Ya I know there's no bondo on yours he was asking about mine

 

this is a cool idea for a chop top

 

So if you have a early renix XJ and haven't eliminated your c-101 yet do it. No spark, replaced everything I could think of and then double checked those again and still nothing. Cut all the cables on this sucker and hard wired them, Now my xj runs.

Finished chop top coming soon

 

Now that my jeep is running again its time to get back on the chop top. Added a little this weekend. I may have to put a piece of plywood in the rear for a window for now until I can get the plexiglass piece i'm looking at made.

When you run out of sheet metal, use a door.


That gap that needs capped




Test fitting


Welded in.




I added a few other small things while I was working on it but I didn't get any pictures of any of those. I have a few more pieces to weld in and then I'm going to hit the rear end with a thick coat of heavy duty paint just so I don't have to deal with rust. It can sit like that over winter if need be since it will have to be parked outside while my subaru is getting its motor swap.

 

Stripped paint last night and then put on 3 coats of hammered enamel. Its really glossy now but I shouldn't have to worry about any rust. I bought 1 quart and that was supposed to be enough for 340 sq ft or something like that. I used the entire quart just on the floor in the cargo area. I'm going to get another can tonight and once I get a few more pieces welded in I will work my way up and get the whole rear end coated in this stuff.

Bare metal


After paint. I'm going to hit all the corners and holes later this week just so I know I have a good coat over the whole thing.


This is the stuff I'm using.

 

What made you choose that instead of bedliner?

 

I used spray on bedliner when I first got the floor back in and it was super scratched up and starting to fall apart after 6 months so I figured i would give this stuff a chance. I have used it before on my motorcycle parts and subaru wheels so i know its pretty durable and its cheap. Plus I personally like the glossy orange peel texture it leaves more then the sandpaper feel you get with bedliner. Depending on how things go with durability of this stuff in the long run I may end up just doing the whole jeep inside and out with it. White outside and black inside.

 

I couldn't figure out a good way to work around the factory lips that were in the rear of the jeep and after debating it for a while I decided to just chop them out. I have a piece of angle welded in across the whole length from C to D pillars and that was plenty to support the fenders until I roll in which case those are getting cut all the way off.

The overhang from C to D pillars


And here it is once I got it cut out




Then I got to have another booger weld party capping the holes.


I have some more welding to do tonight and I have to add a lip for the window to sit in and then I should be ready to add more paint and get it ready to be parked outside before this weekend.

 

Any chance you could post some pictures of truck from a few steps back with the next update? Watching this closely. keep up the good work!

 

Just the whole rear end from a few steps back? I'll get some tonight for you

 

Loving this chop top great work !

 

Thank you. Getting close to finishing it up. Just in time to start cutting again. Probably going to end up just tubing the whole rear end but I wanted to follow through and finish this before I start trying to figure that part out.

And here are a few shots a little farther away that were asked for.




I had to get this hole covered up tonight and then I can start painting the rest on friday and have it ready to go by the weekend.


And one more with everything capped off.


I also welded in a lip across the top of the hatch for the window to sit against and mount to but forgot to take pictures of that. You can kinda see in the last photo I posted but next time I'm working on it I will get some better pictures.

 

Finished up. More pictures when I get around to it

 

Nice work. Whats next.. I can see metal tail lights And a tailgate

 

Next up I have to finish my shackle relocation brackets and then lots of front end work and a fuel pump since it decided to die on monday. Then the sky is the limit. Probably start cutting more body parts off cause thats all I do with this thing.