Topic: New Top

[99SENewbie]

I'm interested in getting a new top for my jeep, but I can't decide. I read Jeffy's right up on tops and became very interested in a California top. (I like the sport top... don't plan on going half top, as I have a soundbar and like my music... although maybe that'll change) I couldn't find any information on these except from the site, however, and was wondering if anyone had got one and what their experiences were like.

I don't want to spend more than $1000 dollars. Hard Top/Soft Top, whatever, any suggestions would be great!

[Jesse-James]

I was looking into buying one, but after reading so many horror stories about Tim I changed my mind.

[Mozman68]

I'm extremely happy with my BestTop Supertop....I didn't have much of a choice since my Jeep had a hard top when I bought it and didn't have the OEM hardware for a soft top.  If it did, I probably would even be happier with the replacement sailcloth top from Best Top as I hear it is even quieter than my top.

The only issue with the SuperTop is that it doesn't easily fold down like the OEM soft top.

I've learned to live with it and have only put it on when I know we will get a stretch of rain....most of the time I simply run a BestTop safari top with no doors between May and September.

I'm going to run the soft top as long as I can this winter just to see how it fares....and I want to make it easy on the guy working on my Jeep this winter as I think the hard top just might get in his way (especially if I decide to have him add a full cage while he's doing the rest of the work).

[YJmechanic]

i have a sailcloth and i can't complain except i with i had the supertop hardware instead.  i hate the snaps on my sport bar mounts.

[Jeffy]

I like having a hardtop.  I can remove it and either run no top or the Bikini top I also have.  When you want to keep the weather out you can't beat a hardtop and full doors.  The downside is that OEM tops and doors aren't cheap and take up a lot of room.  If I was going to choose one top for everything I'd get a sailcloth top.  Although I really like the no-hardware tops.  They get rid of all the extra PITA hardware.  It also cuts 4" from the overall height.

All if not most of those stores were probably blown out of proportion.  Tim had problems with people using CC.  He was also what seemed like the only guy working.  He had this great return policy and people used it which forced him to fix stitches instead of making new tops.  A friend of mine has one of his tops and LOVES it.  I like it too.  I thought about buying one of their Pick-up tops but never pulled the trigger so to speak.  It's been years since all of those initial problems.  I haven't heard anyone complain in recent years.

If you're worried buy it from a reseller.

Now Bestop had a lot of problems with their tops in the late 90's as well.  Many were having stitching issues.  So they aren't perfect either.

My OEM top lasted something like 15 years.  It's a bit dead now though.

[flyingbrick]

hey so  i have a California top, the multi top and so far  i'm  on the fence  with it as i had some issues with it (might because of the fact that it was one of the first made for the YJ) and when i talked to Tim he kinda gave me the runaround about it.  and as much  as i like  it  i'd like to get my hands on a best-top halftop so if anyone  might be interested in my still mostly new muit top let me know.

by the way i have a 95 YJ i'll post pic's sooner or later.

[Jesse-James]

If all the "issues" are sorted out, I might be interested.

This is a fairly recent pic of my halftop.

[99SENewbie]

Hmm... got one positive feedback elsewhere on the nets (excluding those above) and a lot of bad feedback. They're rated "unsatisfactory" (I think that was the word) with the Better Business Bureau. I really love the look and functionality of the top and will still look into it, but I think I'm going to look into getting a sailcloth one as well. (I'm making the assumption that it'll work with my supertop hardware if I just get replacement skins... am I right?)

[flyingbrick]

Well Jesse-James the main issues was that like Tim  i live in Canada and the winters i get are known to hit -50*C (-58*F), and there are a lot of ''holes''  because the top is made out of several different peaces were two meet does not always seal from wind i will say I've had no trouble with water leaking (and i've had a lot of that) so it is good in that way. i have not try ed it but  i guess the full top might seal better but  i wanted the half cab and with this you also get the bikini and well it is a multi top. so i'll say this if you are still interested let me know i'll try the full top and take a bunch of pic's.

Also i know your from Wisconsin so your winters are not too much better then mine, if your looking to run a top like this in the winter you can do it  but  it is not the most fun, as for summer i don't think you could find a better top in that you can have what you want in about  20 min or less.

[Jesse-James]

PM'd you

[99SENewbie]

I think I've decided on the Sailcloth top... can anyone tell me if it'll fit my current hardware or if I have to buy that as well?

[Mozman68]

I think I've decided on the Sailcloth top... can anyone tell me if it'll fit my current hardware or if I have to buy that as well?

Sailcloth is designed to work on OEM hardware.

[nofearblackstar]

who and were can i find a good top that requires no hardware

i like how they look just tight to the cage and would make my roof rack that im making look so much better