A Soft Top For My Jimmy

[special-K]

I just about finished the lift and axle swap on my '85 Jimmy. I needed to install a conversion u-joint and can't bang the old one out. I don't have a press so that had to wait till Monday. Anxious to keep moving I decided to go ahead and put the soft top on and removed the original top...for the first time ever!

[special-K]

I got the top about a month ago but wanted to get the other work out of the way first. I laid out the kit on the hard top to size up what was involved:


Then started into it. The worst part was stretching that darn thing onto the last snaps in the corner. I ended up moving the bed rail pieces up a bit from where I originally had them. Fortunately the original mounts slide some and the side rails have slots:






Now to get it moving,hopefully tomorrow. I bought it and drove it a few miles home a year ago. Went to move it the first time and it ran out of fuel. I put a 5 gallon can in it and moved it a couple times before cold weather kicked the batteries' butts. In spring I got two new ones,put new glow plugs in,changed the oil,and did this recent work. Oh,and during the suspension work I got insurance and tags. It looks cool and all that,but...I can't wait to actually run this thing up the road!!

[d-666]

yep that jimmy is now a real beast!and the soft top matches perfecly the paint,very nice color combo..

[thirdstreettito]

Good job Tim! Looks perfect! Is the paint flat, satin or gloss? I cant tell. Also, be careful with conversion u-joints, they can cause vibrations. When I do my axle swap on my 88 I'll just get the shaft done to be on the safe side.

[Gyawo]

Nice top! Digging the paint as well. If they were so much money I would buy a soft top too. Going to try and get one made up after I put a roll bar in the back.

[special-K]

The $800 cost was a hard pill to swallow. I ordered it after doing pretty good a a swap meet this spring and actually had a good sized good paying project this spring for my business. Just one a year is great now. I did one after the next for 25 years and took it for granted (somewhat) as I look back. I'm excited that I managed to get this Jimmy done to my liking fairly easily and with a bit of good luck. I like the plain simple look of it. The paint is the original Doeskin Tan that is aged to a Satin. It looks kinda like it could be a CUCV someone played with a bit. It's funny cuz when I got the '91 Suburban the paint was shot with surface rust starting on the top. My plan was to paint it military Desert Tan.

I still have the tilt column to swap,as well as the 4L80E/NP241. That's when I'll have the Suburban driveshaft shortens for the Jimmy. overall length on both sides of the conversion joint work out to be the same,due to the Jimmy side using internal clips and the 3/4t shaft uses external. So,the only difference is in the cup diameters.

I'd like to build some bumpers and get a winch eventually,if possible. The object is to have something cool to drive,keeping it simple,while I concentrate on a couple other truck projects that need my attention. Having something fun that I like will ease the urgency to get those done so I can enjoy the process more. I'd love to go all out with 1T axles,lockers,off road this,and off road that. But,this about good enough and keeping cost down. The truth is,I would never get the use to justify an ultimate trail machine. I don't have the time and have many other interests I've neglected. I guess I got most of my wild 4wheelin' out of my system already. I'd like to get out on the beach for some surf fishing a couple times a year and of course churn up some mud and explore some trails in it. I have an open full floater I could have put in,but this semi-floater has the G80,which I have learned to use without "grenading". I have a Tac-Loc for a Dana 44,so if I run across a 4.10 I'd like to get it. Just did see a '78 on Craigslist with new stuff in it for $375. Tempting,but bad timing right now. There are tuffer traction aids,but with what I'll be doing anything that spins all 4 wheels will be awesome.

[pmpski_1]

Looks great. I really really like the color combo.

[special-K]

Thanks. To me it has a certain desert or safari or third world kinda look. I'm liking plain 'n' simple more and more. I have a dual light assembly I originally wanted to swap. I still would like that,but doubt I'll do it. I'm liking the basic thing good enough. I have toyed with the idea of painting the wheels white. Black looks tough and all,but 1) it's so common these days and 2) I liked the look of tan and white. I want to change the mirrors (SO I CAN SEE!) and either want what you all cal elephant ears or go back a bit to the small arm type for a more retro (and utility) vibe. I think those will be white.

[thirdstreettito]

Just do sport mirrors, and because you are in MD, I would get the heated ones.

[68Timber]

That looks great! That's the one I want for my CUCV. There was a post recently about Softopper going out of business. I emailed them to verify, got a response the same day that they were open and very busy.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Just do sport mirrors, and because you are in MD, I would get the heated ones.

