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Chopped top /2000 XJ/HaZakated

If you are going to drive it in the rain, or snow, and want to stay dry/warm, have a shop that does custom convertable tops handle the top. Looks good.

JMHO

Rev
 
I usually don't like chopped tops, but I like where you chopped it from, I also like that you kept the hatch. I also like the idea of a slant style rear but are you going to put a window in it? I can't believe you did that to a 2000 xj! I have a 93 and couldn't be persuaded to chop it yet. I really like the idea though. You have one unique XJ!
 
Any more info that you can give me when you get around to it would be awesome. Maybe a write up? I really think that I would like to do that to mine.... Thanks
 
I half to say I'm not a fan of chops, but that looks good. For the tail gate try looking for a station waggon of yester year that had the two way tailgate. You migh be able to get the hinges off one, and adapt them to you applacation.
 
scoobyxj said:
I half to say I'm not a fan of chops, but that looks good. For the tail gate try looking for a station waggon of yester year that had the two way tailgate. You migh be able to get the hinges off one, and adapt them to you applacation.
Click to expand...

thats a great idea!
 
hudsxj said:
Any more info that you can give me when you get around to it would be awesome. Maybe a write up? I really think that I would like to do that to mine.... Thanks
Click to expand...

I am a student at Miami university and dont have a great deal of time; however, as soon as I can I will take a lot of pics and make a write up as to how I did this mod. It took about 1 1/2 months (spending a couple hours on it per week) to get this far due to finacial issues. The main part that I have left to do is build wedges to tie the four points in the front to the frame. I think I'm going to do some thing like this.

Please excuse this drawing, I did on MS paint. Im at school and dont have solid edge or CAD available to me.

The connecting points of the cage are already welded to base plates. The top portion of this part just needs to be bolted to it. The sheet metal floorboard will be sandwitched in between each plate.

Cagewedge.jpg
 
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hudsxj said:
one more question, how about frame flex? Did the rollbar take care of that?
Click to expand...

Until I tie the last four connecting points (in the front) to the frame, I won't be able to answer that. I would hope that the 1 1/2" .120 wall tubing stucture is much stronger than that of the standard roof and pillar system that I chopped out. I never got much frame flex (that I could detect) before the chop so I wouldnt know how to measure the difference. I do know that in 97 or 98 (and newer) unibody construction on XJ's were built stronger than previos years. Mabey this is why I never noticed the flex.
 
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Dont mean to hi-jack...but if anyones looking, I have a chopped 89 in the
for sale section, or check http://photobucket.com/albums/c242/Detoursusa/

Ok, now besides that......where are you placing that bracket you drew?

Up front in mine, I basically took your same bracket but inverted it and welded
to the floor and more importantly the kick panel for lateral support.

Your chopped......did you know 1.5" tube can be slide down thru the upper
body itself to the windshield, thus creating a hidden upper portion for your
cage......the end slid to windshield should be cut at 55 degrees....you loose
ZERO headroom and it 'hardens' the exterior of the roof line.
 
Detour said:
Dont mean to hi-jack...but if anyones looking, I have a chopped 89 in the
for sale section, or check http://photobucket.com/albums/c242/Detoursusa/

Ok, now besides that......where are you placing that bracket you drew?

Up front in mine, I basically took your same bracket but inverted it and welded
to the floor and more importantly the kick panel for lateral support.

Your chopped......did you know 1.5" tube can be slide down thru the upper
body itself to the windshield, thus creating a hidden upper portion for your
cage......the end slid to windshield should be cut at 55 degrees....you loose
ZERO headroom and it 'hardens' the exterior of the roof line.
Click to expand...


The bracket will be bolted to each connection plate under the rocker panel/floor board. The horizontal side of the plate will be bolted to to the cage (with the floorsheet metal sandwitched in between the plates), and the vertical size will be welded and bolted to the frame. Basically, its a cheap/easy/effective way to tie the cage into the frame.

I could have just bent the cage so that the connection points would have landed on top of the frame thus making it simple to tie into the frame; however, I didn't want the tubing to be in my rear passsengers feet space. I did connect the four rear connection points to the fame in that mannor.

I am still looking for cheap/effective ways to connect the roof to the cage. I thought about just welding the cage to the roof but realized the sheet metal wouldn't be stong enough to hold a good weld. I am now looking into hoops that connect to the pillars. I also liked the idea of welding small square tubing across the top of the cage.
 
HaZakated - I was looking at my neighbors 89 wrangler and say how his rear hatch window for the hardtop worked and thought of you immediatly. So you may want to tak a look at one and see if you could replicated some how.

detour - where did you get that backbone bumper system at?
 
kscherokee said:
HaZakated - I was looking at my neighbors 89 wrangler and say how his rear hatch window for the hardtop worked and thought of you immediatly. So you may want to tak a look at one and see if you could replicated some how.

detour - where did you get that backbone bumper system at?
Click to expand...


Thanks, I'll take a look at one.
 
Chancer said:
Have you thought of welding in a MJ rear window or modding a facelifted rear window, thereby giving you a sealed cab?
Click to expand...


I was thinking about using the shocks from the chopped hatch to build a metal slant hatch back that opened and closed via shocks. I then realized that I chopped the top to have a semi-convertible and dont want to deal with taking the newley created hatch door off and on. I did consider that idea though.
 
Hazakated: Could you post more pics of the interior? im thinking of doing the same thing to my 98 sport, but i was thinking more of finishing it off like an explorer sport track, ith the windows from the hatch behind rear seats, and the bottom of the hatch as the latch to the "tub"
 
I don't know if you ever got your tail gate to work but is some food for thought. I was looking on ebay and found this xj that you might like, a fix for your gate and support for your top...... Take a look at item 4590923409 on ebay!!!!!! Keep me posted on your machine.
 
Are you guys driving these on the street or are these trail only rigs?

I am looking to buy a 1990 4 door that needs work and I want to chop the top and put a slant top on it! I can make the top with help of a boat cover guy I know! The cage and everything else I would probably buy or have a shop fab up! i would hate to be responsible for a weld breaking in a roll over!
 
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