Goose - Our Poptop FZJ80

SOAZ

Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Hey I found your thread. Everyone is getting on those RA flaps... I have to get myself some, but I prefer the floppies which are much more $. Snorkel looks mint, now you're as cool as that Scion.

The RA flaps are just cheap plastic, but for $15 I couldn't muster the disdain to make my own. If they were $75 I would start yelling about someone being on my damn lawn and in my day.... :sombrero:

I just want to point out. Goose's snorkel is bigger than the scion's. It is. So there.
 

Stancaban

New member
Thanks Dennis!

Will do, should be driving it on the highway and offroad by this weekend if all goes to plan.



I can fully admit that this is the cleanest this truck will be for the next 20 years. :victory:


So, we decided that the light grey on the tailgate is a bit too bright so we're going to tone it down a bit. Otherwise, we got 1 side sanded/stained/sealed and we just need to bolt it in.

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Question about the cabinets (they look super clean btw). For the two filler lids not on hinges, how do are they resting on top like they are if there is no hinge on them? And for the hinged lids, what does the latching edge of the lids rest on when closed? Did you put some type of channel insert for them to sit on when they are in place/closed?
 

SOAZ

Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Question about the cabinets (they look super clean btw). For the two filler lids not on hinges, how do are they resting on top like they are if there is no hinge on them? And for the hinged lids, what does the latching edge of the lids rest on when closed? Did you put some type of channel insert for them to sit on when they are in place/closed?
Thanks, we're building off of what the previous owner had. See the track in the photo that is in the 80/20 creating an edge or metal? There is another one on the other side of the bench. So, the door is supported on the front and back. Same with the back 2 non-hinge ones. They sit on a similar channel on 3 sides in that case that bolts into the 80/20. Then there is some velcro just to keep it in place.

Looks great guys! Did you sell the roof rack already?
Thanks Mike! Yep, roof rack/awning/drawers are all sold.
 

SOAZ

Tim and Kelsey get lost..
I realized I neglected to mention what part number precleaner I'm using now. I used the original TopSpin on my 4runner since it seemed to have the best testing on removing particulates from the air. This time I went with the TopSpin HD since it's entirely metal. (The original was plastic)

Best price I was able to find at the time was:
https://www.dieselequipmentinc.com/

Part #: [FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]H002852 × 1
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[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]

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Rallyroo

Expedition Leader
I just finished reading your story on the "dumbest" thing we've done. What a crazy hectic adventure. Great story. Love the pop-top. Wish there were more availability in the US.
 

SOAZ

Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Awesome!!
on my list.
Thanks!

I just finished reading your story on the "dumbest" thing we've done. What a crazy hectic adventure. Great story. Love the pop-top. Wish there were more availability in the US.
Thanks, I wish there were more too! We got lucky, but it would be great if we could all order one up like the Alucab 70 series tops.

One of the best threads on here! Super cool!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks Ryan!


Update: Tough weekend. The original piano hinge ripped apart on the previous owner in Baja so he replaced it with some external Stainless Steel hinges. We were debating keeping or changing the hinges based on 1 of the center pins of the hinges being broken. So, we decided to go with the type of rubber hinge that Maltec uses. It's a German made hinge where the moving part is a steel belted rubber piece. Interesting and it sounds sketchy, but they've been using this style of weather seal/hinge on commercial trucks for a long time.

1. The new hinge is often riveted on, but in an offroad application I hate rivets (It might be unfounded, but I've had a few crack or shake loose). It took us hours to contort our hands to get the nuts onto the hinge bolts, but by sundown we had the 24 bolts done. The new hinge sets the top up another inch... That means to get it to sit flush all the way around we have to add a 3/4" square tube and a new seal. The rubber hinge seems to have some of the rubber deforming already. I've already decided that I'm not okay with this so we're going to stick with the traditional, but ugly, external hinges. I don't want this thing breaking apart mid trip anywhere. So, a solid day of work needs to be undone, but first we need to decide what hinges we'll use. :coffee:

2. I enlisted my buddy to tig weld (I've never learned to Tig) to weld up the old hinge holes. I was there with a bucket of water and a rag to quench the hot metal each time he'd stop to keep it from perpetually heating up. (The rubber hinge could be damaged by that level of heat). Brent's kid took over quenching and I went outside to paint a couple pieces of the awning mount. I heard them yell "fire"... I ran inside to see flames inside the truck. I jumped in and yelled for the bucket. It seemed like a minute passed, but I'm sure it was just 5 or 10 seconds. As soon as I had the bucket in my hand I was quenching the fire by splashing the headliner/insulation that was burning as liquid plastic hit my arms. We got it out, but the front driver seat was covered in liquid plastic burns. Got some nice burns on my arms, but Goose was safe.
If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta.... you know the saying.

In Summary, we're a bit gutted, but thankful we had water and the fire extinguisher there, but also that we didn't need to use the extinguisher since it's a mess. We're going to pull the rubber hinge and go another direction. My buddy Mario uses some stout hinges on his trailers and pop tops so we may try those. Time to redo the headliner and insulation. **** happens.
Kelsey was able to mostly save the front seat. I think continually oiling the leather seats recently kept the plastic on the exterior of the leather, mostly.
I'll upload some pics of the fire damage later. Right now we are concentrating on buying everything we need to fix it.
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Rallyroo

Expedition Leader
Whoa! Scary! Glad you had the bucket of water in hand. Putting out the fire with minimal delay made a big difference.
 

thecriscokid

Explorer
Nice to see one of the earliest tops being repurposed. Already proving these tops are near indestructible. I would suggest a piano hinge upgrade. I read your trip report and it reminded all too well of my own.
 

SOAZ

Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Whoa! Scary! Glad you had the bucket of water in hand. Putting out the fire with minimal delay made a big difference.
Yah, sorta crushing. We'll rebuild. Kelsey is going to pull the tent to see how much we need to re-sew etc. We got the headliner and insulation material already. My wallet that is now a mix of black plastic and leather sitting in front of me at work is a good reminder that I have a lot to fix.

Nice to see one of the earliest tops being repurposed. Already proving these tops are near indestructible. I would suggest a piano hinge upgrade. I read your trip report and it reminded all too well of my own.
Thanks Eric. I was trying to decide what type of hinge to use. If you have any suggestions I'm all ears. A traditional piano would look best and help it seal properly, but I wasn't sure whether to try and weld on an aluminum piano hinge or rivet, bolt a steal hinge. It's interesting (frustrating as hell) trying to research what hinges and attachment method lasts the longest.
 

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