Any such thing as a removible (and replaceable) choptop?

[Kirbot]

Awhile ago I remember reading about somebody who cut the top off their bronco II and then made a removible hard top for it.
Well, I've been searching and searching, but I just can't find it.

Does anybody know what I'm talking about?
I really like Bronco IIs, but being able to take the top off would make them 10x better.

-Mike

 

[CopyKat]

I've never seen it done. Not to say it's impossible but one of those things that would be hard to pull off. I've got my own ideas as to how it could be done, but just like my B2's to have a full body.

 

[88_Eddie]

i'm sure if you grafted a ranger bed, or just the tailgate assembly, to a b2, you could cut down a normal camper shell and have a removable top for it. it'd be VERY custom and alot of work for sure, but you could make it look good and it would be pretty light weight. i'd love to do it to mine, but my auto fab skills arent that sharp yet

 

[ChopTop84]

Would probably be easier making a softtop for it like a jeep. Couple of bows in back, and some form of grooved track on the roof, and buttons down the side and bottom to the back. If your good with a sewing machine, it shouldnt be too hard. (and anyone who laughs about a guy with a sewing machine needs his man card taken away).

Also, if you've chopped the back off, and plan to wheel it, your going to want a roll cage, because there is NO rollover support anymore once you chop em. Your cage could act as the support bows for the softtop.

If you cant do it yourself, take it to a MARINE upholstery shop. Those guys make custom canvas and clear plastic windows for boats all the time. A b2 should be a walk in the park for them.

 

[Kirbot]

Hrm, I like the soft top idea.

I've got just about enough money saved up for a Bronco ii, once I get one I'll have to decide how to do it.

I'll still have a year before I get my licence, so I'll have plenty of time to figure something out.

Thanks
-Mike

 

[Ranger Kip]

cut the top off clean, and modify it to latch on, and buy a sealing kit and make the seals =)

A guy down the road did it to his B2, and he had a K10 Blazer he did it to also, just some very accurate work, or you can cut it off quickly, and spend money on fixing it using either bondo (haha, dont please, be too funny!), or sheetmetal, and some fabwork.

 

[disciplerocks]

That would be hard to do with the windows. I'd say stick with the soft top idea.

 

[ChopTop84]

If you cut the window flanges off, or flatten them or something then you might be able to modify a ranger canopy to fit. Cut the front to match the slight angle at the door post, and come up with some form of channel that you can weld to the roof that will act as a groove for the canopy to latch onto, and also channel water to the side, AKA full size bronco.

I really liked the picture I saw of a guy that re-welded his rear hatch hinges to the back of the cab and using the pop-open window his hatch had. Seals the truck up, but turns it into a true pickup, as I think he ditched the rear seat and put in a plastic ranger bedliner.

Also, dont be a huge hurry to rip all your interior panels out like some of the how to videos show. I kept mine in place and just cut right thru them. Gives the interior a clean finished look until you decide to do something different. Although, I think on the later B2s with the bolt in windows, you do have to remove the panels to get to the bolts, but be gentle about it. On my 84, I didnt have to remove the panels as my glass was glued in. I used a sharpened putty knife/scraper to work between the glass and the metal to "cut" the glue. Piano wire works also, just dont flex the glass too much or it shatters.

Here is mine right after the chop:

 

[BlackBII]

This is the closest thing I've seen. Only pic I have of the truck, so I'm not sure if it actually has a removable top, but it sure looks like it does, notice the weather stripping..

This truck was for sale about an hour away from me, but I never had a chance to go look at it. It might still be for sale...

 

[slammer67]

if you were going to have the hardtop removable, you'd have to cut below the window channel - leave the windows attached to the top.
You could weld a flat piece to the rails and to the bottom of the removable top, then find some way to attach/bolt the two back together - but that would take a VERY straight cut, but it could be done.

I have thought about this before too, when I had a b2, but never thought it through totally.

The soft top idea is awesome, over on explorerforum, someone has a yellow explorer with a custom soft top made and it looks killer.

hey, I found it
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204960&highlight=soft+top

 

[BlackBII]

Yeah I've seen that soft top exploder. Pretty cool. A hardtop would be the coolest thing ever though....I'm sure it's been done, we've just never seen one.

I really want to do one, but too many plans for the BII already.

 

[Chevelle Kid]

This is the closest thing I've seen. Only pic I have of the truck, so I'm not sure if it actually has a removable top, but it sure looks like it does, notice the weather stripping..

This truck was for sale about an hour away from me, but I never had a chance to go look at it. It might still be for sale...

That looks like the lip that my FSB had for the hardtop, maybe he chopped one of those tops down??

 

[BlackBII]

That looks like the lip that my FSB had for the hardtop, maybe he chopped one of those tops down??

That's what i was thinking, given the angle that the panel behind the window slopes down...

 

[greasemonkey6886]

Another possible way to get the lip and weatherstrip along the back of the "cab" is after cutting the top off, cut the area of the original roof off that sealed against the liftgate and reweld it to the back of the cab. This is an idea I have been kicking around for mine. This way you could also cut the liftgate down and reattach it to the back of the cab. This would seal up the cab from rain and give you a rear window. My idea involves cutting the liftgate in half below the window and installing a front bed panel from a ranger bed and letting the bottom of the cut liftgate seal against that to totally seal it in and provide protection from shifting cargo. Just my $0.02 worth. I also thought of the canvas soft top.

 

[ChopTop84]

Another possible way to get the lip and weatherstrip along the back of the "cab" is after cutting the top off, cut the area of the original roof off that sealed against the liftgate and reweld it to the back of the cab. This is an idea I have been kicking around for mine.

Its been done, and someone on here posted pictures. They used an early gate with the window that would open.