Hi Everyone,
My first time posting so please forgive me in advance for any mistakes and for this long post. It is pleasure to meet you all and can say I have enjoyed reading through many of the threads. I have an issue perhaps someone can enlighten me with. A little (maybe too much) background. I have a rust free 3 owner, 71 Sport with about 60k miles. I have owned it since 1992 and it has spend the majority of it life in the Suburbs of Dallas. In the last 24 years I have put less than 2000 miles total. It runs flawlessly. Back in 97 I started a "retromod" on what was a fairly stock truck. It was "state of the art" for back then. It originally had 302-2v, 3sp on the tree, and Dana 44 in the front with Limited slip diffs front and back and 3.5:1 gears. Of course I could not leave well enough alone and put a 77 PS, PB, C4, 5.0 Fox Body Mustang EFI, Detroit Lockers F&R 4.11/4.10 gear, 2 in body lift, 3.5" Suspension lift 33-12.50 BFG Mud T/A and Centerline Wheels...just to list a few things. Took it 4 wheeling once to Clayton OK...dinged every new wheel on rocks and chipped the paint of one of my fender flares. It was at that moment I decided I preferred to go around rocks than to drive over them. However, the one thing that was in bad shape on this truck was the topper. The PO hauled lumber, firewood, etc. on the roof and he had installed some boat rails to lash everything down. Needless to say top would have been a huge project to fix to make look good....So back in 2000 I threw it away in a dumpster like an idiot. I now want lower the truck, get rid of the Detroits and put a hard top with Vintage air.
Back in December of 23, I ordered the Dynacorn Steel top kit from Jeff's. I bought the assembled top (4 bows to my surprise) and the two sides. I had kept my rust free, and straight liftgate and windows all these years. Finally received kit about 3 weeks ago so not sure if they had to make new tooling or just build enough to justify a container full of orders from Taiwan. Parts were packaged very nicely and generally look very good.
I am dry fitting the parts and have not modified or welded anything yet. The problem I have is the the top is teetering on the sides at the front of the side panels where the door frames meet. If the top sits flat on the sides then I have 1+" gap at the windshield. If I pull the top so it contacts the windshield frame the rear has a huge gap. The distance from the bed rails top drip rail is about 20.25" in the rear corners and 20.65" at the doors. Question...are the stock side panel parallel height front to back at the weld seem where it meets the top assembly? If so, can someone please let me know that nominal height ? I tried to added some pictures...but cant seem to figure out how to do so. I don't see how to easy adjust the height down at the door because the distance is controlled by the bends in the side panel at the top and the bed rails. The fit of the bed stakes that came with the side panels are atrocious. The welded nuts line up ok on the top or in the stake holes but not both at the same time. The tilt forward angle on the stakes do not match the forward rake of side panels. In addition the stakes are folded are 90 degrees and the inside corner of the side panels are not 90 so if I tighten the bolts I will no doubt distort the sheet metal...so for now I just have them in the bed hole but not really bolted to the side panels..so everything is loose. . All the panels on my truck are original and it was never wrecked so I don't think the windshield frame is the problem. Any wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Oscar
My first time posting so please forgive me in advance for any mistakes and for this long post. It is pleasure to meet you all and can say I have enjoyed reading through many of the threads. I have an issue perhaps someone can enlighten me with. A little (maybe too much) background. I have a rust free 3 owner, 71 Sport with about 60k miles. I have owned it since 1992 and it has spend the majority of it life in the Suburbs of Dallas. In the last 24 years I have put less than 2000 miles total. It runs flawlessly. Back in 97 I started a "retromod" on what was a fairly stock truck. It was "state of the art" for back then. It originally had 302-2v, 3sp on the tree, and Dana 44 in the front with Limited slip diffs front and back and 3.5:1 gears. Of course I could not leave well enough alone and put a 77 PS, PB, C4, 5.0 Fox Body Mustang EFI, Detroit Lockers F&R 4.11/4.10 gear, 2 in body lift, 3.5" Suspension lift 33-12.50 BFG Mud T/A and Centerline Wheels...just to list a few things. Took it 4 wheeling once to Clayton OK...dinged every new wheel on rocks and chipped the paint of one of my fender flares. It was at that moment I decided I preferred to go around rocks than to drive over them. However, the one thing that was in bad shape on this truck was the topper. The PO hauled lumber, firewood, etc. on the roof and he had installed some boat rails to lash everything down. Needless to say top would have been a huge project to fix to make look good....So back in 2000 I threw it away in a dumpster like an idiot. I now want lower the truck, get rid of the Detroits and put a hard top with Vintage air.
Back in December of 23, I ordered the Dynacorn Steel top kit from Jeff's. I bought the assembled top (4 bows to my surprise) and the two sides. I had kept my rust free, and straight liftgate and windows all these years. Finally received kit about 3 weeks ago so not sure if they had to make new tooling or just build enough to justify a container full of orders from Taiwan. Parts were packaged very nicely and generally look very good.
I am dry fitting the parts and have not modified or welded anything yet. The problem I have is the the top is teetering on the sides at the front of the side panels where the door frames meet. If the top sits flat on the sides then I have 1+" gap at the windshield. If I pull the top so it contacts the windshield frame the rear has a huge gap. The distance from the bed rails top drip rail is about 20.25" in the rear corners and 20.65" at the doors. Question...are the stock side panel parallel height front to back at the weld seem where it meets the top assembly? If so, can someone please let me know that nominal height ? I tried to added some pictures...but cant seem to figure out how to do so. I don't see how to easy adjust the height down at the door because the distance is controlled by the bends in the side panel at the top and the bed rails. The fit of the bed stakes that came with the side panels are atrocious. The welded nuts line up ok on the top or in the stake holes but not both at the same time. The tilt forward angle on the stakes do not match the forward rake of side panels. In addition the stakes are folded are 90 degrees and the inside corner of the side panels are not 90 so if I tighten the bolts I will no doubt distort the sheet metal...so for now I just have them in the bed hole but not really bolted to the side panels..so everything is loose. . All the panels on my truck are original and it was never wrecked so I don't think the windshield frame is the problem. Any wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Oscar
