There absolutely is a market ; I think the problem is one of scale . Companies want Big Bucks right away , investment in perceived niche-market items that aren't Mass Market guaranteed hits are viewed with caution.
The popularity of the Wrangler, and the potential market are not readily apparent to those not in the Jeep mentality.
Focus Groups, Bean Counters , lack of Imagination hamper your efforts to get these GREAT PRODUCTS to production.
Quite frankly, I got a hard top shell to make into J8 Safari top when I had my JKU.
IF no one has the foresight to snap your prototypes up, I'll have to do it the Time Honored way.
Build it myself , from your work.

 

I'm thinking something like the window below might be the best of both worlds - acts as a slider to let air in, but swings up to allow access to stuff inside:



They open like this, with gas struts although the one in the photo below isn't a slider, this is how the one above opens:

 

When it comes to the fiberglass stuff, like the Safari Cab hardtop or even just the barn door for factory hardtops, there is an investment in production molds that's required. That investment requires confidence that a certain number will be sold in order to amortize the tooling, so that's why a company might be hesitant to take the plunge. When I'm doing small quantities in my home garage, the costs are very reasonable, but to gear up for production usually requires molds that cost perhaps 8-10x what the cost of a final part might be. I make fiberglass parts in my garage for a fraction of what they'd cost if they were in production, but for production you'd really need to believe you could sell at least a few dozen of something per year in order just to amortize the setup costs.

One the other hand, doing windows to retrofit to a factory hardtop requires very little investment. For most RV-style windows, no tooling investment is required - the window manufacturers have all the tooling already and it's just a matter of different dimensions for the custom windows. The bonded glass windows require an investment in a silkscreen to apply the UV-protectant coating around the edges, but silkscreens aren't very expensive. The parts for the retrofit kit I've designed would require a little bit of tooling, but that wouldn't be very expensive either, so a minimum investment for someone to start offering custom windows for JK hardtops would be maybe $500, certainly less than a thousand dollars, plus a willingness to commit to the window manufacturer for a minimum order of windows, often minimums are 25 windows. At the manufacturing cost of a typical slider, someone could probably get into the JK window business for $2000, which would include the initial minimum order of windows and the setup cost for manufacturing the retrofit kit.

 

The RetroFit windows would be a great introduction to the Modular tops, the "Entry Level " accessory .
Since you are the creator of these cool products , you aren't interested in becoming the Vendor for the windows, at least ? The slider/ flip up window is Genius, retrofit in stock hard top.
There are probably many like me who leave hardtop on all year round, just pop the Freedom Panels, or occasionally hoist top off for extended good weather. The side access and ventilation is a "must" for dog people, campers, anyone who wants to access tools, whatever from the sides.
I'll prime the pump, and order 2 , of the 60,000 Forum members, there must be a percentage that will order as well.

 

A few weeks ago I showed this photo of a curved fixture I built to test installing these flat RV windows in the curved JK hardtop. The curve of this fixture matches the curve of the factory hardtop mounting surface. The window in this photo is just setting in place, it hasn't been fastened in yet, but you can see how there's a gap between the corners of the window and the mounting surface. If you fasten the window in place and attempt to bring those corners down to the hardtop, the slider will bind.



To make the test a better simulation of the hardtop, the other day I painted the fixture and added trim around the window mounting surface so it looks a little more like the real hardtop.



In this next photo, the window is secured in place with a prototype of the retrofit kit, which adapts the flat window to the curved mounting surface.



Here's a video of the window in operation, it slides very smoothly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTNJFgjprp0 This is a proof-of-concept test for the retrofit kit concept, and as such, it does prove that the concept is practical. With this kit, pretty much any standard RV-style windows could be installed in the JK factory hardtop. If this kit were to be manufactured, there are a few details to work out, but one of the window companies I've been talking to is interested in working on those details with me.

 

No I'm not interested in becoming the vendor of anything. My interest is designing, and building a first proof-of-concept prototype, usually for use on my own Jeep. Once that's done I want to go on to the next creative idea, I don't have any interest in selling anything. Being in business to do this would take all the fun out of it.

 

I understand perfectly. Maybe a Business Person will pick this up. Wheels are probably turning somewhere, all these items are far too good to languish.

 

Maybe I will. I'm close enough

 

What are the odds the JK Safari hard top goes into production? This is one of the best potential Mods I have seen. Nice work!!

 

Thank you.

So far two companies have contacted me expressing interest in the JK Safari Cab. I haven't really pursued the discussion with either of them yet because I'd like to finish the mold work and get a first prototype Safari Cab built before I decide what I want to do with it. As you've seen in this thread, I've got the side panel molds, end panel and barn door molds done, and multiple prototype parts made, but I haven't made the roof mold yet.

Several of my past Jeep fiberglass projects have gone into production, so that could be some indication of the possibilities for the JK Safari Cab. My LJ/TJ Safari Cab has been in production for over a year now, and both my Jeep-tub and military replica trailer tub kits have been in production for a while now (both with different companies), so if I decide I want the JK Safari Cab to become a commercial product there's probably a good chance it could happen.