im thinking of buying a 96 bronco, and later upgrade to a high travel solid axle D60 suspension with about 10" of lift, 39" tires, maybe up to 44, and then probably an ARB winch bumer.. but thats later, im thinking of having the top removed, off the back, and then possibly have the top removed over the seats, and convert it so i can put it back on whatever... then i want to buy some doors from a junkyard to cut into door inserts, like on the old broncos, and put the roll bar underneath the piece of body between the doors and the rear top... im not sure if that would look right, to have the doorless single roll bar topless look on a new bronco? i think it would look pretty nice.. maybe not... or should i remove the body piece between the door and the rear top? its possible i could cut off the body piece, and the roof together, connect it with the rear top, paint it all to match the body, and make a single solid full convertible top... is the top plastic? and the body metal or what? if so ill have to make a two piece top, which im probably going to have to do unless i fab a metal rear piece or a plastic front piece... im thinking with a little time, i could probably fab a metal top, using a piece of metal sheet metal bent into shape, cut for windows, and then install a lift gate.. just looking for advice, maybe if someone has a photo of what it would look, or any thoughts and suggestions? let me know...

 

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this has been kinda done, do a search for another bronco forum on the web. there is a guy on there with a bronco with no top. But you must have a full cage, tied into the frame and some bracing for the body to give it strength. I have an 88 that you could use. i rolled it so basicly everything is good minus the cab would make for a great project.

 

well, a full cage just isnt an option.. it would sort of defeat the purpose of going topless, anykind of re-enforcements would have to be done to the frame itself if thats possible, does it have subframes or a full frame?

 

yeah... i think a frame reinforcement could be possible, i wouldnt want a weak frame anyway, so it would probably be a good idea to make it better

 

its not the frame but the body that would be weak.

 

i really dont get how the body flexes on a solid frame with the top cut off

 

Your windshield would probably land in your lap the first time you hit any substantial bump. The full cage would protect you if you roll it over and hold the window up in the front. As well as give you a tie point for the shoulder belts on the front and rear seat. Having a full cage won't defeat going topless unless you have a soft top that you always have on it. Then again some are more safety conscious than others.....

 

i thought some more about it.. what if i weld some small tube steel to the frame just in front of the doors, bend them around the shape of the door, and up through the pillars, then cut the pillars to fit around it and to conceal the tube metal, that would give the windshield strength, and help in a roll, then behind the front doors, and in front of the tailgate, i get some thin, probably rectagle tube steel to weld underneath the bed in the front and back, and welded to that i have pieces come up behind the wall inside the back, between the fenders and the inside of the vehicle.. with supports built on that to support the fenders as well, that would give the body much strength.. not to forget a welded in 4 point roll bar... that would conceal all supports, and give me plenty of support.. hows that idea sound?

 

best bet would be to talk with a body shop or custom fab guy. the body is tied to the frame via bolts. if you get into a twisted section the body will flex, but go thru that same section with just the fiberglass top off an it really flexes then. thats partially why the gutters crack like they do. so just imagine with out the top of the cab as well.
your idea is cool, but will require planning and safety in mind as well

 

I HATE to say this but have you conciedered an earlier model Blazer that was built with a fully removable top.

 

i would rather go through the difficulty of planning a set of integrated supports than to buy a blazer, id rather take soldering irons to my eyeballs till the juices boil and my eyes explode than to buy a blazer... so ill stick with the supports in front of the tailgate, behind the doors, and around the windshield, wont take much, it wont even cost much as i have a pretty good idea how to do it all... hey.. maybe i could design a kit of pre-fabbed pieces to weld in along with door inserts to turn any of those broncos to a full topless

 

the blazer never had a fully removeable top. the blazer had the same setup as the bronco only allowing the rear portion to be taken off.

 

Do not blam you for that part. Just seems loke a whole bunch of work for a very questionable outcome. I have had my truck twisted 3 ways to Sunday am not sure I would want no support or nothing over-head. I haven't rolled her yet but I supose it will happen sooner or later.

 

i really think i can support the body by using.. not even that large rectangle tube steel welded around the bed in the front and back of the bed, under the floor, and between the exterior and interior panels.. its really not that much work, not that difficult, the hard part would be supporting the windshield.. i would like to get small, yet strong tube steel to run through the pillars... remove the pillars, weld in the tube steel, then cut the fillars to fit around it.. which would conceal all supports, and i shouldnt get any twisting... now the roll bars are going to be the hard part, with the body supported as i described i shouldnt get any twist, but i still want a roll bar for function, and because it looks much better... i was thinking perhaps a peterbilt roll bar for an F-150, it should work fairly well... in fact, that rectangle tube steel welded under the floor behind the front seats would be right where the roll bar would set so i COULD get a peterbilt and attach it right through the floor and into that support thatll probably be connected to the frame... i know it SOUNDS like alot, but all said and done, its really not.. i have it pretty figured out... when i go to do it, ill post some pictures of how it looks and how well it works... ill probably get a set of early bronco door inserts to use like a template for cutting door inserts for the late bronco out of a set of doors from a junkyard with some quick release hinges... and the reason id prefer to go through a little work to do this, than to by a blazer, is because.. well its a bronco of course, and its not so common is another reason