Anyone interested in a bikini top?

[Yukon Jack]

I drove my K5 today so get some measurements and I can run out and compare. At the windshield area these bikini tops measure about 60" wide

I'm gonna pm you some pictures with measurements.

[RckyMntnKng]

Are these Bikini tops going to come with a set of snaps or rail, for those of us who only have a hard top at this point, and no existing pre installed soft-top ?

[Burt4x4]

The only advantage of having a pre-existing softtop is that the holes are already drilled. For someone like you getting a snap only version is the way to go. The top will have no snaps installed so you will need to install snaps on both your truck and on the top.
Hope this helps
Burt

[RckyMntnKng]

Great thanks.

So I can just find a set of snaps and install them as I see fit for the top....and remove them for the hard top to be re-installed.

It would be nice to have a template from a Bestop..so that I could have the snaps in the same place, for when I eventually get one of those full soft tops.

[Burt4x4]

Yup, places like OSH or ACE harware store sells a snap kit.

[Yukon Jack]

Originally Posted by RckyMntnKng

Great thanks.

So I can just find a set of snaps and install them as I see fit for the top....and remove them for the hard top to be re-installed.

It would be nice to have a template from a Bestop..so that I could have the snaps in the same place, for when I eventually get one of those full soft tops.

Now that I have my K5 running, but no soft top yet, I've got to decide if I go ahead and drill holes or wait until somone hopefully starts selling the STC Fastrack top again. I bought a rail from them before they went over but sure would prefer to have their top so I knew I was putting the snaps in the correct location. I don't know if Bestop has a pattern, seems like I recall their website has installation manuals online.

Burt4x4 is correct, the bikini tops do not have any snaps installed so you get them placed where you need them. Probably gonna have people source their snap kits locally too. The upholstery guy mentioned some of the kits don't install the snaps very securely - if it were me, I'd probably see about having a local upholstery shop install the snaps with their snap press.

[Yukon Jack]

Here's a link to a snap kit available at Ace Hardware stores.

[RckyMntnKng]

Great Thanks for the snap info!

Here is a link to the Bestop Installation Manual:

http://www.bestop.com/index.php?s=6

On page 5 it shows a template to use for the Windshield screw.

I bet they will send a spare template if asked...to copy for the bikini's

[Zoomad75]

Well since bestop is the only one still making full tops for either 1st or 2nd gens it woudn't hurt to line up the snaps for the bikini with the bestop template. I just went back to the STC site I had bookmarked and see that it's no longer active. Who knows if the actual fastrack top would ever come back.

<rant on>
I'm kind of peeved that they ran that article in 4wheel and off road last month with the STC top on the 74 K5 project truck they have. By the time the article went to print STC was already sold and closed up shop.

<rant off>

[Yukon Jack]

Here is a link to the post in the classified ad section!

[Yukon Jack]

I think the rail STC was selling with their Fasttrac soft top was probably something they bought rather than made.

A ck5.com member posted a link to parts available from McMaster-Carr and this diagram shows the shape of the rail



The rail has the following dimensions:

Length = 46 15/16"

and comparing to the McMaster-Carr diagram # 2 the diminsions are:

A Side = 3/16"
B Width = 1 1/16"
C = 9/16"

Here is a pic of the rail that I bought from STC before they went out of business with the dimensions placed on the picture



The screw holes are 3/16" wide and just 1/16" from the edge of the rail. At least from looking at the McMaster-Carr diagram, it looks like their holes are about in the middle of the rail - I don't know if that would cause a problem with attaching the rail to the windshield frame.

The next pic shows how the edge of the bikini top is bent into a u shape and slipped into the rail. Then the tension of the rear straps and a couple snaps on each front edge secure the bikini top to the vehicle.



I believe the most critical dimension is "A" as the 3/16" is the right dimension to allow the bikini top edge to slip into the rail.


If someone finds this rail from a parts house or store, please let us know.

[BAD4X4]

Yukon I would love to get a top too...

[Yukon Jack]

Sounds like a couple bikini tops have been ordered and shipped out earlier this week! If it was anyone here who ordered one of these, I look forward to seeing pics and your opinion of the tops.

[Thealien]

I had talked to him about the bikini tops. He said he was not making any untill he had more orders. I asked him to contact me when he was going to make them and I would order if I hadn't found anything. He never contacted me?

[Yukon Jack]

Sorry about that. I think he has at least one extra on hand so I would say give him a call and see if it is what you need.

Plus, since he screwed up and didn't call you, surely he can make up another now if your still interested but need something other than what he has already made.

[jaros44sr]

YJ, could you post up a pic. of the end of the channel please. We have all kinds of extrusions at work and maybe find something to match. Thx J.

[Yukon Jack]

Here's the rail



What you see on the bottom side is a piece of double sided tape.

[cstanley]

yes, i think i would be interested in a bikini top, but i do not have a roll bar. i wonder if a support could be fabbed similar to a roll bar, except it just mounts to a plate that mounts on the bed rail, just aft of the seats... think it could work? I'd really like to see one installed...

bonus points to anyone who figures out how to mount one without drilling snap holes. like maybe an aluminum angle that is pie-cut to curve with the windshield and uses the original top mounting brackets, etc. then snaps could be installed in the aluminum instead of the windshield frame...

[Yukon Jack]

cstanley - here is an old post when that past member tonyp and I got these available. The ones I am making available are just like the ones shown in that old post.

As long as your support you made was fairly strong I'm sure it could work to support the bikini top but it would probably need to be triangulated for strength.

[Thealien]

how does the fast trac channel attach to the windshield frame?

Yukon, I'll call him monday I am in Carlisle for the truck show.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

Here's the rail



What you see on the bottom side is a piece of double sided tape.

So am I to understand that tension is the only thing to hold the top in the channel??? I'll start to look at the shop. Thx J.

[CJ5 Convert]

I'm interested in a bikini top. who do we need to talk to, to get this done. Could someone let me know. Thanks

[Yukon Jack]

Originally Posted by CJ5 Convert

I'm interested in a bikini top. who do we need to talk to, to get this done. Could someone let me know. Thanks

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

Here is a link to the post in the classified ad section!

Thealien and jaros44sr, the fasttrack rail is screwed to the windshield frame and then there are a couple snaps on each end of the leading edge of the bikini top that snap to the windshield frame. The snaps and tension hold the top in the channel.

[Yukon Jack]

A couple bikini tops have been ordered and shipped at this point and I picked up one for myself and another boardmember who gave me his snap version for a template.

The webbing this upholstry man is using is a good heavy piece and the reinforcement plastic strip for the fastrack style rail is is also great.

I'm very pleased with the quality. Here is an album with pictures of the bikini top designed for the rail system. Again, we are not able to produce the rail so you are on your own if you don't already have one.

The snap style will look identical to these, without the plastic reinforcement sewn into the leading edge.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

Thealien and jaros44sr, the fasttrack rail is screwed to the windshield frame and then there are a couple snaps on each end of the leading edge of the bikini top that snap to the windshield frame. The snaps and tension hold the top in the channel.

Found some canidates, don't know if you can weld the alum. extrusions. Would like to wrap it all the way around to the vent window. Weld tabs to pick up hardtop studs and viser mounting bolts..... J