Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

ABLAZN · 08-03-2007, 10:21 PM

Well, with all the posting about soft tops and the fact that Bestop is going to discontinue the only remaining top for our rig, I feel lucky to have picked one up today. It is a used Bestop, that is in pretty fair shape. The only issue with it is that the rear window has a poke hole in it. I talked to the local boat top guy and he figured $75 at the most to fix it. It is also missing some hardware, but Bestop should stock it all. I hope this thing is worth all the trouble. I spent 7.5 hours of my day and ended up driving 200 plus miles to bring it home. I will have to wait until I get the hardware to put it on, I think it will be worth the effort. MY friend who is very clever with fab work and I are working on a different mount so that I will not need to drill as many holes in the windshield frame. Also, I figured out how to get rid of most of the snaps in the tail gate. I did take a picture of it draped over the hard top just to get an idea of what it will look like. So enjoy !!!

WORNBRAKES · 08-03-2007, 11:09 PM

That should look good when you are done. I need to look at going that route as the hard top I have has not left the back yard since I moved to this house.
Great grab.

**Yukon Jack** · 08-04-2007, 09:08 AM

That price is great. The black top looks great on that K5.

LUV2XCLR8 · 08-04-2007, 03:56 PM

Looks good

ABLAZN · 08-04-2007, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

That price is great. The black top looks great on that K5.

I actually forgot to mention the price, but It was $150. Of course that does not count the $40-$50 worth of fuel that I had to burn to get it.

ABLAZN · 08-04-2007, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUV2XCLR8

Looks good

Thanks LUV, I made sure to get the picture in just for you, I know how much you love them.

**Yukon Jack** · 08-05-2007, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABLAZN

I actually forgot to mention the price, but It was $150. Of course that does not count the $40-$50 worth of fuel that I had to burn to get it.

Now that is funny, I must have been distracted when I read the post cause I thought it said you bought it for $200, whoops.

$150, now that is a great price!

ABLAZN · 08-09-2007, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yukon Jack

Now that is funny, I must have been distracted when I read the post cause I thought it said you bought it for $200, whoops.

$150, now that is a great price!

Well, the price just went up, I called Bestop to order the missing hardware. The total price with shipping was $85. By the time I get the rear window fixed the whole thing is going to run $350.

**lks dcvn** · 08-09-2007, 11:26 AM

One of the best quotes I have heard about the soft tops on Blazers (I can't recall who said it though) is that...

"...buying a soft top is the most money I have ever spent on something I hate to use..."

I finally got the hard top off my Blazer a couple of weeks ago and have yet to put the soft top on - the truck only sees nice weather and it sits in the garage for the rest of the time.

bouncytruck · 08-09-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABLAZN

Well, the price just went up, I called Bestop to order the missing hardware. The total price with shipping was $85. By the time I get the rear window fixed the whole thing is going to run $350.

$350 is still a decent deal.

ABLAZN · 08-09-2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

One of the best quotes I have heard about the soft tops on Blazers (I can't recall who said it though) is that...

"...buying a soft top is the most money I have ever spent on something I hate to use..."

I finally got the hard top off my Blazer a couple of weeks ago and have yet to put the soft top on - the truck only sees nice weather and it sits in the garage for the rest of the time.

That is a great quote, I plan on using it as little as possible myself. Still, having it would have allowed me to go topless more this summer. The weather here in the Northwest has been a little more strange then normal. We will get a week of nice weather followed by rain. So I have had to leave the hard top on. Now that I have the soft top, I won't mind pulling it off for a few days at a time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bouncytruck

$350 is still a decent deal.

now instead of having a great deal, I only have a decent deal.

Actually I am not going to complain to much. I have a top now, and it was far less then the $700 for a new one. The plus side is I now have a pattern for when/if the top goes bad and I am sure the boat top guy could make me a new one out of the nicer sail cloth at that point.

bouncytruck · 08-09-2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABLAZN

now instead of having a great deal, I only have a decent deal.

Actually I am not going to complain to much. I have a top now, and it was far less then the $700 for a new one. The plus side is I now have a pattern for when/if the top goes bad and I am sure the boat top guy could make me a new one out of the nicer sail cloth at that point.

A decent deal is better than a bad deal!!!

A soft top sure is handy with the NW weather. I usually pull my hard top in May and run the soft top all summer. With the weather we've been having, it has been nice to be able to drop the top if the sun actually comes out in the afternoon (or at least unzip the windows.)

Purs · 08-09-2007, 01:32 PM

Looks good!

once I take my top off it ain't going back on..... that is, once I get another blazer.....

**1971K54X4** · 08-09-2007, 01:34 PM

Would leaving the soft top on in the winter hurt it? I'm not going to drive it in the winter, but the garage it's stored in is not heated.

herb101 · 08-09-2007, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

One of the best quotes I have heard about the soft tops on Blazers (I can't recall who said it though) is that...

