M939 Hard Top Mold

[simp5782]

Someone mentioned they had saw someone talking about having a fiberglass mold for a 939 series top. Anyone know who it may be?

Well my thought on this is that I had a local fiberglass company that said they would make me a hardtop for around $650 plus tax. Which is fairly reasonable in my book. It had interior braces and even some extra ones I wanted to add wouldn't be an issue. Well the Surplus military truck place we won't name near me got wind of this and so the local guy will not sell me a hard top and I would have to buy it thru the surplus dealer which wants $1500. Yeah. I got caught up in the middle of it cause my understanding from my contact at the surplus that their tops were made by a guy in Oklahoma and that the guy here in town did "SH#$" tops so I just went with it. The old man at the fiberglass place called it an "Exclusive deal" with them. YET he didn't know that he had a mold for my top and was gonna have to make one. Now I can't get one made by them

So here we are. I called another company on making me a mold for the hard tops. They can use a hard top I have as a plug. I would rather just pay the cost for the mold to be done and be able to keep it and have 4 or 5 tops done on one production than pay $1000 to $1500 for a single hard top. If this makes sense to anyone.

I was looking at a price of around $700 per top after being made. I do not have a chopper gun but maybe someone does or has connections for a fiberglass place and I could supply the mold and materials vs the labor of it. I think it is around 45sq ft of material for 1/4" thick.

Any Interest? Or should I just buy a top.

 

[tobyS]

I recently put a set of booths in, in a fiberglass fab shop nearby and might be able to get a few made on the cheap. They have all the capability that you are talking about from molds to multiple lines of chopper guns and cure booths. I've considered it myself but haven't really had much cash to pursue it. I did get a couple bags of the thick cloth bits and pieces from another shop, that could go in the mold. If the mold were taken from an OEM top, it would have to be extremely nice and straight.

I know of a couple things that would be nice, like a bit of an overhang at the front and sides to keep the rain out of running right down the hinge and window. And while I was thinking steel for one shaped like a HEMTT, there could be a couple of different styles in fiberglass. And an electrical panel overhead...and strong enough to walk on without damage. That's my wish list.

 

[simp5782]

I looked at the cross bracing to add to the vertical since some people have the Red Dot AC units or like what I have that hangs there. I also considered just making a ROPS cab style but I don't like the look really.

 

[simp5782]

The mold that they are looking at doing is around 1500 to 2000. give or take. Not sure yet though. They want to look at a top first.

 

[98G]

A passenger side hatch, compatible with the LWS would be nice...

At the point you're under $1k you've underpriced NOS hardtops by a decent margin, even at auction prices.

 

[tobyS]

I bet to do it with some goodies, there could be 4-5 pieces.... fiberglass assembly required, but easier to ship. What to do around the windows? How about a back window or at least a piece of polycarb?

Could get complicated and fiberglass is not my preferred medium but I've collected some glass fiber mat pieces to make a mold for concrete fence poles. If you want to try to make your own mold, we could trade.

I'm more inclined to stay with metal frame and plate that I can fabricate and weld, probably with a bit of ROPS and flat HEMTT style, with front and rear overhangs. I think tops (2 or 3 trucks) is about number 12 down my to do list.

 

[simp5782]

I thought about adding a extra lower lip on the outside edge of the top so that the window would seat up inside of It towards the inside. The rear area is open so you can add a window. since there are several types of civi just bolt in types.

 

[tobyS]

Since the subject is mold, how about one that is a negative...the mold on the inside and the outer layups are the outside. Ribs or a honeycomb could be built into the mold. Steel parts could be incorporated in.

 

[Jericho]

I am interested , especially with a cast in gunners hole, your better off with white spruce, or birch for the reinforcement , flexes, doesnt rust and cheaper. Two piece knock down would ship easy and cheaper.

 

[simp5782]

Well they could prob make an insert for a gunners hole but would prob just say cut and reinforce it afterwards like they do the back windows.

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[Jericho]

easily done, I worked in a fiberglass boat shop when I was In my teens

 

[red]

Not a fiberglass guy but interested to see how this works out for yall. Not a fan of the deals made by companies to jack up the prices.

 

[simp5782]

Welp, took the stock military top to this place today so see about using it as a plug. They would rather have a fiberglass one to use as a plug. But then they want 2k for a mold then 800 each per top, well yeah screw that. I will shop around.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I looked at the cross bracing to add to the vertical since some people have the Red Dot AC units or like what I have that hangs there. I also considered just making a ROPS cab style but I don't like the look really.

You could design your own ROPS, and build a modified Frankencab. I have considered this option. I have even seen extended cabs that went with a Frankencab like top. It looked pretty cool once you hid it with a roof rack and lights.

 

[simp5782]

You could design your own ROPS, and build a modified Frankencab. I have considered this option. I have even seen extended cabs that went with a Frankencab like top. It looked pretty cool once you hid it with a roof rack and lights.

Yes. I have looked at squaring the back off and making my own top. I was just seeking a cost effective way to help others as well

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[Buffalobwana]

Cool. Hope it works out.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Yes. I have looked at squaring the back off and making my own top. I was just seeking a cost effective way to help others as well.

Thank me later Wes. This right here is as cost effective as it gets. All you need is some pieces of tin roof and some screws. With the money you'll have saved, you can splurge on a really nice A/C window unit for the back....maybe even one of them fancy ones with a remote control. Or you could get some of the clear plastic stuff for a skylight to set the mood for the ladies. Or some of the green plastic so you could have a mobile green house with flowers and Bonzai trees. Shazam!

 

[Buffalobwana]

Might as well just ditch the bed, put a 105A2 bed on, make a giant "sleeper-barn" on the back with the metal and be done with it.

Hotel rooms? Not any more! Just need an outlet to plug my mobile barn into.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Might as well just ditch the bed, put a 105A2 bed on, make a giant "sleeper-barn" on the back with the metal and be done with it.

Hotel rooms? Not any more! Just need an outlet to plug my mobile barn into.

"Sleeper-barn", that's great. I like "motor-shed" myself...

 

[Buffalobwana]

What would Wes do without all of our generous ideas and free advice?

What a rich source of info this thread must be for him.