New Soft top info

[72BlazerFC]

I found this on the Blazer Forum website. Post date was April 18th '09
Hello,
My name is Michael Palmer and I am new here to this forum. I just purchased my first 1971 Jimmy and after a week of research I realized there is no manufactures producing a soft top anymore.

The main reason for this thread is after my research on soft tops and found a manufacturer willing to get involved and produce a new soft top. It is the Softopper company out of Boulder Co.
http://www.softopper.com/
I spoke with the owner Larry twice and he is looking for a rig to examine, and he said he would like to produce them and add to his business.

If anyone lives in the Boulder area that could help out by meeting Larry and showing him their rig it would move this forward even faster.

Many of the concerns I have read about are drilling holes, Style, having removable back windows, and Price all of which Larry understands and will accommodate.

I'm sure many of you loyal members here have had your hopes up before but this can really happen with positive feedback here and a show of hands on who is really interested.

I not a salesman for this company and I don't get any commission for my time, I just want a nice new soft top available again like anybody else would want.

Please post your thoughts and concerns here about the construction of the new top design. And take a look at there website.

[cleszkie]

Why does someone have to reinvent the wheel evertime they think about producing a soft top for the Blazer? Keep it simple! Why not just copy an existing Bestop, Kayline, or STC design? Use an original top as a template for the vinyl, sew in some zippers, press in some snaps, bend some electrical conduit for bows, cut some aluminum angle for bed rails, and voila! Sell them for $500 a piece and make a mint. Judging by the design and materials that went into my Bestop, any semi-competant upoholstery shop worth its weight in sweatshop workers could pull one of these off. Sorry for the rant. Just my $0.02.

[72BlazerFC]

I hear ya. I emailed them the Installation guide from Bestop with all the parts on it. When I get back in mid June I'm gonna try making one. Like you said it can't be that hard.

[72truckman]

This one sounds legit and his website backs it up...

His 3rd gen Blazer top looks sweet!http://www.softopper.com/Softopper_M...20Blazer%20All

If he could keep that price the same or a little lower, make it fully retractable and have a system so i don't have to drill for snaps, he would have a business monopoly and clientele from not only board members but the entire Blazer community.

[highrpm]

I agree the one he shows for newer Blazer looks great!

[bouncytruck]

I think they should just copy one that was previously made. Someone already did the engineering. I would try to reproduce the STC fastrac or the STC/Kayline snap tops. I personally think they looked and fit much better than all the Bestops I've seen. I currently have an STC fastrac, but I've also had a Kayline top. I paid roughly $700 for my fastrac.

They are more than welcome to come out to Seattle and measure my STC Fastrac top.

[OleSenna]

I'm good for one. but I gotta say I'll believe it when I see it. How many times have we gone through this exercise?

[Musclerodz]

I have most the raw material sitting in my Blazer project to do a foldable top. The hard part is making a seal for the windshield. I just have been waiting to start until I get back to the Blazer in another couple months

[1971 GMC Jimmy]

Hey Gang, I am Michael Palmer and yes I was the person who called Softopper and asked them to produce this top. I spoke with them again today and they are currently working out the rear hatch. They just emailed me more pictures and it folds down really nice in the back. I don't know how to insert the pictures on this forum, hopefully someone call let me know or I can email them the picture so they can upload them.

mike@racefan.tv

[1971 GMC Jimmy]

More Pictures

[1971 GMC Jimmy]

This is NOT my Truck. Just the pictures sent from Softopper to me today.

[Yukon Jack]

They did a very good job on the area where the window meets the top - looks very good! Thanks for the additional pics and for getting this to happen.

[smbrouss70]

It looks real good.... BUT, there is no way I'm going to drill holes to put snaps in my Blazer's body.

[1971 GMC Jimmy]

I here you. I'm wondering if there isn't another way to secure the front edge.

[JayDubBlazer]

I agree with everyone and the front snaps. Looking at it I think one might be able to make a piece that bolts to the existing sunvisor/hold-down holes that will allow you to mount the snaps with out screwing holes in the edge. Ideally they would just use the lip design that Jeeps have. Also, on their website it says that the tops are only available in black. I would really like mine in white.

