Question on slantbacks

[FearedEffect]

So this may prove to be one of the dumbest threads on here but you don't know till you ask. I recently purchased a M998 which I will receive this Monday. I have very little experience with these so I'm looking for some advice.

My issue is this I have no top and doors for my HMMWV and I'm trying to figure out which way to go. I already have a car cover for an H1. I'm interested in a four man tan top btw if anyone knows someone with a good deal. From what I'm seeing cost is around 1500-2000 For a very good condition four man top soft doors? Also to get X doors would be over 2000 alone so with top probably about 3000?

Now I never considered turning my Humvee into a slant top, but here my point. If I'm already into it for this much why not spend a little more for something permanent? Now I know a complete kit to convert would be rare and probably over 10K. Also some vendors make reproduction kits which I think are under 7K. At this point it seems like one of these aftermarket kits is a really smart way to go.

What I also see is that some of the NOS parts for the slant back are actually available and kinda cheep. So if you followed me this far you probably know what I'm going to ask. Why not just build my own? I mean the aftermarket companies made them for profit. I know it sounds like a highly ambitious process but really its just a box more or less doesn't seem complex. Not to mention I could rivet the whole thing together and it would match the rest of the truck just fine. The sponson sections seemed hardest to make but those seem to be highly available. A bunch are on ebay right now.

So what if I spend say 800-1200 on some random slantback parts and make my own roof and lift gate door(which both seem to be pretty much flat sheets of metal)? The thing that has me most baffled here is that no one seems to have done this? I googled for hours searched many forums and couldn't even find someone suggesting this? So what do you guys think is this a terrible idea? Is there much more involved that I'm not seeing?

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Trying to cost justify something you build in your garage versus something that a machine shop has to fabricate is somewhat a lesson in futility. If all you have is your material costs and you do all the labor, well...it's a no brainer.
but the minute you leave your garage and try and get someone to do what you want at a fab shop, you are no way in he** going to spend $1200, and if you do? Please let me know the shop LOL

 

[FearedEffect]

Trying to cost justify something you build in your garage versus something that a machine shop has to fabricate is somewhat a lesson in futility. If all you have is your material costs and you do all the labor, well...it's a no brainer.
but the minute you leave your garage and try and get someone to do what you want at a fab shop, you are no way in he** going to spend $1200, and if you do? Please let me know the shop LOL

When I was talking of spending $1200 I meant as is buying parts. The sponsons which are on ebay right now from various sellers for under $300 and some of the other cross members and readily available parts. Never was I talking about going to a shop to have a complete top fabricated for $1200 so idk what your talking about LOL. The parts most worth buying would be the ones hardest to make.

Obviously there is material cost plus time involved as this is a project for the parts that need to be fabricated. Also the point of my thread wasn't about comparing cost between what a professional shop can do and what I can do. It was about why for such a high demand high cost item no one ever seems to have made a top themselves. So I'm trying to find some info and learn something.

 

[Action]

i believe only one side of the sponson is cheap. If you want a cheap slantback, you may as well paint the tarp and get some camo bungee cords, and drive with it on.
I don't know what you expect the finished product to look like, but sure, you can get some sheet aluminum and bend some tubing...

 

[FearedEffect]

i believe only one side of the sponson is cheap. If you want a cheap slantback, you may as well paint the tarp and get some camo bungee cords, and drive with it on.
I don't know what you expect the finished product to look like, but sure, you can get some sheet aluminum and bend some tubing...

Yeah one side is more than the other on the sponsons. And yeah basically thats more or less what I'm thinking. As far as looks something along the lines of the original design, but I'm not at all trying to come close enough to fool anyone. That being said I would like to have something that fits and doesn't look like a total abortion. I think the hardest thing would be making it water tight, but from what I have read there is not watertight solution for these with the original slantback being the worst?

As far a material I was thinking aluminum would be ideal as well, although I would probably mock it up out of plywood first. The original design was all steel correct? Does anyone know the reason behind this? Was it just for shrapnel resistance or something?

 

[Valence]

I know Midwest Military Equipment fabricates their own HMMWV hard tops. Though, Hew Hampshire is still quite a distance from Missouri. I have never done business with them but they're on my radar as some of the lowest cost vehicles from a shop and reseller.

http://midwest-military-equipment10.mybigcommerce.com/

 

[603hellmutt]

I have a 4 man tan soft top and can get you a set of x doors for cheap if you don't mind painting them just down the road

 

[FearedEffect]

I have a 4 man tan soft top and can get you a set of x doors for cheap if you don't mind painting them just down the road

PM sent

 

[kfrosty]

Check with Mike Vraden in GA. He's making a fiberglass top and at one time had plans on making a slant back to add on. (Not sure if that's still happening.) I think he's building the tops for some of the M1123's going on GovPlanet.

You're missing a windshield frame with mounts unless you plan on welding something.

Also you're looking at about 2k for both sponsons. The right hand side is $300ish but the left is pricey.

 

[camoyj7]

There is nothing really cheap about building a slant back. By the time I went through the T.M. and ordered all the hardware, misc brackets, seals and bolt's I spent almost $2000.00.

 

[avlon01]

There is nothing really cheap about building a slant back. By the time I went through the T.M. and ordered all the hardware, misc brackets, seals and bolt's I spent almost $2000.00.

If I could find an entire slantback kit for $2,000 I would buy it today. I see just the roof, hatch, and sponsoons for $6.5K and up.

 

[camoyj7]

If I could find an entire slantback kit for $2,000 I would buy it today. I see just the roof, hatch, and sponsoons for $6.5K and up.

That $2000 didn't include any of the roof, sponsons, cargo hatch, turret support, windshield frame, c pillar, turret bearing, k bar, roof hatch ect. The $2000 was all the small parts to assemble it.

 

[BLK HMMWV]

Sell your HMMWV now . Before it's to late.
These are all questions that should have been asked and answered before you purchased your new money pit.
Not trying to be a smart ass but you were bitten by a bug .
Your in the itching stage.
Soon you are going to start scratching it.
That may lead to an infection.
Once this happens your screwed.
Amputation or the slow death of your wallet.
I don't think your ready.
Just drive the thing for awhile like it is .
Either the novelty will wear off and you will sell it or your going to say hey I want to restore it.

When it comes time for you to sell it. A bubba'd up one won't help you get any of your money back.
Resist the urge to Bubba it up. Because believe me some day you will want to sell it. When that will be and how much money your trying to recoup after the amputation is the question.