Looking for Pictures of Custom Bimini Tops or Sun Shades for Full Cages

[ryan287]

Summer is right around the corner and it is apparent that I need some sort of sun shade. I'm hoping somebody already has all the details on making an 80% shade that is very stable at freeway speeds.

I would like to stretch some material across the openings in the bars, but I'm not sure if I should use velcro straps or wind parachute cord. Velcro can start to look like crap and the sailboat guy says that cord will leave marks on the cage. I'm wishing now that I had the foresight to weld tabs!

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Fireball05]

What does your cage look like?

I live near the river and plan on having a local marine upholstery place make me a bikini top that will snap onto my roll bar, instead of having the fabric straps. This should look a little nicer and keep it tighter.

 

[sprdv1]

how's about a hard top conversion.. ;D lilthom

 

[SC74]

I run a full family style bikini from WH. I did have some extra Velcro straps sewn on at a local alteration shop. The extra straps down the length of each side keep it tight. Overall very happy with the product. I have towed with it on at highway speeds too.

 

[ryan287]

How did you mount the hard top to your cage? Looks cool.

 

[Pokey71]

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1870136&postcount=8

 

[matt w]

I live in So Cal & made my own out of Lowes Garden shade Matereial! This is my 4th year running it basically from April-October! It cost about 30.00 in materials & about 2-3 hours of labor. ;D

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167044

 

[ryan287]

I live Cal & made my own out of Lowes Garden shade Matereial! This is my 4th year running it basically from April-October! It cost about 30.00 in materials & about 2-3 hours of labor. ;D

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167044

Thanks for the link to your post - that looks like the direction I'm headed. Those clamps are very interesting, do they fasten together through the material? Are they also at Lowes?

 

[matt w]

how's about a hard top conversion.. ;D lilthom

That is so WAY COOL! ;D

 

[matt w]

Thanks for the link to your post - that looks like the direction I'm headed. Those clamps are very interesting, do they fasten together through the material? Are they also at Lowes?

Yes they sell the clamps in the garden dpt on the same rack as the fabric. I doubled or tripled the fabric per my post in the instructions and had to use pliers to clamp the fabric between the teeth. I knew I would be streching the fabric to it's limit and did not want the fabric to tear. I made sure the "teeth" were facing down or towards the interior as I felt it would be stronger.
Also I used the white cording pictured BUT I did buy parachute cord to replace (I'm just lazy at this point & did not want to take the time at this point) I found that if I tie each section independantly I can stretch it then just wrap it "once" around the cage and tie it off! I literrally NEVER have to adjust it all summer, well for 6 wonderfull So. Cal. months! I did need to adjust it the 1st year as the fabric streched just a bit.

Good Luck, Take your time & then you can say... "I made my own top". ALSO it is tuff stuff, I have laid towels on the top of the material & tied camping gear and used the cage as a viable stow place for the soft goods!(Even firewood on top of towels & plastic shader top folded up! You would never know I did/do that with this material! ;D

 

[NicksTrix]

here's one i did last year. used a marine grade canvas

 

[ryan287]

Where did you get the riser in the front? That stripe is awesome too - I've always wanted to put one of those on, but because of my bumped hood I think it wouldn't line up.

 

[NicksTrix]

WH sell the risers.
our stripes are painted on so it will always line up correctly. we just did a paint job on a customers truck that had a raised hood. no problem with making it work