Driving with roof on / off

[Swerve]

So until this week I have always driven 60 series patrol with a roof on, Rocket had fibreglass roof, the 73 canvas softie, HP metal ute roof and so on. So now I have taken the roof off the 73, I love driving it with the roof off, really is a different car.

Will leave the roof of the 73 now for a while, will probably put the front sub frame back on as this help keep the windscreen stable, I find the windscreen knocks on the door frames on bumps.

So who here has a opinion on roof on/off

[moore_rb]

So who here has a opinion on roof on/off

I personally think that when a vehicle comes with a removeable roof, that the roof becomes little more than a big, heavy, umbrella...

And when it's not raining, there's no need for an umbrella, right?

[Esteban]

Each time that I have taken the canvas top off, I've enjoyed it a lot. However, those are distant memories since the few times I've done that was when I was changing the top for a new one (I'm on the 7th. now) and the last time was 14 years ago!!

I'm with you Steve, that the cantrails on top of the doors must be left in place for rigidity of the windshield. In my case, I have the split-type door design, so I've done that as well, that is driving with only the lower part of the doors. The look and feel are awesome.

I think the ideal will be to have sort of a bikini top that can be installed in a short time in case of imminent rain, using the same sliding channels, and not so a tight fit to ease the process.

[Eddy]

Even better with the screen down, or off!
Drove my first one like this for several months while I was doing some repairs/mods to the hardtop.

[mdawg4x4]

Being a long time owner of a Jeep, I love riding without the roof and doors. The doors on a Jeep have 1 nut on each hinge...and 1 behind the steering wheel. Very easy to remove. I have a soft top on my Jeep, so I do not have any experience removing a hard top. Seems like it would be a lot of trouble.

[MoonPatrol]

I've been thinking a lot about this. One of the reasons I pondered getting the Patrol was the fact that you can remove the top and enjoy a a convertible. I have to experience this. . In order to do so, today I'm having plugs put in that will allow me to disconnect the upper brake lights that are part of the roof top now. I'm also putting a plug for the dome light. In the next couple of days I'm committing myself to removing the top. Can this be done with one, two, or four people? Obviously, I hope it's one. For that, I imagine you would need a hoist type solution. Or a way you can jack it up and drive out from under it like some do, I've heard, from underneath rv truck bed campers. Will it be worth it? Anyone have more experience with this? Thoughts? I'm committed to this experience of our patrols that seems less utilized with the hard tops.

[moore_rb]

In the next couple of days I'm committing myself to removing the top. Can this be done with one, two, or four people? Obviously, I hope it's one. For that, I imagine you would need a hoist type solution. Or a way you can jack it up and drive out from under it like some do, I've heard, from underneath rv truck bed campers. Will it be worth it? Anyone have more experience with this? Thoughts? I'm committed to this experience of our patrols that seems less utilized with the hard tops.

There are a couple of options regarding removing your Patrol's hard top, and each option can be done with a variable number of people, and tools involved:

Option 1: removing the entire top as one piece, leaving the the cap and side panels all bolted together.
Pros: Quickest way to do it- remove the rear door top halves, unbolt the side panels from the tub, unbolt the cap from the windshield, unhook any electrical, and lift it up.
Cons: Heavy- about 300 pounds- can be done manually with two strong/healthy adults, but 3 is better.

and yes, If you have a hoist or gantry that can lift the top off the truck while you drive out from under it (like you mention above), then this option could become a single person job that only takes about 20 minutes.

Option2: Disassembling the top and removing it panel by panel. - unbolt and unhook the cap, lift it off and out of the way, then remove the door tops and then remove the side panels from the tub.
Pros: An easy 2 person job - good for husbands who have mastered the "Could you please help me for just 5 minutes please, dear?" (not necessary if you have access to a teenage son ) - The only part that requires 2 people is the cap, which weighs about 80-100 pounds- then they can go back to whatever they were doing while you remove the rest of the pieces.
Cons: more bolts to remove means increased risk of broken bolts. The weather stripping will not survive, and it will have to be replaced when you go to re-assemble the top. Takes longer to complete.

[miller]

Can someone post pics of how the American hard tops attach to the windscreen frame?
All the Aussie aftermarket tops I have seen have been siliconed and screwed to the frame which ultimately leads to the frame rusting out. I'm yet to see a good solution.