"...buying a soft top is the most money I have ever spent on something I hate to use..."

I finally got the hard top off my Blazer a couple of weeks ago and have yet to put the soft top on - the truck only sees nice weather and it sits in the garage for the rest of the time.

I'm quoted now - awesome!!

It is true though - I bought a Blazer to go topless. Weather forces me to spend perfectly good modding money on staying dry.

Herb

ABLAZN · 08-10-2007, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herb101

I'm quoted now - awesome!!

It is true though - I bought a Blazer to go topless. Weather forces me to spend perfectly good modding money on staying dry.

Herb

Actually herb. I need to thank you. Since you did your instructions that are in the FAQ, I should be able to get this going. Between that and the online instructions, I have a really good guide. Bestop is also sending the snap template for the front windshield along with the hardware that I ordered.

herb101 · 08-10-2007, 09:58 PM

No problem at all! For all the knowledge I have pulled from this board, it's an honor to be able to contribute something useful to the knowledge-base.

The install is fairly easy. A little tip on something I would have done differntly now that I've lived with it - pull the side rails a bit farther back from the doors - this area binds against the door edge fairly often and is already causing a wear spot.

Enjoy the top when you have to

Herb

08-03-2007, 10:21 PM	#1
ABLAZN Oh..never mind.... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 588	Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! Well, with all the posting about soft tops and the fact that Bestop is going to discontinue the only remaining top for our rig, I feel lucky to have picked one up today. It is a used Bestop, that is in pretty fair shape. The only issue with it is that the rear window has a poke hole in it. I talked to the local boat top guy and he figured $75 at the most to fix it. It is also missing some hardware, but Bestop should stock it all. I hope this thing is worth all the trouble. I spent 7.5 hours of my day and ended up driving 200 plus miles to bring it home. I will have to wait until I get the hardware to put it on, I think it will be worth the effort. MY friend who is very clever with fab work and I are working on a different mount so that I will not need to drill as many holes in the windshield frame. Also, I figured out how to get rid of most of the snaps in the tail gate. I did take a picture of it draped over the hard top just to get an idea of what it will look like. So enjoy !!! Attached Images __________________ 1972 Blazer -6 inch lift -35 inch BFG A/T's Turbo 350 NP-205 454 BB (for now) MORE TO COME !!!!!! Now going to 2WD!!!!! Sold. I got it back after 22 years and did not even know it !!! THE STORY HERE Project Low Down Dirty Rat

08-03-2007, 11:09 PM	#2
WORNBRAKES Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hughesville, MD Posts: 1,350	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! That should look good when you are done. I need to look at going that route as the hard top I have has not left the back yard since I moved to this house. Great grab. __________________ Mario and Mandy Hughesville, MD 20637 69 C10 305/350 71 K5 Basket case 75 K10 Rescue Parting out 77 MG Midget Parting out 15 6.7L Cummins

08-04-2007, 09:08 AM	#3
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,686	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! That price is great. The black top looks great on that K5. __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

08-04-2007, 03:56 PM	#4
LUV2XCLR8 The LuvShack Garage Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Maple Grove, TN (West Side) Posts: 30,468	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! Looks good __________________ Owner/Op: "TN Classic Transport Carriers" The Toy: "Square Vette" 72 Hybrid Blazer Toy Barn: "LuvShack" 40 x 60 x 20 Shop Tow Piggy:"Maddy" 88 Silverado 3500 Hauler: "Feathers" 14 Aluma 8218T

08-09-2007, 11:26 AM	#9
lks dcvn Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 4,348	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! One of the best quotes I have heard about the soft tops on Blazers (I can't recall who said it though) is that... "...buying a soft top is the most money I have ever spent on something I hate to use..." I finally got the hard top off my Blazer a couple of weeks ago and have yet to put the soft top on - the truck only sees nice weather and it sits in the garage for the rest of the time.

08-09-2007, 01:32 PM	#13
Purs Got Big Block? Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: West Texas Posts: 1,510	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! Looks good! once I take my top off it ain't going back on..... that is, once I get another blazer..... __________________ "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Last edited by Purs; 08-09-2007 at 01:32 PM.

08-09-2007, 01:34 PM	#14
1971K54X4 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Manchester, Iowa Posts: 1,493	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! Would leaving the soft top on in the winter hurt it? I'm not going to drive it in the winter, but the garage it's stored in is not heated.

08-10-2007, 09:58 PM	#17
herb101 Used Register Join Date: May 2005 Location: Live Oak, TX Posts: 379	Re: Well... I got a soft top today !!!!! No problem at all! For all the knowledge I have pulled from this board, it's an honor to be able to contribute something useful to the knowledge-base. The install is fairly easy. A little tip on something I would have done differntly now that I've lived with it - pull the side rails a bit farther back from the doors - this area binds against the door edge fairly often and is already causing a wear spot. Enjoy the top when you have to Herb



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