Making own bikini top?

Has anyone made there own bikini top? Where can I get the piece that slides in the top channel of the front windshield? Does it have to come from a old top or can you buy the piece some where?

 

you mean the thin hard plastic piece? do you really need it? can't you just double the material and slide it in , also,,,,, you can buy a new channel or make it and mount that to the roll bar then that frees up the windshield so you can put it down....thats what I did.just sucks in the rain since there about 1 3/4" between them ,,,but it don't rain here much.

 

Or are you talking about the aluminum piece that the "bead" slides into?
Got one around here if it's what you need.

 

We used the big zip ties and cut off the connector part to sew the material around. It took 3 to go across the windshield.

 

I've been thinking about doing the same thing.

Anyone got a dimension of this little piece that fits into the windshield channel?

I'm tempted to create a "hatari" style top out of the canvas tarps they sell at tractor supply.

 

Couple of coconuts, some string...

Oh, you mean for the Jeep?

I have a bunch of canvas tarp material that I've been eying for quite a while. One of these days I'll have to take a crack at turning it into a bikini top. Seems very straightforward. Make sure the edges are sewn, to prevent fraying, those tops are under a lot of stress at road speeds. I would sew nylon straps onto the back for anchoring it, make sure they are secure. I once had a bikini top come loose at road speed and the flailing it gave me was not fun. Yes, it hurt. And it's dangerous.

 

The binkini top I have is just the cloth folded over three times, i think. Maybe with a flat semi-hard strip of plastic in between? No round bead of any sort like my full top has. But it has an aluminum bracket that attaches to the top and then into the windshield track. I have had the front of the binkini come out of the windshield track before, but with the snaps on each end of the windshield it stayed in place til i got over and reinserted the front into the track.

 

I'm pretty sure that's what was used in our old '55 ranch jeep's bikini top. Just a sliver that was sandwiched by the top's material and fit into the windshield channel.

Tractor supply sells a brown canvas tarp that is 5' x 10' and it sure seems to me that it would work as far as keeping the frying sun and rain off of anyone in the jeep. I'm thinking the width would fit and I could take any length out of the tarp when I loop it around that strip of plastic.

I reckon I need to start butterin' up the Missus in order to use her sewing machine though.

 

The nice part about making your own, is you can extend it so the people in the back get some shade too:

 

I have been down to the fabric store checking this out myself.

With the jeepster it needs to be longer anyway but want to go to the back of the jeep maybe do a riser bar in back for it.
I have a 5 one I got off ebay used for 10.00.
Was going to take the plastic out of it.

I have also been looking at waterproofing it.
Maybe soak it in a 5 gallon bucket with one of these homemade concoctions like terpintine and soap or something.

 

Could you spray it with scotchguard? Turpentine sounds like it would make the top smell nasty.

 

That's kind of what I was thinking. The tarp I'm looking at feels as if it's almost waxed. I don't think a wax would hold up very well for very long on a top like it would on a filson's waxed coat, but I wonder if once you get it on, take it to the car wash and spray it with the wax cycle. Might get you by for a month or two? Just an idea.

 

I've made a couple for the flat strap type of windshield attachment.

I used plastic banding like you find around boxes during shipping, and it worked OK, but not great... Not quite wide enough to be like the ones found in production tops.

I've also tried metal banding, rusted and stained my top,
And I've tried model woods strips, but they will break if not handled VERY delicately.

The plastic packing banding can be folded, doubled up and glued together, ect. and seems to work OK for me.

As for waterproofing, I got tent and camping gear waterproofer from Wally-World..
Took a few tries of different brands, but the bright orange cap kind works pretty well,
Only have to soak twice a season to keep the water out!

 

Different approach,
Sheet of aluminum and some pop rivets.
Works great, adds strength to rollcage and doesn't let things come through the top in a roll over.

 

You COULD try turpentine or car wax or whatever, but canvas waterproofing is a whole lot cheaper and easier and is made for the job
http://www.fcsurplus.ca/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=15688

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0005871513996a.shtml

 

Both these Jeep run them. This style works great for trees, because it won't rip. Yes, rain isn't so good but duct tape has been known to cover the gap.

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67823

 

FYI.

I emailed Best Top to see if they had any of these little strips that slid into the bikini top and cinch the canvas to the windshield frame. Apparently that's an old design. Considering I haven't seen one since we had our ranch jeep back in the early eighties, I suppose I'm behind in the times. Anyway, here's the email I received in case anyone was wondering.

"Dave,
This is an old design top and we no longer carry nor make that
plastic tube that slid into the top. We would suggest contacting B-D
Company at 1-800-748-2244 to see if perhaps they have some of this tubing
left over.

Thank You
Bestop Customer Service
1.800.845.3567