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Canvas Soft Top

idus25

Full Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
196
Loc.
St. Louis
Looking for a "true" canvas soft top with safari style roll up rear side windows. Search all over Web, closest I've come to was BC Broncos. Not sure that is what I'm looking for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

;
 

sykanr0ng

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
5,363
I wish too! Contacted Softopper last year. Here's the link to the thread. http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282847

Maybe Can-Back could do something?

I have emailed Can-Back about the top they used to offer twice, all I ever received was an automated 'we got your email' in return both times.
This was after I read on their website that they were looking at going back into production of their Bronco top.
Bottom line?
They either don't care about selling tops for Broncos or don't care about communicating with customers.


At least Softopper was decent enough to send an email saying they weren't going to make early Bronco tops instead of just ignoring us.
 
OP
OP
idus25

idus25

Full Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
196
Loc.
St. Louis
Contacted Byron @ Can-Bak:

1:59 pm
the Early Bronco is being designed. We should have it in steel fabrication by the end of the month. And Canvas will take September.

The price is going to be high as we have to make the window frame warp around and the top of the cab window. I am thinking close to $3,000.

We shall see. Thanks.
 

pcf_mark

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
3,574
That seems a bit pricey. I have seen a four door 57 Chevy fold a top - big, long, high. Why does a top for a Bronco, even with a roll cage, have to be such a complex problem?
 

sykanr0ng

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
5,363
$3000 :eek:
The BC Broncos top, which ic very similar to the Can-Back top, is about half that much.
 

JefeAZ

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
3,038
Loc.
Tucson
So you need framework to support it or just attaching it to the cage?

Have you contacted any local upholstery shops? I have a couple here that could knock something like this out in a couple weeks if they had a Bronco to mock it up on.
 

SteveL

Huge chevy guy
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
11,613
Loc.
Hawthorne ca
As for roll up windows they get scratched up pretty quick. That's why most are zip out. I believe chuck was working with can back on that top to sell at bc. Not sure what happened between em but chuck ended up doing his own. He made some improvements over the original can back design. Bc's original top was really cool. You could make it full or half cab. I guessing that one was just too many to do volume and keep the price down. The bc top also has firm hardware that can hold a roof rack. The canvas top itself is also better quality than the others.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,355
I think you've pretty much narrowed down the usual suspects. Not going to be many new to the world tops for EB's I'm thinking. Unless ICON or someone like that starts to offer one.

If you're not sure the BC top is for you, why would a Can-Bak be any better? Aren't they still very similar design concepts and executions? They doing something better, or different enough to be worth the price?
Since it sounds at least like they feel the demand is there, and are working on one as we speak, did they happen to give you any physical details other than expected pricing? Sure would be nice to see a mockup or pre-production model to whet our appetites.

Not likely your searching is going to net you any more results. Other than one-off customs, there are not that many companies that will put the engineering into a low production volume vehicle that has not been built for literally 40+ years.
At least not without charging accordingly.
And while Bronco owners were notoriously cheap for most of those years, the last few have certainly seen us spending a lot more money to get what we want done to them.
So maybe the $3000 price tag seems reasonable to some, for what you will get. But as the next two comments showed, not all of us are ready to plunk down that much for a soft top. Hopefully Can-Bak's results are better than the last time they offered it. That lasted only a couple of years I think.
I'm sure there are others that have put even more money into a custom one-off, but not likely to find them readily available or listed for sale online I'm thinking.

So what about ICON? Any of theirs using soft tops? Or are they all hard tops?
Just wondering if, what with all the different types of vehicles they offer, and all the different types of custom engineering, they've had Bronco customers interested enough to make them think about offering one too.
Would be interesting to see what they came up with!

Let us know if you get any more info or pics from CB. But don't completely rule out the BCB yet either. Sounds like it would be the best, at least so far. Pretty sure most users that are members here have been very happy with their tops.
Maybe some of them will post up pics of what they got and how they like them.

Or link to some other discussions about them that are already on the forums.

Good luck.

Paul
 

Scoop

Contributor
Have Bronco, Will Travel
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
10,581
Loc.
Cuchara, CO
So you need framework to support it or just attaching it to the cage?

Have you contacted any local upholstery shops? I have a couple here that could knock something like this out in a couple weeks if they had a Bronco to mock it up on.

