Since Heather has ruled out the use of white and the most popular options according to all the people who have given input are cherry sides and a different color roof, I've worked up a few showing what the soft sides and soft barn door would look like. The canvas parts would probably be black to match the factory soft top canvas. In these images I've done all cherry and black roof over cherry with soft sides and soft sides + soft barn door.

 

This is a fantastic thread and your work the same. Shame that your wife ruled out a white top, always had a soft spot for the solid painted sides and white roof so with that out I would have to stick with all red. May be a bit of an issue wih the canvas side version but just think that black patchy look takes away from the rest of the design. Bang up job though
2 door version would be right down my alley.

 

I like the all black.

 

Something I'm thinking about is finishing off the barn door first and running that a while with the factory hardtop while I work on finishing off the other parts of the Safari Cab. Depending on the final color scheme for the hardtop, the barn door could end up being hardtop color, or it could end up being body color, or maybe some other color. Shown below - a factory hardtop with a hardtop color barn door, a body color barn door, and a canvas soft barn door.



The soft barn door would work with the factory hardtop, and be removable just like the one I made for the LJ Safari Cab.

 

Been following this thread for almost a year, made an account to say I'm very impressed with what you're doing... I like the all-black look.

This is the overland-style path to that Defender/Safari look I think so many of us yearn for. I hope you can find a way to sell this design. Cheers brother.

 

Thank you very much. I'm sorry it's been a year, with everything else that's been going on this has been a background project for me, many other things have had to take priority over this project this year.

 

Definitely prefer the barn door to match the hard top. The exception would be the soft barn door. But a black top with a body color door just looks a bit odd to me. Pretty much, I like it to match what the factory hard top does.

 

The other day I picked up a complete JKU soft top for $75, including frame (the frame isn't shown in this photo).



I bought it for several reasons:

- I'll sew the Safari Cab soft sides using the fabric from the roof panel.

- I can turn the back window into the Safari Cab soft barn door.

- I'll use the header for my Safari Cab soft roof concept (there's no header in the photo below).



I don't have a use for the side windows with the Safari Cab, but maybe I'll come up with something creative to make from them. A couple of ideas...

- I could use the extra fabric from the roof panel and replace the windows (which are scratched anyway) with fabric to make solid side panels with no windows for the factory soft top.

- I could make roll-up sides for the factory soft top using the parts - the factory sides don't roll up because of the plastic edge in the front and on the bottom; I could modify these so they could roll up. That way they could be opened up on the road without worrying about storing them, you'd just roll them up and leave them attached.

- I could try installing one of the half door slider windows in them, I think the rear door sliders would probably fit.

Any other ideas?

 

What a great deal! I need to find a deal like that.

 

Clear pieces to make a "sunroof" like the failed Jeetops? But with your soft roof option.