Homemade wood hardtop

Metalmoto

Metalmoto

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Location
Philadelphia
Many moons ago, I seen a Jeep Wrangler at a gas station, with a wood hardtop. The guy must of been a very experienced carpenter, because this thing looked beautiful:D. It appears the guy used different kinds of wood, with red and brown tones, and fancy trim. Also appeared to have a thick polyurethane varnish on it. Perhaps a wood boat varnish?
Anyway, this was long before we all had cell phone cameras. So, unfortunately I don't have a picture to show this...

I just wonder if anyone has ever seen this before? Or could even imagine this?

Still looking or a reasonably priced used hard-top for mine... Everybody wants a small fortune for even a really beat-up one.

Living in the city, I can't leave "anything" in my Jeep. As it's so easy to get inside...
 
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I can imagine it, but it’s not a good thought, and I could build one.

Save for a hardtop or sell the Jeep and buy a Miata. Shooting flames is a bonus!
 
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It was a very long time ago. But the image is still stuck in my mind, for some reason.
Just so very creative, I could never even imagine it myself...
 
Tob said:
Have you considered lockable storage? Tuffy makes locking glove boxes, consoles, underseat boxes, trunk enclosures, rear drawers, and deck enclosures.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have a under-seat box so far. But those other larger storage boxes are quite expensive.
My glove box and console locks, but not much space in them. Besides It appears the console lid is easily ripped off from the hinge end. I am thinking about building my own rear storage box someday.
Wind noise is another reason. When I get up to 50 MPH, it's so loud inside, can't even hear the radio...
Rear windows flapping etc.

I know my soft-top is old or original from 01'.
But for the price of a new aftermarket soft-top, I could almost get a used hard-top.
Plus it's freezing cold inside it, in the winter!
 
P man said:
There is not a single place wood belongs on a tj
Click to expand...
I got wood in my TJ after a southern car wash. 🤫
jeep wash.jpg
 
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If one was very experienced with fiberglass and had or built a mold for a TJ hardtop... something that could be done with an existing top...one could start with a clear gel coat, layers of veneer and then glass and effectively get a wood looking hardtop with just the same fiberglass strength we all love.

And I would imagine the reason there isn't such a thing is someone probably thought black might sell better.

You can also make one with plywood and then fiberglass it.

Me I just kept watching CL and FB and folks on the forum found me one up in Washington.

-Mac
 
Metalmoto said:
Yes, I have a under-seat box so far. But those other larger storage boxes are quite expensive.
My glove box and console locks, but not much space in them. Besides It appears the console lid is easily ripped off from the hinge end. I am thinking about building my own rear storage box someday.
Wind noise is another reason. When I get up to 50 MPH, it's so loud inside, can't even hear the radio...
Rear windows flapping etc.

I know my soft-top is old or original from 01'.
But for the price of a new aftermarket soft-top, I could almost get a used hard-top.
Plus it's freezing cold inside it, in the winter!
Click to expand...
Are the larger storage boxes more expensive than the things you are keeping in your TJ that you don’t want stolen?

Can you remove those items from your TJ so they can’t be stolen?

If not, I think a hard top is your best solution since it will also keep you warmer in the winter. They can be had occasionally for $800.

I think wood on a Wrangler should be reserved for older CJ’s in the bed. I’ve seen some nice ones. Not my taste, but beautiful work.
 
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More worth your time to keep on the lookout for a hard top at a better price, reasonably priced parts for our Jeeps sell fast and that leaves mostly people who are kidding themselves asking $5000 OBO for "OEM mopar screw gently used that's not rust no it's brown from factory". Have you been in a hard top Jeep? It's definitely *better* than a soft top in terms of wind noise and insulation but unless you install a headliner with insulation you might end up disappointed. You will go from can't hear the radio above 50mph to can somewhat hear the radio above 50mph, and from freezing your butt off unless the heater is on level 4 to freezing your butt off unless the heater is on level 3. I'm in northern Ohio, it's really damn cold here but can't imagine it's much warmer in your neck of the woods.

Metalmoto said:
It was a very long time ago. But the image is still stuck in my mind, for some reason.
Just so very creative, I could never even imagine it myself...
Click to expand...

Maybe it was a ship builder, who could not bear the depression of travel by road. Comforted by the fresh smell of varnish when waxing the hard top of the car, enthused by the resonance of the hardwood top as it must surely play a role in improving audio quality inside. Not that it would be any quieter :D
 
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I made a wooden hardtop for an LJ. Well, actually these are the mold master parts for the Safari Cab - I made all the modular parts in wood, then made molds in fiberglass from those parts, then molded the hardtop parts in fiberglass in those molds. The "windows" in this photo are printouts.

TJCabEdit.jpg


The fiberglass parts just out of the molds, not trimmed or fitted yet.

AllKit1.jpg


The finished hardtop:

JerryCanHolder3.jpg


The wooden mold masters could actually have been installed on the Jeep but they were just used to make the molds, then I turned them over to Gr8Tops and they made their production molds from the wooden parts.
 
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I saw one in Gatlinburg Tennessee numerous times. Didn’t get a picture of it, but it amazed me every time I saw it. It was made outta plywood with windows and doors. It served the purpose but was butt ugly.
 
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Metalmoto said:
Many moons ago, I seen a Jeep Wrangler at a gas station, with a wood hardtop. The guy must of been a very experienced carpenter, because this thing looked beautiful:D. It appears the guy used different kinds of wood, with red and brown tones, and fancy trim. Also appeared to have a thick polyurethane varnish on it. Perhaps a wood boat varnish?
Anyway, this was long before we all had cell phone cameras. So, unfortunately I don't have a picture to show this...
Click to expand...
That was the work of a woodworker very into his craft, not a carpenter. While I wouldn't buy one for my TJ it sounds cool as hell to me. If I had that kind of skill it'd be a great project and hell yes I'd run it.
 
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