It has sport mirrors now. I have no desire or need for heated mirrors. Simple and utilitarian is the theme here.

Originally Posted by BRUISER

That looks great! That's the one I want for my CUCV. There was a post recently about Softopper going out of business. I emailed them to verify, got a response the same day that they were open and very busy.

All I know is I ordered Monday and Friday it was at my house. There's another company that was bought by someone and expects to start offering the product in the near future. But,I believe it was Skylar who make that fastback thing. Not what I consider a top. More like a bikini top/tonneau cover hybrid. I always thought they were pretty worthless IMO. I like K/5s for the back seat plus those things kill your rear and side vision.
I got the driveshafts in with new u-joints,went to loosen the brake bleeders before getting my gal out to help bleed,and danged if the first caliper bleeder didn't snap off! I had been soaking them,too. I ran out and got a caliper only to discover the inner pad had dropped down and was worn like a wedge...full thickness at the outer edge to almost no lining on the inner edge...weird! Well,the rotor is worn to a taper,too! I knocked the bearings and studs out and will get a new rotor and pads today...bummer!

[thirdstreettito]

No, Squarebody sport mirrors. Like these:

[special-K]

White ones like that are one type I'm considering. But to be more retro I'm learning towards the below eye mount. I already have one nice one. From being into 67-72s,primarily,I consider what is on it to be a sport mirror since that's what they are called on those trucks. They didn't offer the type you show until the late-70s. Eventually they became the standard mirror.

[Cherub]

Thats cool lookin

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by special-K

White ones like that are one type I'm considering. But to be more retro I'm learning towards the below eye mount. I already have one nice one. From being into 67-72s,primarily,I consider what is on it to be a sport mirror since that's what they are called on those trucks. They didn't offer the type you show until the late-70s. Eventually they became the standard mirror.

I hear ya bud, but I was digging your idea to put white dumbos on. They are correct, and the view is great.

[Boog]

It looks good Tim. Your Jimmy is a twin to the 85 Blazer I had 'cept for the diesel part.
Does that soft top look like it will seal off good around the back of the cab? I always wanted to take the hard top off mine but was afraid it wouldn't seal back and I sure didn't want any water leaks.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

I hear ya bud, but I was digging your idea to put white dumbos on. They are correct, and the view is great.

Yeah,using those would fit it and still stay all '85. They'd mount right over the other mounting holes,too. I'd do black if the wheels stay black. My Suburban has a pair but they are crappy...dents and even rust.

Originally Posted by Boog

It looks good Tim. Your Jimmy is a twin to the 85 Blazer I had 'cept for the diesel part.
Does that soft top look like it will seal off good around the back of the cab? I always wanted to take the hard top off mine but was afraid it wouldn't seal back and I sure didn't want any water leaks.

I remember you saying you had a twin. Not many ordered this way,huh? I bet you never saw others like yours running around. I can't report on the seal at this point,but I am somewhat concerned how dry the interior will stay. At the cab seal I feel pretty good. The piece that bolts up has a seal in front of the snaps on the outside. They supply another seal to apply to the cab where it steps down. The piece that bolts up with the snaps on it sets right onto that. What concerns me is the spacing between snaps at the lower right front. See how it's puffy between the two snaps?

[motornut]

thats a nice top
sure adds to the truck

[Boog]

At the time I had mine I only saw a couple the same color.
Yeah i see a little pucker on each side right there but it's not bad. And that's not supposed to be an allweather top anyway right?

[special-K]

I'll just be stuffin' rags in there if it rains Here's a couple more pics of it "moved" finally:

[68Timber]

Awesome - nice work!

[l79m20]

Are those 35's?

[special-K]

Yes,they're 315/85-16 Goodyear MTRs on 10" wheels. The lift is a 4" Tuff Country EZ-Ride spring lift.

[Boog]

Don't look like the same truck. Enjoy.

[special-K]

I liked it just fine before. The plan was to maybe lift 2" and put an 11.50/32 A/T tire on white 8" wheels with stock caps. But that size it getting to have limited availability and tires have gotten ridiculously expensive. It's obvious in this recession that businesses that provide the things you have to have are jumping their prices more than ever...food,electric,tires & batteries,fuel...So,I decided to use what I had. The top was always on the want list,though. When it needs tires I have a set of new stock 16" wheels powder coated white that I'll put 255/85s on and I have hub caps. So,it'll have a beefy stock look.