Good thought on a top that uses the cage. Several companies make "frameless" tops for Jeep TJs and JKs. They use the stock roll bars that all TJs and JKs came with. It would be hard for a manufacturer to make a frameless top that fit aftermarket roll bars. Perhaps a roll bar manufacturer could develop a frameless top for their roll bar? (Hint: Gordon Bailie!) I have installed a frameless top on my daughter's TJ and they are nice and pretty cheap by Bronco standards - less than $400 complete. Only hardware needed was the windshield riser, the door surrounds and a tailgate bar.
 

thiswildbronco

Jr. Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
128
Reviving this thread, as I am interested in any comparisons between the BC Broncos top and the Can-Back, which based on conversations I had with Byron at Can-Back at the end of 2018, they might now be in production.

As far as Icon goes? They start with a BC Broncos top, and then modify pretty much everything. They may beef up the frame - not entirely sure about that - but I do know they add insulation layers to the completely redone canvas portion.

I am very interested to know what might differentiate the Can-Back from the BC Broncos top. I know the BC Broncos top has a lot of happy users, I'm just curious what Can-Back has done or will be doing to improve upon the BC design.

Anyone???

I think you've pretty much narrowed down the usual suspects. Not going to be many new to the world tops for EB's I'm thinking. Unless ICON or someone like that starts to offer one.

If you're not sure the BC top is for you, why would a Can-Bak be any better? Aren't they still very similar design concepts and executions? They doing something better, or different enough to be worth the price?
Since it sounds at least like they feel the demand is there, and are working on one as we speak, did they happen to give you any physical details other than expected pricing? Sure would be nice to see a mockup or pre-production model to whet our appetites.

Not likely your searching is going to net you any more results. Other than one-off customs, there are not that many companies that will put the engineering into a low production volume vehicle that has not been built for literally 40+ years.
At least not without charging accordingly.
And while Bronco owners were notoriously cheap for most of those years, the last few have certainly seen us spending a lot more money to get what we want done to them.
So maybe the $3000 price tag seems reasonable to some, for what you will get. But as the next two comments showed, not all of us are ready to plunk down that much for a soft top. Hopefully Can-Bak's results are better than the last time they offered it. That lasted only a couple of years I think.
I'm sure there are others that have put even more money into a custom one-off, but not likely to find them readily available or listed for sale online I'm thinking.

So what about ICON? Any of theirs using soft tops? Or are they all hard tops?
Just wondering if, what with all the different types of vehicles they offer, and all the different types of custom engineering, they've had Bronco customers interested enough to make them think about offering one too.
Would be interesting to see what they came up with!

Let us know if you get any more info or pics from CB. But don't completely rule out the BCB yet either. Sounds like it would be the best, at least so far. Pretty sure most users that are members here have been very happy with their tops.
Maybe some of them will post up pics of what they got and how they like them.

Or link to some other discussions about them that are already on the forums.

Good luck.

Paul
 

bchesley

Full Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
327
Can Bak is the only one that can answer that question on what is different.

I personally am a happy BC user. The only option for this style top when I purchased mine. Still happy with it and am thinking of getting another set of skins just for another color option. I have 2K in mine with shipping if that helps.
 

Howard2x4x4

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
2,278
I used to have a Kayline top on my parts Bronco which used to be my week-end ride. Really liked the Kayline, I reckon there's a bunch of the old hardware hangin' around in shops. Might be possible to have a boat canvas place build to the Kaline frame.
 

Bronco4x4

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
598
I’d take a Rampage if they offered clear windows. I’m not a fan of the frame staying up in convertible mode like the BCB top.
 

bchesley

Full Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
327
I’d take a Rampage if they offered clear windows. I’m not a fan of the frame staying up in convertible mode like the BCB top.



My BC top completely unbolts and comes off in one piece in about 20 minutes. Goes back on in about 30 minutes. Four bolts on each side at the bed and two each side at the windshield riser. It comes off way easier than a hard top. I lift off the frame by myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

laserfish

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
122
Maybe I am missing something here. I have a Bestop which I have not seen mentioned. It is 14 years old and still going strong (that is saying something stored outside here in the heat and sun of Texas). Side and rear windows zip out and back in in minutes. Remove it and the frame folds down. I have not had my doors on or side or back windows on in years, but they are easy to store. Keep the top on and it is just a safari top. Works for me and a lot less than the 3000 I have seen quoted on this thread.
 

BBinTN

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
2
I have done some business with Krawlers Edge and am waiting on a new top they have in the works before making any decisions for my build. If they are able to build what they have been planning, it will be very nice. Double layer top with insulation, solid frame that can support racks, ...
 
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