no problem with it, and they have a very short rear deck (the exhaust does point down a little more though). The wind would keep the gases away, unless you are reversing for a long period of time.
colorider181 (yeah, I know this was 7 months ago): we have been looking at an idea for a bikini top on my Thing. I am thinking maybe 1.9oz or a little heavier ripstop nylon (military grade stuff can be found for $4.50/yd), with some nylon webbing or cord to strap it down to the same loops as the soft top, and somewhere up front (got to check out the possible points). |
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spaeth
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2005
Posts: 355
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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I had a bikini top that came with one of my Things that simply used two snaps on the windshield frame and then it was fitted around the two locater pins on the top of the windshield frame. It then just stretched over the roll bar and then used to tow nylon straps that went back through the hoops in the rear that the top hold down straps go through. It was pretty much just a rectangle of top vinyl with two straps sewn to the rear corners. It worked great and would be really cheap to put together.
Craig |
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