Soft tops

[joec]

Hi guys just kicking around. A friend of mine has a reputable Auto upholstery shop here in NJ. He has access to all kinds of camo patterns and original od/ 3camo .


Only thing we are looking for is what material is in the winter ones. I will have a couple up in a week or 2 for all to look at.

I KNOW THAT THE TOPS ARE GETTING SCARCE. WE ARE TAKING THE ONE OF MY M35A2. AND MAKING A DESIGN FROM THAT.

COMMENTS SUGGESTIONS WELCOME




Thanks
Joe C

 

[rattlecan6104]

depending on price, I would love to get one in od green, no camo, that is if he decides to make a few.

 

[joec]

We are going to be making OD Green and other pattern's as well . These will be built better then the original's. The piece that slides in the grove over the windshield will be heavier duty. and double stitched.

 

[tsstout]

I would like an insulated OD one please... before I have to figure out how to patch mine back together....

Even better, do you have the heavy duty front rail available right now??... Mine is off and missing a 6" section... With it, I could try to fix the old one too...

Thanks... Terry

 

[stampy]

Sportsmans guide has them for sale in the Hq catalog 79$ but they are desert color

 

[joec]

Yes they are out of I believe.

 

[joec]

I would like an insulated OD one please... before I have to figure out how to patch mine back together....

Even better, do you have the heavy duty front rail available right now??... Mine is off and missing a 6" section... With it, I could try to fix the old one too...

Thanks... Terry

I will get back to you as soon as we find a suitable insulation.

 

[Floridianson]

Just got the new one from GMA and would not accecpt any thing else after seeing this top. You get what you pay for for shure. $ 79.00 rubber I don't think so.

 

[stampy]

Hey! I would rather have a better quality top too but if it is government surplus I figure it must be OK. They sold out pretty quick so apparently I am not the only one to think so. I also have access to some foam rubber type insulation(mostly used for sound deadening R value of 10-20 I believe). Some of it is 1" and some 2". If you are interested Joec send me a email and I can mail you a sample as well as quantity and pricing, its real nice almost like the stuff they use in gym mats.

 

[joec]

Just got the new one from GMA and would not accecpt any thing else after seeing this top. You get what you pay for for shure. $ 79.00 rubber I don't think so.

True GMA makes a nice top shelf stuff. We are going to make them different. Plus offer custom patterns. When they are out. A few on here will get to to see and try them out. And let them offer their opinion.

Thanks
Joe C

 

[joec]

Hey! I would rather have a better quality top too but if it is government surplus I figure it must be OK. They sold out pretty quick so apparently I am not the only one to think so. I also have access to some foam rubber type insulation(mostly used for sound deadening R value of 10-20 I believe). Some of it is 1" and some 2". If you are interested Joec send me a email and I can mail you a sample as well as quantity and pricing, its real nice almost like the stuff they use in gym mats.

Thanks Stampy



Joe C

 

[rattlecan6104]

along with insulation, is there anything being discussed for sound deadening material to be used as well, something like maby a separate version with extra sound deadening stuff like dynomat?

 

[joec]

along with insulation, is there anything being discussed for sound deadening material to be used as well, something like maby a separate version with extra sound deadening stuff like dynomat?

We are looking a t a neoprene material which is weather insulated and sound deadening. But you still have the firewall, floors and all the other stuff to.



Joe C

 

[stampy]

This rubber stuff is origionally for sound deadening

 

[Jake0147]

You've got my attention. Without making commitments at this obviously early stage of the game, if it's priced right, works better, and looks "right" from a few feet away then I'm interrested. Mine has no current failures, but it does show some signs that it won't last forever.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

November 29th, 2008.

If you guys are really looking for business, there are a lot of Swiss Army Unimogs S404.114's around needing new cab roofs and bed covers. They used 18OZ or equivalent military OD Green CAnvas, the same as the Vietnam War era M35's, and no one makes one yet in the US. With the buck being what it is, they are virtually unobtainable new from Europe. BUT, BUT, they are more complex in some ways then the standard US tops, particularly as regards the button in rear cab windows.
Give it some thought, then hunt up a Swiss S404.114 for measurements sake.

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare' Desert Shield/Desert Storm & Vietnam War veteran truck.
1963 Swiss Army Cargo Unimog, S.404.114 MB
1968 Johnson Corp M105A2 Cargo Trailer
1967 Hercules MEP023A gas Gen Set APU

 

[joec]

You've got my attention. Without making commitments at this obviously early stage of the game, if it's priced right, works better, and looks "right" from a few feet away then I'm interrested. Mine has no current failures, but it does show some signs that it won't last forever.

