Thar: Half Cap (Top)

DirtyDan · 11th December 2013, 13:50

Related Thread : Thar Hardtops

I would like a half cap for my Thar. I want room enough behind the seats to carry a couple of full sized luggage bags. I want to weld in a lockable steel box on the floor behind the seats. On the outside I want a combination sturdy luggage rack/rollover bar. I want the rack to have plenty of hooks and loops to allow carrying...snazzy 4x4 gear, picks shovels, traction ladder....and allowing tie down of sundry awnings or whatever. Note the spare tyre up and out of rear vision's way. Sliding rear window would be cool.

I don't want to leave my Thar with somebody for 10-30 days while they drink chai and read the newspaper. I want to get in and get out in 2-6 days.

Below is a very bad picture that gives a rough sketch of what is needed. So, Bimbra, Hyderbad and whoever else.....clue me in. Can you do it?

absynthguzzler · 11th December 2013, 14:32

Can I suggest that your design should evolve into one that serves as a functional external roll-cage too.(Rather than just the roll over bar at the top)

In terms of build time, i guess if the 6 days is without travel time, then its possible at any well equipped workshop.

revintup · 11th December 2013, 15:52

Is it advisable to mount the spare wheel so high up as it could adversely affect the vehicle stability?

I do understand that you do not want to carve corners with the Thar, still would not a lower mounting be better to prevent tipping and roll overs during extreme off roading?

DirtyDan · 11th December 2013, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by revintup

...Is it advisable to mount the spare wheel so high up as it could adversely affect the vehicle stability?...

The weight of a tyre and wheel is not terribly significant. The weight of a rack or rollover apparatus would DEFINITELY be significant. Especially if you put heavy stuff up, like extra fuel.

I have a Thar and I do not intend to use it for radical off-roading. If I keep it, I will use it for mountain trekking.

I will use caution and assess the weight as I develop this idea. I am also looking for input from our esteemed readership on how to do this safely.

vishwaschettri · 25th December 2013, 00:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

Below is a very bad picture that gives a rough sketch of what is needed. So, Bimbra, Hyderbad and whoever else.....clue me in. Can you do it?

I think this half top from Bimbra should serve you. I have seen this installed on a jeep. Loos pretty kickass.

Thar: Half Cap (Top)-1374292_744017892291361_201781882_n.jpg

cheers
Vishwas

DirtyDan · 25th December 2013, 02:21

Yup! Bimbra is the #1 contender so far and I have been in touch with them about this very cap. I was thinking about having them altering the tubular rack on the outside to accommodate a remount of the spare tyre and maybe adding some hooks and loops to hold shovel, pick. I am not sure about that slanted rear window though. I live in a heavy monsoon area for one thing and I am worried about leakage. Also I am leary of this slant taking in too much sunlight. I might rig some sort of fabric canopy over the rear portion to take care of sun and rain concerns.

vishwaschettri · 27th December 2013, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

I am not sure about that slanted rear window though. I live in a heavy monsoon area for one thing and I am worried about leakage. Also I am leary of this slant taking in too much sunlight. I might rig some sort of fabric canopy over the rear portion to take care of sun and rain concerns.

Aha! This is the rig I saw in person. Belongs to member at NIOC and regularly shows up for OTRs. How about dropping a line on their FB page to the owner for feedback.

I had seen it over an year back, If it has no leaks so far, you can be assured. It has been stress tested enough by battering around on OTRs.

Delhi also gets its fair share of rainfall and sunlight. Your requirements should not be too different up there. Some more of rain and less of sunlight.

Rear glass misting up will be an issue in winters / monsoon though. How about retrofitting a defogger?

Cheers
Vishwas

DirtyDan · 31st July 2016, 12:45

My 2013 Thar CRDe OEM top was disintegrating. By this May ALL the plastic windows had cracked and both rear flap zippers stopped working and refused repair. The final blow, the seam of the fabric roof at the B-pillar openned and large amounts of water leaked into the interior soaking the seats and everything else. There were other leaks, too.

What to do? Bimbra and Delhi are 11 hrs away, too far for convenience. I took my jeep to Pathankot, Punjab, and found a coach builder. Twenty-seven days later it was done. I gave the talented builder many pictures of Ben Kingsley on fine Indian paper, picked up a new pair of Continental CrossContact tyres for the front and boogied back home.

