Repair or replace soft top?

brewtus98

brewtus98

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
May 26, 2020
Messages
182
Location
Toledo, Ohio
So when I bought my Rubicon (dual top option) I also received the ORIGINAL soft top still in the factory packaging. The windows were in the MOPAR box sealed with the paper still between them!! The top itself was folded up and had the factory seal around it and the storage cover, with protective foam still even on the header clamps!

The problem- when I opened it up, a mouse had lived in it for a bit and chewed 3 holes approximately 2-3 inches in diameter. It was stored in the previous owner's attic. Two are above the passenger head and one in the back. Any thoughts on having an upholstery shop repair? Does anyone know if I can get just the vinyl top portion WITHOUT even windows, so I can use my factory ones?

I really would like to use the factory Soft Top or as much of it as possible since it is ORIGINAL and this jeep only has 10k on it. Want to keep it like it came from the factory.

Thanks.
 
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Reactions: thomat65
That is stellar mileage , maybe the lowest mileage Rubicon we've seen on here in a long time.

You need to do a thread on it and how you got it.

@Starrs needs to see it, he runs the low mileage Rubicon stuff on here , so you need to get to know him. He's tough, but very fair.
 
here are the holes

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I'm on my 3rd soft top in a 98 TJ. My Jeep will wear it like I wear t-shirts.. until it literally falls apart. Maybe not that bad but i'll definitely go the patch, tape & repair route before spending the bucks on a new one. Good thing is every progressive top i've bought was built better than the last. I'm expecting my 4th to be made out of kevlar.
 
I'd think Bestop or some top maker would sell just the main portion without the windows but I've never checked. Mine was dual top equipped from the factory as well but only had the hard top when I bought it. I found a used soft top from an '04 on Craigslist within a few months of buying the Jeep. That was 8 years ago and it's holding up well. If the patches don't work, try finding a used one. May even be able to get it cheap if they don't have the windows with it, which you won't need anyway.
 
Depending on your preferences, you could probably offset a lot of the cost of brand new fabric if you sold that fabric with the holes. I'm sure someone would buy it (not for the price of a new one of course) since the holes are not from years of wear and tear.

I'm not sure if the potential buyer would want you to first patch up the holes to the best of your ability or not. If I was the buyer I'd want to fix the holes myself so that I'd know exactly what went into it.

Great find! I would feel terrible putting miles on a specimen that nice. That and how difficult they are to find is why I bought one with 190k. That and the discount that comes with 190k miles 😁
 
So I ordered Black Hole Patch and Gear Aid Tenacious Tape/Sealer, put the top on, and decided there was NO WAY I could live with a patched top on a pristine Jeep! I was able to locate a NEW - ROOF ONLY OEM Mopar for $300. Didn't realize that was available. Seemed like a no-brainer. Just too bad that damn mouse cost me that money. Oh well.

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crackedcornish said:
hope you donated the old top to someone else, and didn't just throw it away
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I will patch it and hang onto it - my daughter has TJ dual top that I never got soft top with.......now just need some hardware for it......

hers is a 150k mile that is her first vehicle so we don’t go too crazy keeping it “pristine”
 
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Patched three locations. I used Gear Aid tenacious tape on one, used Black Hole Patch on the other two. Also used the Gear Aid sealant. I am going to keep this top on for a bit and see how this stuff holds up for future reference.

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brewtus98 said:
So I ordered Black Hole Patch and Gear Aid Tenacious Tape/Sealer, put the top on, and decided there was NO WAY I could live with a patched top on a pristine Jeep! I was able to locate a NEW - ROOF ONLY OEM Mopar for $300. Didn't realize that was available. Seemed like a no-brainer. Just too bad that damn mouse cost me that money. Oh well.

View attachment 180264

View attachment 180265
Click to expand...
Are you able to provide a link to where you located it?
brewtus98 said:
So I ordered Black Hole Patch and Gear Aid Tenacious Tape/Sealer, put the top on, and decided there was NO WAY I could live with a patched top on a pristine Jeep! I was able to locate a NEW - ROOF ONLY OEM Mopar for $300. Didn't realize that was available. Seemed like a no-brainer. Just too bad that damn mouse cost me that money. Oh well.

View attachment 180264

View attachment 180265
Click to expand...
 
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