New to Jeeps: Hardtop vs Soft top question

[shefdude]

1040556

I'm in the process of shopping for my first Jeep. Looking for an 88-93 wrangler, and a bit torn about a hard-top vs a soft-top.



I definitely want the ability to go 'topless', but for a good few rainy months here in SF (and skiing in Tahoe), a hard-top is definitely preferred.



It seems that it's a bit of a pain to get the hard top on and off...not something you want to be doing on a regular basis, but more of a seasonal basis.



Do any of you have suggestions for soft-top kits that I can put on a Jeep with full doors?? I'm thinking of doing that for the summer and have the hard top for the winter. Which brands/styles are best and most versatile?



Any other suggestions?



Thanks![addsig]

 

[TerryMason]

1040557

Bestop makes the best soft tops hands down. Go to Quadratec and poke around. I have a hard top and a factory soft top on my Jeep, and am about to put a new Bestop on it (get rid of the factory stuff).



I'm not as big a fan of the hard top for a couple of reasons (although I have one myself). I live in a townhouse, and there isn't much space to store the hard top when not in use (it's pretty darn big). If you want to put it on or take it off, you have to at least get one other guy to help you (it's alittle heavy, but also feels like it's going to "flex" and break). I think that the new soft tops do a pretty good job of insulating and keeping out noise, so the only real reason I can see in having a hard top is for security. It sucks to have a beautiful day, and come out of work and not be able to take the top off until you get home and round up a friend.



I also have full hard doors, and am getting rid of them in favor of half doors for some of the same reasons. You can't take them off and put them in the back because they are simply too big and heavy, you have to be at home, and store them someplace.



Hope this helps,

Terry[addsig]

 

[jsharifi]

1040558

I've got a hard top, hard doors and a soft top and soft doors and I can tell you that although the hard top does take up some space in my back yard most of the time, I'm definately glad I have it for the colder months (I generally put the hard top on in November and take it off some time in March).



You mentioned that you want a hard top for the rainy months... but I really wouldn't be too concerned about only having a soft top during that time. My bestop seems to keep rain out pretty well.



Good Luck,

Jim

85 CJ[addsig]

 

[indianajeep]

1040564

When I bought my 85 CJ7 it came with the factory hard top and hard doors. Living in NW Indiana, the winters here can be brutal, so a hard top is needed. But I recently bought a new Bestop supertop for my cj7 (came with soft doors). This was purchased from Quadratec (essentials). I received an excellent price and I received it in four days.

The soft top will enable me to go topless in the summer and early fall. If you can get both. The soft top is cheaper to buy so I would get a jeep with a hard top and then order the soft top you want. Plus by getting a new one, you won't have to deal with missing hardware, old and faded top and scratched windows.



Good luck

Steve[addsig]

 

[nanaeight]

1040565

I live in Texas where the temp is usually about 40 to 50 degrees in the winter and over 100 in the summer. So naturally, I went with a soft-top. The only thing that bothers me is the noise factor, but it's tolerable. The nice thing about a soft-top is you can throw it up in about 5 minutes if it rains on you. I keep mine attached to my Jeep and store it in a boot to keep it from flapping and getting dirty. I don't imagine it gets much cooler than that in San Fran. If you do get a hard-top, you can always get a bikini top or island topper to stow abord in case you get a quick rainstorm or something. But, if you got the bucks, get both.[addsig]