November 29th, 2008.

If you guys are really looking for business, there are a lot of Swiss Army Unimogs S404.114's around needing new cab roofs and bed covers. They used 18OZ or equivalent military OD Green CAnvas, the same as the Vietnam War era M35's, and no one makes one yet in the US. With the buck being what it is, they are virtually unobtainable new from Europe. BUT, BUT, they are more complex in some ways then the standard US tops, particularly as regards the button in rear cab windows.
Give it some thought, then hunt up a Swiss S404.114 for measurements sake.

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare' Desert Shield/Desert Storm & Vietnam War veteran truck.
1963 Swiss Army Cargo Unimog, S.404.114 MB
1968 Johnson Corp M105A2 Cargo Trailer
1967 Hercules MEP023A gas Gen Set APU

Ok Kyle where do we go about getting either of?


I will do a search to see what we can find!


Joe C

 

[saddamsnightmare]

July 9th, 2009.

Dear Joe C.:

I have got a local top guy working on reproducing the Swiss top using Korean War/Early Vietnam War 18OZ OD Canvas obtained from Beachwood Canvas Works. So far we have gotten the rear wall pretty much done, including the original type of snap in window and reproducing the leather reeinforcements at the corners of the window and around the cab fasteners. What I have not found yet in local supply chains is the material for the two OD rubberized canvas (like od GI raincoat material) that goes across the rear window vertically at two places to support the button in window and keep the opening square- I am looking for 1-1/4" OD nylon webbing straps. The other problem I am having is that the Swiss used rivets and washers to rivet all the twist locks in place, and there seems to be no source in the US for these types of rivets (The top is 1963 made), so I may have to use pop rivets for now.
I am making one other small change to the side curtains, and that is to modify the design for the two side curtains in the cab to be a zippered side window (like the 1990's Jeep Wranglers used in their half doors) as the present design half doors either are in with closed windows or removed with no windows- nothing in between. In Texas, there are times when more or less ventilation or weather protection is needed.
Once the cab top is finished, probably in the next week, I will then consider what can be done to reproduce the rear cargo bed tarpaulin, but with a back flap ala M35A2, as the Swiss tops had no backflaps, and this lead to rotting out of the floorboards in a triangular form in front of the tailgate (must never rain or snow in Switzerland). I suspect that the strange Swiss penchant for using shock cord and hooks to hold sown the side flaps and attach the tops to the bows are going to be an equally hairy thing to come up with a solution for. I cannot image that of the few hundred of these trucks that have made it to the US, that most of them will have tops in about the same condition as mine now or shortly. The Swiss Army Archives says that they have neither the pattern drawings or the suppliers for the hardware as these trucks went out of service between 2004-2008, so the Army discarded the materials as unimportant when the last trucks went. And as the Swiss built the cab roofs, side curtains, beds and bed covers in their own shops, Mercedes has no clue as to what the tops looked like, but they know that they are nothing like the German Army versions, which go currently for $2700.00 the set (cab,Side curtains and bed tarpalins)! Pity I could not get GMA interested, but I hope at least they will keep the M35 tarpaulins and cab covers going a little longer.
I'll keep you posted as to what the cab cover and side curtains end up at, as regards labor and materials, and I will try to figure out how to get a digital camera image downloaded when I am done (old tech-that's me and Fred Flintstone)!
I'm all ears to hear what you think on the matter, but now may be the time to survey the
Steel Soldiers Unimog owners to see what their needs are and will be in this line.

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[ccequipment]

I am about out of new surplus tops, what is GMA getting for one?

 

[emr]

GMA has awesome tops at reasonable prices, but they are newer styles,vinyl..., camo, all green, and tan, are what they are selling, and they are insulated and top notch...and the windshield conection on the newest tops are just awesome too....i got all green for my 925 since i like it all green, but i can't say there is a shortage of tops? in the MV mag there are a few companys making them, and new life and weebee are awesome, i have to say from the post above, the beechwood canvas is the most expensive, and a lighter color then weebee and newlife, they go more for the ww2 crowed, that is where there money is, for the vietnam and korean era the other 2 have a closer to correct color, but there are alot out there...NOS in canvas is a crap shoot, dryrot can be just around the corner. just my opinion....and I have purchased a few things from each of the above mentioned, I would be happy to go into detail about the dealers and what i have learned about there canvas, but not in a public forum, some awesome some not, ...just wondering, at the shop U want to make these, U said there are alot of options in color and camo? I really do not think there are alot of options, that may look silly, just saying......Randy