2003 TJ Hard Top Rejuvination

06TJX

06TJX

#1
#1
After 9 years of southern sun and abuse, I decided before the top goes on this year, some repairs needed to occur. The Previous owner put a bolt through the middle of the top, why I don't know. However, I would like to remove that and the artificial rain gutters I had installed for my Thule rack a few years ago, fill the holes and paint it.

Tonight, I pulled it off the Hoist, and set her on some saw horses. Taped off the side windows, and removed the rear glass and artificial gutters. I then wiped it down with windex to remove the shop dust, and then sanded the entire top with 180 Grit paper, and wiped it down with Goo Gone. It made the top quite shinny :)
uploadfromtaptalk1318389756125.jpg

While waiting for the top to dry, I grabbed the set of Cherokee Roof Rails I grabbed at Pull a Part a few months back, took some measurements, and cut em down. I was unhappy with how high, and non adjustable the Thule system was, so I thought this would be a good alternative. This is about where they will sit on the top:
uploadfromtaptalk1318389948976.jpg
Tonight I plan on filling in the holes from the random center bolt, and the artificial gutter bolts with some Bondo, then sanding her down. Once done, I am going to install the Cherokee Rails, prep and paint. I was planning on Krylon Fusion, but could be swayed...

This Morning, the top was not shinny anymore. Instead it looked like most of the original TJ Black Flares.....Chalky colored. Beyond the point of return now :)
 
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06TJX

06TJX

#3
#3
Yeah it was black, but it was faded and scuffed pretty bad. You could see white all over the top...actually, you still can :)
The GooGone made it shiny like that, but this morning, after it had dried and evaporated, it was chalky looking as I expected it would be. Good to know about the Clear Coat. I was thinking it would help protect it so I would have to paint it again any time soon. I'll look for some UV resistant paint for it instead....
 
06TJX

06TJX

#4
#4
I thought about going to a marine store and getting some black colored Gel Coat to put on it, but that just seemed like a ton of work, and well, to be frank, I am lazy...

Well see how long the paint job stays before it starts to look like crap. Once that happens, I will reevaluate the gel coat.
 
06TJX

06TJX

#6
#6
Thats not a bad idea, I just wonder about the texture. If it is to rough it will be a pain in the *** to clean, and if it fades, I would be verrrrrrry unhappy after spending the $$ on the bed liner....
 
97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#7
#7
06TJX said:
Thats not a bad idea, I just wonder about the texture. If it is to rough it will be a pain in the *** to clean, and if it fades, I would be verrrrrrry unhappy after spending the $$ on the bed liner....
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i emailed back and forth with him and he had sprayed it on in 2003 and said it had not faded yet. I talked to him about 2-3 weeks ago when i was painting mine. Also those cans are like $7 each and you only need 3 so that $21 total to paint the whole top.
 
06TJX

06TJX

#8
#8
ehh...Not bad...Maybe I will give it a try this weekend and see how it comes out.

When you did yours, did you paint the interior as well? Mine is pretty banged up from the previous owner...I am just not sure of the color to paint it, or if I should go with some dynomat and then put a headliner fabric in......
 
97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#9
#9
06TJX said:
ehh...Not bad...Maybe I will give it a try this weekend and see how it comes out.

When you did yours, did you paint the interior as well? Mine is pretty banged up from the previous owner...I am just not sure of the color to paint it, or if I should go with some dynomat and then put a headliner fabric in......
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I left mine white on the inside. yours is banged up on the inside? I would leave it a light color inside so it doesnt feel like a coffin haha
 
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DirtyMaxxx

#10
#10
i painted mine with krylon fusion..it held up pretty good for awhile but started to chip around the rubber seal around the window. and it also started to fade. i eneded up re-painting it with duplicolor truck bed liner. i love that stuff. did my fenders with it and bumper. put on a few coats of that and it wont fade or chip easily. hold the can closer if you want more of a thick rhino line look and hold the can farther away if you want more of lighter color gritty feeling. i also did my tool box with this stuff 5 months ago. hasnt faded or chipped at all.
 
97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#11
#11
DirtyMaxxx said:
i painted mine with krylon fusion..it held up pretty good for awhile but started to chip around the rubber seal around the window. and it also started to fade. i eneded up re-painting it with duplicolor truck bed liner. i love that stuff. did my fenders with it and bumper. put on a few coats of that and it wont fade or chip easily. hold the can closer if you want more of a thick rhino line look and hold the can farther away if you want more of lighter color gritty feeling. i also did my tool box with this stuff 5 months ago. hasnt faded or chipped at all.
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got any pics of the hardtop with the beadliner? or with the fusion? I would be interested to see what the fusion looks like without the clear. and what yours looked like with the duplicolor.

I'm seriously considering the duplicolor bedliner.
 
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DirtyMaxxx

#12
#12
i would defenitely do the bed liner......not the best picture but the hard top is done with krylon (no clear coat)...and the front fenders were done with duplicolor bed liner. the fenders have held up since i painted them 4 years ago. i can get a a close up picture of my tool box today thats done with the duplicolor bed liner.

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97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#13
#13
DirtyMaxxx said:
i would defenitely do the bed liner......not the best picture but the hard top is done with krylon (no clear coat)...and the front fenders were done with duplicolor bed liner. the fenders have held up since i painted them 4 years ago. i can get a a close up picture of my tool box today thats done with the duplicolor bed liner.

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do you have any of your hardtop when it had the bedliner on it?

host it HERE so I can see it here at work
 
06TJX

06TJX

#14
#14
yeah...Bed Liner it is....Pics will follow :) I am going to bondo the few places where holes have been drilled, then drill and install the new rack tonight. Hope to paint this weekend pending weather and how the Bondo work looks :)
 
97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#16
#16
06TJX said:
yeah...Bed Liner it is....Pics will follow :) I am going to bondo the few places where holes have been drilled, then drill and install the new rack tonight. Hope to paint this weekend pending weather and how the Bondo work looks :)
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I dont think I would use bondo on fiberglass, you willl probably end up with cracks
 
97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

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#20
#20
wow, that was harder than I thought haha... I wasnt able to use your new post, I used the post from the other thread, but you can edit it now to say what you want.
 
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