Hey Tomjfred, welcome aboard too, and happy trails (or city streets as the case may be) with your new truck.
Good advice above for sure. While it might "carry" the static weight of a kayak ok, all those dynamic forces at work would not be pretty.
You could arrange a pair of braces just for the windshield frame too, just to support it and help carry a larger load, but the cage addition idea is best. You can also use the cage to support the frame better even with no additional load placed on them. Keeps the frame from pulling back into the door frames and chipping the paint.
If yours has been topless for long, you will probably see the paint missing from the upper corners of the door frame already.
If you don't find what you want, or a shop that can make you what you need, we do have a potentially good option. There is still shipping involved, but MUCH less than a full cage. It's the San Felipe series here:
http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/category/s?keyword=san+felipe which is easily UPS'able.
What type of rear bar is in there now? Since Ford never offered one, it's a crapshoot as to what you might have. The style we have was the most common by far however, up to the late nineties, so there's a good chance you have something compatible.
If you ever need to upload some photos (we love pics!) you will need to use an online image hosting site like supermotors, photobucket or the like. If you want to upload them directly to your posts you have to become a contributor for 12 bucks a year. Well worth it of course as far as most of us are concerned, but being new to the site you will likely want to check us out for awhile before forking over hard earned money.
Good luck. And have fun!
Oh, and learn to say "snowball effect" and "well, while I'm in there already..." as they will be what you will relate to friends and family members (you married?) when they ask how you ended up knee deep in parts in the garage!%)
Paul
