Custom light weight (with zip in zip out windows) door tops

[texas pinzgauer]

You were expecting a photo, right? Well you're out of luck for now but I did want to pose the question to y'all. Several folks with fabrication experience and expertise have indicated a desire and an ability to fabricate replacement door tops to replace the heavy stock units. They would consist of a steel frame and some sort of zip in / zip out or Velcroed flexible window material.

Is this one of those things that Pinzgauer owners are begging for and would pay a reasonable price for? Or is it another great great idea for which there are few if any takers? What would you be willing to pay for a set of these?

Inquiring minds want to know .

[berger]

I would be very interested....( I did buy a center console! ), but I would like to see a set first.

[texas pinzgauer]

There are actually several folks who have considered fabricating these but it will only happen if there is sufficient interest.

[cowetadirtfarmer]

I would be in. I dont care for the upper door tops at all... Normally I leave them off of the door.

[texas pinzgauer]

I think the idea is to have a light weigh door top replacement for those times when you've left your door tops at home and the weather turns ugly. I've got a super conveninece place to store my door tops (see previous post about the rack I designed) but if that space is taken and you do leave your stock door tops at home, some light weight zip in / zip out tops would seem to be of value.

[krick3tt]

I have spent many hours just before sleep overtakes me designing and fabricating in my mind exactly what I want.
I am toning up my welding skills and getting the mig welder and I on the same track. This is a real battle. Technique...

I have an idea and soon I will attempt such a thing but, I would be willing to cross that threshold and perhaps talk about
a purchase. Apparently there are many that might want them but are we willing to pony up the bucks? I want to see what
someone, anyone has in mind before I commit.
As the man said...if there are no pictures...it didn't happen.

[4x4Pinz]

was hoping to get to the canvas/vinyl work this weekend but it did not happen. The frames are the easy part. there are a couple of ways to do it. for space concerns, although more flimsy a flat metal piece on top of the door and then the upper frame or for a more stiff design, rods down similar to existing tops attached to the upper frame.
The frames I use are the ones with the rods.


Personally I would like to see the frames break down and store into a piece of 2" plastic pipe that could be stored behind the seats. Anything else is pretty much worthless in my mind.

[krick3tt]

Thanks for the photos. That is close to my design except that I have gussets in the corners for strength and rigidity and
I am using heavy canvas for the fabric with zip out plastic windows that will roll up and velcro to the top. Waiting for me to
make a table for my industrial sewing machine. I have the metal, just have to weld up the base.

Happy trails

[milesdzyn]

Personally I would like to see the frames break down and store into a piece of 2" plastic pipe that could be stored behind the seats. Anything else is pretty much worthless in my mind.

My thoughts as well, it should stow in a compact form and go together easily. No screws a few pins and some velcro to hold the fabric to the frame. I don't like to use a zipper window with the soft top doors, just as easy to open the door and reach around.

With the Pinz's flat snout, wind blowout at higher speeds will be an issue that needs to be solved as well.

Miles

[krick3tt]

Just curious about the wind at higher speeds...it is a pinz, after all.
the highest speed I remember was when I was parked in the desert in a wind storm, almost blew me over.

[milesdzyn]

When I had my Jeep years ago with the soft top doors, they would want to pull out at the top due to the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the Jeep. It should be worse on the Pinz even at 55 mph, wanting to keep the design light as well as strong enough to handle the air pressure. It will be interesting to see how people over come this design obstacle.

Miles

[krick3tt]

When traveling on the road my rear side windows seem to go in and not out. I have eliminated most of the flapping by installing
new bungie cords and adding insulation to the top.

[ExpeditionImports]

We've played around a bit with it. Initial prototype has a smaller window than what we would actually go with.

[texas pinzgauer]

That's certainly a cool design Scott.

I was actually wondering if, rather than zip in, zip out, how about a canvas and window piece of fabric that slipped on over the the top sort of like a pillow case. If you want it on, you slip it on over the frame. You want it off, you just pull it off.

Looks like some folks are giving this idea some thought.

[krick3tt]

Good idea David. ...and the bottom (or inside) pieces velcro to the outside to keep it in place.
I like your idea much better than the one I had conceived. I was way too complicated in my design.