73-75 Bestop question

[CharlieC]

Hello all

I picked up a new in the box Bestop soft top for my '74. It appears to be 100% there but.... the seller thought there was a bedrail piece like the Softopper uses but was missing. The instructions appear to show it. I found a YouTube video from Trucks! where they installed one on Big Blaze and it appears to snap along the outer bedside (via snaps you would install).

Anyone who had/has one.. can you confirm how the sides attach? If it's like the Softopper, I thought I can use angle aluminum fastened to the top mounting holes. If it mounted on the sides, I'm think a modified metal bedside cover might hang over enough to work.

Thanks
Charlie

 

[CharlieC]

So no one here is using a Bestop Top?

Charlie

 

[Fastereddie]

So no one here is using a Bestop Top?

Charlie

It’s pretty slim pickins. Might be 1 or 2 guys with it. Most have the softopper.

 

[swettysblazer]

Do you have pictures of the side of the top where it attaches? I have an old Canback and can see if it is similar.

 

[CharlieC]

Thanks for the replies…. I don’t expect many to have one, but thought I could come across at least one or two that eithe have or had one.

Heres a pic from the install instructions, the great news is they give the lengths for each piece and I have all the other parts, so it won’t be tough to make.


‘Here’s a screenshot from the Trucks! Install. I have the same bows and bow mounting bracket, except they installed snaps on the body vs the channel on the bed side.

The instructions appear to be very simliar to what Softopper does for the sides, except I think their’s is a single piece.


Swetty, did I answer your question?

thanks
Charlie

 

[swettysblazer]

Thanks for the replies…. I don’t expect many to have one, but thought I could come across at least one or two that eithe have or had one.

Heres a pic from the install instructions, the great news is they give the lengths for each piece and I have all the other parts, so it won’t be tough to make.
View attachment 385949

‘Here’s a screenshot from the Trucks! Install. I have the same bows and bow mounting bracket, except they installed snaps on the body vs the channel on the bed side.
View attachment 385950
The instructions appear to be very simliar to what Softopper does for the sides, except I think their’s is a single piece.


Swetty, did I answer your question?

thanks
Charlie

Yup, its similar except the Canback has the snaps on the side of the channel that bolts to the truck. I would do what you're thinking- get some aluminum angle, get some buttons off of Amazon (they're cheap, i just got a whole box of like 150 for 9 bucks) and fab something up.

 

[imiceman44]

Thanks for the replies…. I don’t expect many to have one, but thought I could come across at least one or two that eithe have or had one.

Heres a pic from the install instructions, the great news is they give the lengths for each piece and I have all the other parts, so it won’t be tough to make.
View attachment 385949

‘Here’s a screenshot from the Trucks! Install. I have the same bows and bow mounting bracket, except they installed snaps on the body vs the channel on the bed side.
View attachment 385950
The instructions appear to be very simliar to what Softopper does for the sides, except I think their’s is a single piece.


Swetty, did I answer your question?

thanks
Charlie

Sorry I had a tonneau cover from them but yes it had rail with snaps on the the bed sides and one across the tailgate.
I sold it 12 years ago so memories are fuzzy now

 

[CharlieC]

My Bestop is designed to snap to the windshield header frame with snaps I would install. I tried a targa top idea a long time ago, you can see the fiberglass piece I used along the header. Good idea, poor execution. (I didn't cut up a good top, it was a broken 73-75 front half, fiberglassed to a 76+ shell)


Rather than adding the snaps to the header, I could add the snaps on to the front fiberglass piece in the same locations. I can't decide if it would be any better other than not having to drill holes in the steel header frame.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Charlie

 

[muddybuddy]

Ive always thought about a targa type top (like the JK jeeps with removable portion of hard top), thought it could be a pretty cool and functional way to get more open air if you had to keep a hard top vs going full soft top. To do correctly would take alot of $$ for molds and lot of testing, etc. Do you have any more pics of your attempt?

kudos

 

[CharlieC]

Sorry, I don’t… this was 20 years ago when people only took pictures on special occasions. The ‘glass targa was still very heavy vs say a Jeep targa today. It generally worked, I wasn’t very patient to keep tweaking the idea. I was using hold downs similar to an old Jeep hood to hold in place in the back. I ditched that idea and cut the front piece off the ‘glass targa you see on the truck and had a vinyl targa made with a pocket to slip over the front ‘glass piece and snaps across the back and side to fasten in place. It was a decent enough idea, kept most water out when driving, none came in from the front, just some on the sides. What did suck that I never did figure out is going 60-70 down the road, I guess the air pressure difference would have it bulging wayyy up. I dont know why it did that when soft tops generally don’t. I love my K5, but I really hate how heavy our roof is. To try again, I’d do the back half pretty much as I did, I think I’d do the transition from roof to pillar differently and make the targa frame out of aluminum tubing and cover with real conv. top material. I’ll gladly pass the Targa baton over to you.

Charlie

 

[muddybuddy]

Appreciate it Charlie. Since I dont have a full vert, I wont be making any progress with it haha. At this point the soft tops are very nice quality, I would just go that route.

But, my original thinking was to start with a 76-91 top (sounds like similar to your idea), and be able to bolt the remaining sides (which would be the frame/support for the removable part) to the factory bolt holes on the top and winshield. That new frame would include the removable section which would have weather stripping and be weather tight. Would basically be a massive removable sunroof.

starting with a 76-91 top has multiple advantages, with one of the being that you get them for almost nothing, so would be easy/cheap for someone with a 73-75 to easily find one in order to do the swap. If I thought there was a bigger market for the idea I’d pursue it further but like I said, soft top quality is outstanding and while this would provide better security from theft, most people want the full top off. Price would also be a major concern. No doubt a new soft top would be cheaper.

 

[CharlieC]

I'll bet this started as your idea... it's on ebay and in KS if you're interested.



I started with this concept, but after having it in my hands and the weight, I decided on the targa concept and got busy with the recip saw again.

Charlie