Soft top life?
Old Crow
I've got a '95 YJ with the original factory top...9 years and 180,000
miles
My wife's got a '94 YJ that has a Steelhorse replacement top on it(was
that way when we bought it) at 10 years and 170,000 miles.
My top is still in fairly good shape, just a couple of the snaps
busted above the doors.
The stupid Steelhorse top on my wife's jeep is shit and, since I
ordered the Besttop Replace-a-Top yesterday, is headed for the
shitcan(It'd already be there if'n it'd quit raining).
I didn't buy the cheapo, and I didn't buy the sailcloth, high dollar
jobbie, but from what I can tell, the mid-priced Besttop brand
replace-a-top is equivalent to the original factory top.
Anyway, I was wondering what the average life you guys are getting out
of the factory top is? I realize theres a lot of different factors
that effect top life, but I'm just sorta taking a very unscientific
poll here.
--
Old Crow
'82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl'
'95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande
ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1
TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51
Mike Romain
some snaps and have had friends crack a couple windows by being
'helpful' in the winter, but it is still hanging in there.
It is time to refresh it or replace it though. It has served it life
out well.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Tirya
at 110,000 miles. I had some issues with stitching that popped in a couple of
places, but aside from that, it was sound. It does wear well, and the tear
that developed was my own fault. I personally just put on the Sailcloth RAT
from Bestop, and the difference in noise reduction between it and the '99
factory top is INCREDIBLE.
Tirya
--
TDC Inca Jeeper
"The painkillers are rather good, actually..."
"Old Crow" <walli...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:23doc09i42febpm4b...@4ax.com...
twaldron
carport, or even WASH it? There is a HUGE spectrum of treatment
regarding Jeeps and their tops. Believe it or not, there are still CJ7s
running around with their factory soft tops on them. Take care of it,
it'll take care of you.
Old Crow wrote:
--
___________________________________________________________
tw
03 TJ Rubicon - Rubicon Express 4.5"
01 XJ Sport
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
-- Dave Barry
Pronunciation: 'jEp
Function: noun
Date: 1940
Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 inch wheelbase')
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase,
1/4-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in
World War II.
(Please remove the OBVIOUS to reply by email)
___________________________________________________________
Old Crow
<tho...@OBVIOUSrubicons.com> wrote:
>OC, that _REALLY_ depends on your usage habits. Do you garage, use a
>carport, or even WASH it? There is a HUGE spectrum of treatment
>regarding Jeeps and their tops. Believe it or not, there are still CJ7s
>running around with their factory soft tops on them. Take care of it,
>it'll take care of you.
GARAGE? Heh, too many Harleys in there to get a Jeep in there too<g>
Carport? Well, Lynn's goes in there when rain is in the
forcast...otherwise she'd have wet seats in the morning, and you know
how women are about stuff like that.
Wash 'em? Yeah, all the time. I don't like to leave my vehicles
dirty. That is not to say that I don't get them dirty...I just don't
like to leave 'em that way for more than a day or so.
I guess we'll find out. I knew her's would be needing a top when we
bought it, so it's not like it was a surprise or anything.
Lee Ayrton
My own experience has been that in Connecticut (hot, humid summers and
wet, sandy, salty winters), ungaraged, Besttop is good for about 7 years
before you start replacing snaps and about 9 years before the windows go
and the thread rots. I'm on my third Besttop and I think that that's not
a bad life span for the abuse it takes. The cost works out to about two
cups of coffee a month.
twaldron
Lee Ayrton wrote:
--
HomeBrewer
bestop for 5 years now and it's like new. Course it's only been on the jeep
for about 2 months total. I know that steelhorse "anything" is crap....
--
HomeBrewer
http://home.earthlink.net/~t3e871/index.html
www.rcparkflyers.com
Remove the xxx to reply!
Old Crow
<t3e8...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>I've never owned a new jeep with a soft top, but my 85 cj7 has had the same
>bestop for 5 years now and it's like new. Course it's only been on the jeep
>for about 2 months total. I know that steelhorse "anything" is crap....
I like the way that Steelhorse top fits(but nothing else about
it)...it's nice and tight over the bows, however, I think that the
tightness is probably the cause of the blown apart zipper on the back
window, and the separation at the seams that is occuring.
I knew it was a cheapo top when I bought the jeep, but couldn't pass
on the deal just because of that...even with the cost of the new top
added in, the price I paid was 'way under bluebook.
I figure my '95 has 9 years on the top and aside from a couple of
snaps and one side window zipper, it's in good shape. If I can get
that out of the Besttop replacement top, I'll be happy.