Whitco Roll Bar?

Hey folks:

The never ending parts acquisition process turned up this roll bar. Guy said it was an "early original". I did a little looking and I think it actually might be a Whitco. What do you guys think?

He's asking $100 cash. . .

 

Pictures moved....

 

pics no werky

 

Sorry. I think I fixed it.

 

Sure that isn't the light bar from a '60s or '70 Ford or Dodge pickup?

 

In the email exchange I've had with the guy, he stated that it came out of an early CJ5.

 

My 58 CJ5 has that exact roll bar. I have seen it on several other early CJ5's. I didn't think early CJ5's ever had roll bars but this seems to be a fairly standard after market addition.

 

Most of the ones I've seen, the base plates were angle iron instead of flat stock. Looks like the left side base plate on that one had a pretty good bend in it.

 

I agree most if not all have an Angle Iron at the base for attachment to the tub...............my base angles are 24" long........... the width between the angles to fit between the tub outer rails is 54-5/8" ...............the height of the hoop from the tub up is 32-3/4" and that fits all hard and soft tops on my 65 CJ-5..............

 

Early CJs did not have a factory roll bar until '71 with the Renegade I IIRC.

That being said, I'd say 100$ is too much.

 

Base plate being flat stock = aftermarket.

 

Certainly the Whitco of the day used an angle iron base. There were bolts that went through the body sideways. Even the special equipment section of the parts catalog shows the angle iron base.

Note that the base is a little wider than the gap between the body rails, so these bars need to be sprung to fit onto the wheel house tops. You can use your super-strength and bounce them in, or put a ratchet strap across the bars and compress them enough to get them in. The PO may have modified the bar to fit without the usual forcing.

Easy to put a tape across the base and compare that measure to the body.

What is original? In the early days, there were only aftermarket roll bars. Whitco and Smittybilt were the two main suppliers.

 

Thanks for all the input guys.

It was hard to tell from the Whitco literature on the web if their bases were angle or just flat stock. My ID was mostly from the placement of the rear bars on the crossbar v. the uprights. The guy is like an hour away from me and will let it go for $80.00. He thought the left hand base could easily be flattened with the old BFH. I suppose I could cut the bases off completely and weld on new angle. I'd like to have a somewhat "original" styled bar for the Jeep, and that's why I pursued this one, thinking it might be an old Whitco.

 

It's certainly the style of the era.

 

The roll bar that was a deal add on my Jeep looks exactly like that one, including the base that goes through the wheel well. But there is a flat piece on that goes on the underneath and I do not see that.

To put the price in perspective Collins Brothers sale those roll bars for $350. I would make my own if paying $350 was the only option but it does help set a guide on the price.

 

Picked up the roll bar yesterday evening and scored a drawbar hitch in the process, so it was definitely worth the trip. Could somebody measure the angle iron for me: length, width, and thickness?

 

The angle iron on my 75 is 3x1 3/4 24'' long and 1/4'' thick.

 

Thanks!

 

Can anyone tell me what brand this roll bar might be?

 

Reminds me of the smittybilt bar, but the rear angled hoop looks to be "longer".