DIY bikini hard top

[MB750]

I got tired of trying to find specifically what I wanted (for a reasonable price, anyway...) so I just made it myself. Plug, mold (which just turned into the part because I'd had enough itchy skin), and mounting:



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[MB750]

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[MB750]

I didn't want the load of the top going thru the windshield, so I made those brackets to mount towards the bottom of the windshield side bars. I'll get around to painting those black eventually.

Shaft collars hold the back on the roll bars, I just had to drill and tap them to take a screw.

I'll eventually drill the holes out for a rubber grommet so it's not rigid mounted. I need to get thick spaced grommets first, this thing is about 1/8" thick.

I've never done fiberglass before, especially from scratch, so this was pretty fun but messy. It's two layers of polyester and fiberglass mat, and two layers of carbon fiber and clear epoxy.

[CraigS]

I love your go for it attitude but... I wonder if the top shouldn't be sealed or at least lap over the top of the windshield. If you get caught in the rain and want to sit it out it would be nice if nothing came in via the top/windshield gap. And if you want to keep driving to get home it would be worse.

[MB750]

I love your go for it attitude but... I wonder if the top shouldn't be sealed or at least lap over the top of the windshield. If you get caught in the rain and want to sit it out it would be nice if nothing came in via the top/windshield gap. And if you want to keep driving to get home it would be worse.

Yup, good point. I bought that seal strip because it was quick on Amazon, but I'd like to have gotten something more specific with a "bulb" along the end of it to seal from rain. It's not my intentions to get caught in the rain, but this is Florida...

Maybe some thin 1/4" foam as a test for meeting design intentions, than I'll buy the good stuff. It just gave me heartburn having to pay $10 for shipping on $2 worth of edge seal from McMaster Carr, so I went cheap for now.

This stuff: https://www.mcmaster.com/1120A5/

Min amount is 10', I need 3, and it's $10 in shipping.

[CraigS]

Check out similar in the weatherstrip section at L or HD. Maybe sticky back style? Try to test it by blowing through it to see if it actually seals. I thought I found some great stuff to seal off the body just ahead of the doors. Went in great. Worked great until the first stuck in the rain. It definitely slowed water intrusion to a trickle but I found that open cell foam doesn't do what I wanted.

[MB750]

Yea, I checked the big box stores and none of them have the rubber-type seals, only the foam stuff.

Ultimately, this top is for sun blocking, which I'd say mission accomplished. I don't plan on being caught in the rain, but if I do I guarantee this will do better than nothing at all even if there's no seal at all.