Hardtop vs soft top

[lagbolt]

So I currently have a soft top not installed and I’ve never used it. I found a hardtop locally in great condition and I’m thinking of purchasing it. Only reason for purchasing the soft top years ago was bc of price. My question is has anyone went from soft top to hardtop and regretted it? What’s the pros and cons of why you regret switching?

Thanks Tom


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[thegreatjustino]

Taking the hard top off a Bronco is one of the biggest pains in the butt of any car thing I've ever done. A soft top unsnaps, unzips, and folds up anywhere you want to take it off. Taking the hard top off involves planning, storage, ratchet straps, and as many helpers as you can find. Gigantic pain.

 

[Shimmy]

OP, i think it depends on how you use your bronco. I only take mine out on sunny spring/summer days. I currently have a hardtop with plans to install a harken hoister this spring. I'll remove the hardtop and leave it removed for the better part of the summer. During the fall/winter months, i'll lower the hardtop back on and tuck the bronco away.

 

[lagbolt]

Does having a hardtop add resale value at all?


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[56f100bbw]

in Arizona I never take the hardtop off and with the rear int panels ranger package they would get beat up plus with the heat down here I’ve never wanted to take them off I am with great Justino my opinion the Broncos worth more with a hardtop but that’s just me I love cold ac

 

[Shimmy]

Does having a hardtop add resale value at all?


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in my opinion it does.

 

[Timstrk]

I have my original full top. Just ended a 10+ year run with the half cab. Now have a full top again with the Legacy slider. Full top open when I want. Full top closed when I don't. Loving it so far.

 

[BGBronco]

I had a hardtop, never used it, sold it, now I want it back!

 

[lagbolt]

Bgbronco I’m up in the air with what to do. Prolly gonna be a long time before I find another one within driving distance in these kind of condition and price. But I just know I’m gonna want to run the top off in the summer.

How much better does the hardtop hold the heat in? Is it quieter or louder then the soft top?


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[omureebe]

I kinda did what you're considering. I have a soft top but ran topless all last summer and loved it. All the mounting pieces for the soft top bothered me - especially the windshield riser piece... Just looks ugly - my opinion.

I found a super nice hard top and decided to run either hard top (September through April) and no top rest of year. Now.... I have a garage with 12ft ceilings and installed a winch so I can remove and install the hard top pretty easily by myself. Also bought the WH Fast Top mounting kit since I didn't want to keep on removing the rear cards.

So far this has worked really nicely. I have decent weather-stripping and the upgraded heater fan so when I do take it out on a cold day it's OK.

If I didn't have that winch setup and high ceiling, it would really be a PITA to manage the hardtop.

Good luck!

 

[BGBronco]

Bgbronco I’m up in the air with what to do. Prolly gonna be a long time before I find another one within driving distance in these kind of condition and price. But I just know I’m gonna want to run the top off in the summer.

How much better does the hardtop hold the heat in? Is it quieter or louder then the soft top?


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From what I recall, not that big of a difference in terms of warmth or sound. I do have the blaster blower motor so that drowns out a lot of the noise!

 

[mlarison]

I guess it also depends on where you live, for me in FL I never want the hardtop on....I have it kept in storage, but have thought numerous times of getting rid of it

 

[mhinchliffe]

Looking at all the "high dollar" builds and sales not just recently but for a very long time - very few of them have hard tops. If I was going to drop 6 figures on a "build", dang right it would have a hard top AND A/C. Just my $0.02

 

[lagbolt]

Whelp I passed on the hardtop and it’s being sold to the next in line. Thanks for everyone’s input.


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[BRONCOchild2.0]

In the 90s, I was buying Broncos and Bronco parts. Hardtops were everywhere. You could pick one up easily for $100 (with windows and seals still intact). Too bad I was a struggling college student. I would have kept a lot and sold them now. Would have made enough money to pay down certain debt.

 

[Rustytruck]

when i was young within a month of ownership I removed the top and went soft top for a few years i went soft top in the summer and hard top in the winter do able but a pain in the ass. a real pain in the ass is dealing with a soft top its especially bad in so cal as the day you put it up is its best day after that they are on the way to the trash, the sun kills it dirt and dust kill it, the windows and putting it up and down or taking it off gets you all dirty and in 5 years you get to buy another one. then you say screw it and get a bikini top and don't replace the soft top or don't ever put the hard top back
on. here in the west you don't want to put the hard top on unless you have air conditioning. My hard top has been off for 30 years, I have had 3 soft tops and one soft top with windows sewn back in and have used a bikini top for the last 20 years or so which makes you get a cap cover when the truck is not in use. I do not have a garage to park my Bronco in. the Bronco is greatest with the top off and doors off. if your a daily driver keep the top on and add air conditioning. if you want the top off then get a full bikini top.

 

[Ro_Ja Boy]

I had a hardtop on my previous Bronco and am really struggling with what to do this time. I love the look of the hardtop, but it rattles and certainly keeps heat in. I did the clear nano tint on every window including the windshield and it was still too hot for me to be comfortable on days above mid 80s.

Going to ride in some topless Broncos and make sure I can live with it for the kids. Bikini top would be the way to go for me except I can’t figure out how to wash the car with no top.

 

[BRONCOchild2.0]

BTW...I like my hardtop only because it has a dealer installed luggage rack. If it didn't, I think I would have gotten rid of my top long time ago.

 

[Waldo]

I spent many years doing the hardtop in winter, bikini top in summer routine. As mentioned, the hard top is a HUGE pain to get on and off and is easily a 3-4 person job. Probably wouldn't have even put the hard top back on in winter, however too much snow and cold where I was in northern Japan. Later after returning to CONUS, got a half cab and did the same seasonal swap for many more years. Currently have the Rampage top and absolutely love it. Haven't put the either of the hard tops on in years and doubt I ever will again. Rampage with all the panels installed is IMHO warmer/more air tight than the hard top. And if a sudden heat wave hits, quick unzip and side/rear panels are off and cool breezes for everyone. And...the soft top doesn't rattle!

 

[Lawndart]

I think the softtop matters.

For years, I did the softtop summers and put the hardtop on in late autumn to get another month or so (at the end and then beginning spring season). Early & late road saltings and the hardtop install friend gathering hassle took a toll. I finally got a BC top and now do not see a time I would use my hardtop.

BTW, I got the unadvised "white" top. It matches the original top better and did not soil like they advised it would. It did great with almost 10k miles this season. Is the BC top perfect - not quite, but it almost is and certainly is the best out there.