Bestop Sailcloth Replace-a-top

March 9, 2007
Today I replaced my old worn (and now vandalized) soft top with a heavier-weight "sailcloth" top. The instructions were written clearly, there were not a lot of "if you have this model, do this, but if you have this other model... blah blah blah).

You did have to have a good sense of orientation to install it. Attaching the new top required you to flip it in a weird sort-of inside out manner. You then screwed it in, and wrapped it back over itself to cover up the screws. The new top seems a little looser above the doors, where it tucks into the plastic door-surround, but it doesn't seem to flap.

I am very happy with it. It seems much quieter than the old top. When it rained, you could hearthe road noise through the old top like the top wasn't even on. The new top really quiets the sound of the tires, and doesn't flap at all. The tint is also very nice and dark.It is so dark, that I don't have to use the "night" switch on my rear view mirror. The wrinkles in the picture worked themselves out over time. The back is wrinkled because the tailgate bar has a little bend in it, so there isn't as much tension as there should be. I would highly recommend it.

Break In!

March 2, 2007
This morning, my neighbor rang my doorbell to tell me that my Jeep had been broke into. Someone sut the passenger side quarter panel and then was able to open the doors. It is strange because they didn't take anything. They opened the glove box, but took nothing, just made a mess; and my Christian CDs were of no interest, either. Fortunately, everything valuable was locked up in my Tuffy console.

Doors Off!!

Well, I have finally taken the doors off my Jeep. I have been pretty much riding it like this all the time for two weeks now. I didn't get a picture taken until this past weekend.
I am a big mirror user while driving, so I didn't take the doors off until I received a set of "Mirror Movers" from 4wd.com. I had a hard time installing them, because one bolt on each side wouldn't come out. I successfully drilled out one on the passenger side, then broke two bits trying to do the driver's side.
So, after a trip to Sears for some screw remover bits, I was able to finish the install. The one thing I've noticed, is they seem to work themselves loose and start to turn. The factory mirrors have "teeth" that lock into the factory bracket and keep them from turning, but the brackets are smooth. I have re-tightened them a couple times, each time a little tighter than before.
The other reason I know they get moved, is when I do put the doors on, I have been leaving the mirrors in their new positions. However, the doors swing out and since there are no straps to hold them, they bump into the mirros and move them. Also, the passenger side mirror is almost impossible to see with the doors on. I had a feeling this would be the case, since another set of mirror movers featured a bracket that "lets you see the mirror through the windshield."
I also installed a pair of grab handles for passengers to have an extra sense of safety when riding with the doors off.

TUGGER the Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly

This movie looks cute:

"TUGGER is the inspiring tale of a Jeep® 4x4, who, after being injured while serving his country during World War II, has his engine fan replaced by a real airplane propeller. From that day on, TUGGER is convinced that his destiny is to one day fly like a real airplane.
Features the voices of Jim Belushi (Tugger) and Carrot Top (Shorty)."

TUGGER the Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly DVD Movie

Gaff Tape Soft Top Repair

I've started to learn that there is a knack to folding back the Wrangler's soft top. If you don't fold it right, there are plastic pieces that pull on the top, or you have straps hanging out and flapping around. The first of those issues caused me a problem this past week, and I have come up with a very "Stuart" repair.
I was leaving work and had left the top down parked under a covered driveway. As I walked around the back of the Jeep, I noticed a tear. The two plastic pieces that tuck in above the passenger door must have pulled the wrong way, because I now had a 4 inch tear just above them. I meant to fix it right away, but it has been rainy this week. Fortunately it appears that any water that leaked through this hole must have dripped down onto the plastic door surround, and not into the Jeep and on the seat.
Today, I finally fixed it. I used gaffer's tape on the outside and inside of the tear. It is black and cloth, so it sort of blends with the top. I applied the outside tape while the top was up and stretched out, then loosened the top to be able to apply tape to the inside. It isn't completely flat where the tear is, but all the edges are flat and seemed to stick well. In fact, I have since washed the Jeep, and the tape is still on!

Cover King Seat Cover Problems

I ordered some Cover King custom seat covers for the front and back from 4WD.com within the first week of getting the Jeep. However, I did not receive the covers until last week. On Tuesday, I put them on to find a small problem. The driver's side seat did not have a hole for the pull strap. The pull strap is what makes the seat flip and fold forward.

I called Cover king and they didn't seem to understand. My friend Michael at work used his digital camera to take pictures of the seat without the cover, and I photoshopped the pictures together. (I'd post them, but they're on my work computer). I e-mailed the pictures to them on Tuesday, and I still haven't heard back from them. But here is what the rest of the seats look like.

Wrangler Truck Bed Lining

I have finished the "truck bed lining" of the Wrangler cargo area and back seat. My wife teased me that I should have taken more "process" pictures because I looked like a smurf after sanding out all the paint. I used a paint remover that goes on the end of a drill to strip the paint. I tried to remove all the paint from the edges, but got off at least the shine from everywhere. Per the instructions, I used 80-grit sandpaper everywhere the drill couldn't get (corners, etc.).
I used Duplicolor Truck Bed Coating from a gallon can and used their roller kit to apply it. I also found a handy tutorial video on Duplicolor's website. I was going to borrow a friends compressor to apply it, but decided to buy a few cans of aerosol spray to get the hard to reach areas. It ended up costing under $100 after I returned the extra aerosol and roller. The biggest downsides I found were: 1) You can't turn an aerosol can upside down to get underneath very well; 2) The aerosol only areas have a different shine (less shiny) than the rolled areas.
I still have some left in the gallon can for touch up, or another coat if need be.

Interior Work Continues

Yesterday I remove the passenger door to fix the outside door handle, since I removed the mirror to allow the door to lay flat, I took the opportunity to spray paint the metal parts of the mirrors. Most of the paint had chipped off, I used a brush to remove the rest of the loose paint, and to scuff the surface. I used two or three coats, from a you don't really notice anything other than normal black mirrors. Much better than the rough silver metal.
Today I removed the carpet and Katie steam cleaned it after it was removed. I worked on some rust spots on the inside, mostly on the front passenger floor. I used a rust converter. It was weird because it sprays clear/white, but turns color after it contacts bare metal or rust. It takes 24 hours before you an top coat over the rust converter. I plan on using some aerosol spray truck bed liner on the floor. I am debating a few issues: 1. Do I put the back seat back in?; 2. Do I "bed liner" the entire cargo area?; 3. Do I "bed liner" the entire inside?
Wal-mart has a gallon size roll on/brush on liner for less than $50. I think I might do the cargo area, and then put the carpet back in the passenger areas.