[JayDubBlazer]

I really like the frame separate from the fold down part in the second group of pictures. It would be really easy to put a bikini top on, a definite plus for all of us that don't have roll cages.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I agree on the white tops. With a black top in the desert sun, you could just about bake bread in the console.
Khaki would be cool also.

[RLONG]

I am with Yukon my stc leaks like crazey around the windows.

[scoyote]

I stopped in and met with Larry a few days ago.
I am doing a frame up restore and I'm not at all interested in drilling holes in the windshield so I'm trying to work on something that will bolt to the existing hole for the hard top and behind the visor mounts that will let you have snaps at the top.

Then I can heat/stick some top notch velcro instead of snaps and that should hold it with the help of snaps on the inside of the windshield frame.

Not sure if I explained that very good....????

I will tell you that the tops he is working on are top notch and the snaps are made to work with existing Bestop locations.

Larry is also working on a bikini combo that will allow you to unsnap just behind the roll bar and leave the top on the cab and take the rest off but didn't have a prototype to check out.

Very good product, quality material and Larry seems to care about getting it done correctly.

If I can work out a better arrangement for the snaps....I'm gonna try to get him to customize one for me.

I want one.....I just don't want to drill holes in my brand new tub.

[BigRed Beast]

I have what may dismissed as a stupid idea, but...

It seems to me one of our members fabricated a rail/channel system by fiberglassing a piece of angle which was cut and curved to match the windshield. I'm not sure how he attached his top--bikini, Besttop or otherwise, but...

How about a U channel, longer flange on the bottom, with holes to match our existing tops? Glass the front of it so it's paintable, matches some of the windshield lines, etc. Install snaps or a track to the channel wherever--you'll not be penetrating the windshield frame, so who cares? The channel will cover the leading edge of the soft top/bikini, so the weather stripping issue will be between the channel and the frame.

Let the bashing begin!

I'm gonna see if I can fab a mold for the leading edge of my existing top and do some glassing to see what I come up with...

[JayDubBlazer]

Originally Posted by BigRed Beast

I have what may dismissed as a stupid idea, but...

It seems to me one of our members fabricated a rail/channel system by fiberglassing a piece of angle which was cut and curved to match the windshield. I'm not sure how he attached his top--bikini, Besttop or otherwise, but...

How about a U channel, longer flange on the bottom, with holes to match our existing tops? Glass the front of it so it's paintable, matches some of the windshield lines, etc. Install snaps or a track to the channel wherever--you'll not be penetrating the windshield frame, so who cares? The channel will cover the leading edge of the soft top/bikini, so the weather stripping issue will be between the channel and the frame.

Let the bashing begin!

I'm gonna see if I can fab a mold for the leading edge of my existing top and do some glassing to see what I come up with...

There is always more than one way to skin a cat, but I do like the fiberglass idea. As soon as a white top is available Ill begin the work on it.

[scoyote]

I would be VERY interested in seeing what anyone can come up with.

I'm not a fiberglass guy so I can't do that but if someone can...I'd be interested in purchasing one.....hint ...hint

[glimmertwin01]

thats sweet I would prefer a white top too.. I am sure a bar or plate could be fabricated to mount using the existing windshield to top mounting holes... I dont agree with drilling holes in my rot free AZ truck
I d buy one and figure out a way to make it fasten to the top with out drilling..industial velcro ot the new version (used on my EZ Pass) would work. there has to be a solution

[RED72blazer]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

It looks real good.... BUT, there is no way I'm going to drill holes to put snaps in my Blazer's body.

same here.

at least the top looks well built.

[BigRed Beast]

Similar thread going on the K5 forum with some pretty creative leading edge ideas. There's also a great site www.fiberglassforums.com Most of the site is devoted to audio application in cars, but some of the stuff these guys take on is incredible. The fiberglass lip would be pretty easy to do--just very time consuming for the first one or two, and making a good mold that would hold up for multiple pieces would be a challenge.

Too many creative folks not to have an acceptable solution relatively soon...