opinions

I appreciate all the thoughts guys. I'm still a ways from a decision.....
I figure I can knock weight down by 100 lbs. As top heavy as my Jeep is with the top on it would be noticeable. I also would have less area for the heater to warm up but that is not really an issue with the full cab. My heater does pretty good. As for rusting....I already completely re-floored my tub and bed and fixed it to drain quickly. Future rust shouldn't be a terrible issue. I do have a hard time with the idea of cutting up a serviceable hardtop but half cabs are not common around here but completely fabricating one is possible and worth thinking about. I could still use my current doors. Not sure if I have enough steel for it though........

Scott

 

Neither the half cabs or full cabs are common around me (Southeast Washington State) I bought the only Meyers full top anywhere near me in the last 2 years and I still haven't seen another one come up for sale. and the only half cab I have seen at all let-alone for sale is still on craigslist and its for a flatfender. I would really like to get a halftop for my jeep, they just aren't in my area.

 

I would love a half cab. I'd not cut up a good hardtop at all. I will be in Texas in a couple years for a convention and I'll have to look for some half cabs....

 

In my experience, I think you would have a hell of a job to get the welding to look good. I wouldn't ...and I do a lot of crazy stuff.

 

Dang ,how far away is Mass from Ca......... I would love to cut up a 6 cab to a 3/4 cab just behind the 6 section .........

 

Build one from 2x4's, and exterior grade plywood, and a bit of plexiglass. Then you can build exactly what you want.

 

I've seen a CJ6 cab about 4 times here in my 30+ years of Jeeping, I wouldn't be cutting one up.

 

Hard sell though. Very limited market. Mine has been for sale for months. Last one I had was for sale for well over a year before it sold, for very, very cheap. It was a Kelly with sliding windows and barn rear door. I certainly wouldn't cut it up but the thought has crossed my mind.


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I'll be very clear : it will be a hard job and maybe faster to find a half cab of CJ6 or CJ5.
First of all, for easy work, you can put a hook like I did and then you get the hardtop up easily, it stays up in your barn.
You can have 2 hard tops, the doors are fixing the same way you don't touch them.
The CJ5 is not very long, with a full hardtop you can in winter put something in the back, have someone sitting , it is closed and safe.
You can add a small trailer if useful.
Photo of the hook



I suppose that half cab are made to resist. If you cut you hardtop, you will have work to make it strong.
I have a good Meyer, I restored it and I can say it is very very thin sheets of metal, easy to rust and a good Meyer is difficult to find, rust destroys it rapidly if not protected.
The fact is that you don't see the rust, but it is located in bad places, you don' t see it mostly if repainted.
What could happen is that your hard-top will open as a tin-box and fall in parts with no repair possible.

 

I've entertained the thought of cutting my full cab down too--for a fleeting moment. I agree that it would be better to find a half-cab. But, for me, they're hard to find! Much scarcer than full cabs. Where I live, the heater isn't the issue--I'm thinking of adding A/C and the half cab would be easier to cool. I don't use a back seat, so everything from the seats back is basically a bed anyway. Bob-the-CJ, are you anywhere near San Antonio?

 

This thought crossed my mind too. But I would keep the framing as minimal as possible and use 3/16" marine plywood, epoxy fillets and a 4-6oz fiberglass blanket set in epoxy...could probably even use the existing roof corners as a mold to make fiberglass corners to "weld" into the wooden roof. I only think of this stuff because I'm used to working with wood and not very experienced with metal.

 

IMO - if you are going to that much work to build up a structure, you may as well make a fiberglass mold and make it complete from fiberglass. Otherwise make it from aluminum. Or break out the checkbook and find a complete half-cab. If they are as plentiful as claimed in Texas, you can buy one there and go and get it or have it shipped... both expensive options, but more practical IMO than building a cab from wood or fiberglass. Pay one of our Texas members a commission to find one for you.

 

BTW - I am not a fan of the steel cabs. But the Meyer half-cab is the lightest of all of them, and might be acceptable. Lift one of the Meyer steel doors. They are strong, and the windows work well, but they are heavy.

If you've driven a CJ with and without the steel cab, it's a completely different vehicle. IMO the fabric top is safer due to the much better weight distribution.

 

Good points. I recently dropped the windshield on my M38A1 and swear there is a difference in the ride, ie, not so top heavy.

In the course of the DJ build, I have visited the steel yard a few times, mostly picking up remnant pieces. In order to save weight I'll use some aluminum pieces I bought there. I realize it's common knowledge that aluminum offers significant savings in weight, but it truly is a big difference over steel. The typical yard sells aluminum sheets, angle, etc and you should be able to fabricate a half top with aluminum, maybe with no more difficulty than tearing apart a full cab top. The tough fabrication is in the doors and if you just use your existing steel doors, the fabrication should not be too bad. If you can TIG weld or know someone who can, you should be able to get a good job done. You could probably bolt and rivet it together, take it somewhere to have it welded and then remove the bolts. The weight savings and weight distribution will, as timgr predicts, make it another vehicle.

At the regional 4x4 swap meet last March here in WA state, I found a set of CJ5 doors- aluminum ones with sliding glass windows. 20 bucks for the pair. I'll use them on the DJ build (I have to fabricate door sills). I have no idea what top they came from, nor did the seller, but I suppose they are not the only ones floating around. The weight savings is dramatic over any stock steel door, and probably 1/3rd the weight of the stock postal doors.

I don't know if it has been mentioned on this thread, but half cab fabric tops may still be available.

 

You could also cut the cab, and install a flange made from angle stock on each side of the cut.

You then add a back wall to make it a half cab, or remove the back wall, and reattach the cut off rear part to make it a full cab again. Either one just bolts to the flange.

Best of both worlds, pretty easy construction to do------can be done with rivets or screws even if you are not versed in welding sheet metal.

 

If you want to make your cab smaller, why not a hybrid ? I've always wanted to take the rear of a half cab and install half of the side panel from a full cab which would make an "extended" half cab and maybe 8 - 10 inches of pickup bed in the back. One other option is the half cab plus the insert that was in a cj6 cab -- that, too will give a pickup with an extended cab look..

I'm not that talented a welder to do the above, but I am serioiusly toying with the idea of installing a full cj5 cab on a cj6.

 

Building one from wood wouldn't be that difficult or expensive, IMO. Because the back wouldn't open, the thing would be pretty rigid and self-supporting with minimal material. For me, using wood would be cleaner, easier, faster and more fun than using fiberglass entirely...sanding sucks.

 

There used to be a guy on Ebay that sold plans to make a wooden top for a CJ. I wish I had kept a pict.

Here is one from Google. THis would not be too hard.

this is not a half cab but it is way cool.

 

Just an FYI, the CJ-6 filler panels are 20" long. I have two sets here, one with glass and one set solid panels.



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I think the half cabs are slick, rain and cold protection and a bed for storing and carrying dead things. But I would look for someone to trade, only because it is a bunch less work and your finished product will be better.