When I got home from my Colorado trip yesterday, a pre-production retrofit kit was waiting for me. I did a quick test in with the prototype window frame in a test panel, and everything fits as designed. The first production run of the retrofit kit and the slider window can now happen.

 

Installed the tinted/tempered window glass today.

Barn door and rear panel. Wiper and washer is also installed.



Side panels. One of the vent windows is clear glass; the glass place broke the tinted one they cut during the tempering process so while I wait for the replacement I've installed a clear original from an FJ40. They hope to have the replacement for me later this week.



The vent window open...



And I've posted these photos before, but for reference, the tinted Alpine windows are a pretty good match for the new glass.





There's really nothing left to do except install the finished hardtop on the Jeep (and replace the clear vent window when the tinted one arrives).

 

Haven't been able to get my hands on Heather's JKU long enough to do the Safari Cab install yet, about all I've been able to do so far is swap the factory spare carrier for one that I've cut the "brake on a stake" off of. Since the Safari Cab has a third brake light on the roof panel, we don't need factory third brake light in the way of the view out back anymore.

While waiting for access to the JKU, I've been working on a few other ideas - this morning I finished up a proof-of-concept of a removable hardtop window idea (please make believe the black panel in these photos is clear or tinted polycarbonate, I made this prototype from an opaque panel I had on hand). The panel gets secured into the window opening with 6 latches, and can be removed/installed in under a minute. No changes to the hardtop are required, other than removing the factory window.









Since no modifications are required to the factory hardtop for this, the factory window can be replaced at a later date by bonding it back in with adhesive just as it was from the factory.

I made this as a proof-of-concept of the removability concept, and it seems to work well, so the next step is to make one with an actual window instead of an opaque panel.

Other possibilities for the concept are possible - for example a cargo compartment with a gull-wing door that could be swapped in place of a removable window. Or a screen. Could be a whole series of removable options - clear or tinted window, solid panel (either for a panel van look or maybe for mounting things on?), a storage compartment with a gull wing door, a screen panel, removable frame with roll-up soft window, ????

The hardtop in these pictures is the one I did the modular conversion on, adding this removable window concept could be a whole new chapter in Jeep hardtop configurability...

 

You should apply to go on Shark Tank.

 

No thanks. That would assume a) I want to be in business selling products that I design (I don't), b) if I did want to be in business, I'd need outside funding to launch the business (I wouldn't) and c) that I'd want outside investors setting my priorities for me (no way!).

I'll just stick to designing things as a hobby, that's fun for me .

 

I would LOVE this. I'm very seriously considering doing the modular conversion you outlined. Between that and removable windows, I couldn't ask for more out of a top. A question: with the top broken down into pieces and bolted together, do you think there is any loss in rigidity? Any problems with additional roof loads? I have tracks bolted through my hard top for a roof rack and I do carry stuff up there..

 

I saw a JK with that exact top as the first pic driving through Revere earlier this week on my way to Logan Airport in Boston. Looked awesome. It had all AEV parts.

 

I answered your questions here: http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...27#post2141427

The reason I answered there instead of here is I'm trying to keep all Q&A on the modular conversion in one place so anyone who's thinking of doing the project can see all of the info in one place.

 

Following up on the removable window idea I posted the other day, here's a removable storage compartment concept with a gullwing door. It would latch in place just like the window does.

Compartment assembly:



In place:



Maybe a Molle grid for the back panel?



Or a grid for gear storage?



Or a retaining net?



The compartment would be a simple molded fiberglass box, with any necessary clearance for the roll bar inside and a locking gullwing door. Or it could have a swing-down door that serves as a table:

 

Perfect, thank you! Also, The modular window/storage idea above is brilliant. It wouldn't take much depth to be useful, and there are so many applications. You could do a mesh cover for bringing wet, sandy swim trunk and towels home from the beach, have interior access for storage or a removable garbage receptacle, insulate it and have a cold beverage storage area.. Heck, you could put a monitor, dvd, game console etc for a rear passenger. Extra hard top mounted speakers. Exterior folding jump seats. Side mounted turret with ammo storage. The hot-swappable possibilities are endless!