It is not the most eye-appealing rendition. But it is functional. The vertical rear bulkhead keeps out the heavy monsoon we have here in Dharamsala and It has a brand new Maruti Omni sliding window set in it. I moved the spare tyre upstairs to improve visibility to the rear. The mount is both heavily welded and bolted in place. This is a little ugly but the position and the angle of the spare tyre allow me to unbolt it and remove it easily. Getting a tyre back up there may be troublesome for one person but I have retained the low mount on the tailgate if it’s a problem. The spare is mounted far enough forward so I can stand in the rear easily and unbolt it. The heavy roll bar the spare is mounted on MAY give me some protection if the vehicle rolls over. Or, not. I can still change it, I am not sold on it yet.

The new steel top is water tight all the way around, so far. The rear bulkhead is placed 1.5 inches rearward of the midpoint of the rear wheel hub, a little further back than most people would put it. But this creates space behind the seats for two large luggage bags and a little more. It also leaves usable space outside back to the tailgate. The added weight of the steel top relatively high on the body is barely noticeable in handling, hence not a problem whatsoever.

The interior was done in genuine imitation leather, 80% virgin vinyl, 20% experienced vinyl for that professional touch. They pitched the old semi-functioning Mahindra roof light and installed a nice bright LED roof light that turns on when you switch it on and turns off when you switch it off. This amazing performance has eluded Anand Mahindra for decades. Of course, I do miss the old light that used to come on by itself in the middle of the night. I wonder how many would be thieves have had the brown goo scared out of them by that undocumented feature. Oh, Anand, you naughty boy!

So, I made it into a two-seater although a couple of people could sit outside on the rear fender wells and white-knuckle it for a few kilometers. I both lowered the interior space volume and plugged a lot of holes by going with a steel half-cap. This makes the A/C and heater more effective. The steel top adds body rigidity and makes the jeep much more quiet and rattle free. It eliminates the large amounts of dirt, lizards and water the rag top let it. The half cap eliminates the need for fabricating a hard to fit rear door, keeping the costs down and eliminating a potential leak area. It is also a bit more secure than the rag top. I may yet make a removable lockable trunk to fit in the back, outside. There is room to do so.

It’s done. It’s not perfect, not pretty, but it doesn’t leak. Not a bad outcome.

11th December 2013, 13:50	#1
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,075 Thanked: 1,565 Times	Thar: Half Cap (Top) Related Thread : Thar Hardtops I would like a half cap for my Thar. I want room enough behind the seats to carry a couple of full sized luggage bags. I want to weld in a lockable steel box on the floor behind the seats. On the outside I want a combination sturdy luggage rack/rollover bar. I want the rack to have plenty of hooks and loops to allow carrying...snazzy 4x4 gear, picks shovels, traction ladder....and allowing tie down of sundry awnings or whatever. Note the spare tyre up and out of rear vision's way. Sliding rear window would be cool. I don't want to leave my Thar with somebody for 10-30 days while they drink chai and read the newspaper. I want to get in and get out in 2-6 days. Below is a very bad picture that gives a rough sketch of what is needed. So, Bimbra, Hyderbad and whoever else.....clue me in. Can you do it? Attached Thumbnails Last edited by GTO : 12th December 2013 at 18:06. Reason: Adding link to related thread
	(3) Thanks

11th December 2013, 14:32	#2
absynthguzzler BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: hyderabad Posts: 651 Thanked: 245 Times	re: Thar: Half Cap (Top) Can I suggest that your design should evolve into one that serves as a functional external roll-cage too.(Rather than just the roll over bar at the top) In terms of build time, i guess if the 6 days is without travel time, then its possible at any well equipped workshop. Last edited by absynthguzzler : 11th December 2013 at 14:33.
	(1) Thanks

11th December 2013, 15:52	#3
revintup BHPian Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ktym Posts: 432 Thanked: 460 Times	re: Thar: Half Cap (Top) Is it advisable to mount the spare wheel so high up as it could adversely affect the vehicle stability? I do understand that you do not want to carve corners with the Thar, still would not a lower mounting be better to prevent tipping and roll overs during extreme off roading?
	() Thanks

25th December 2013, 02:21	#6
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,075 Thanked: 1,565 Times	Re: Thar: Half Cap (Top) Yup! Bimbra is the #1 contender so far and I have been in touch with them about this very cap. I was thinking about having them altering the tubular rack on the outside to accommodate a remount of the spare tyre and maybe adding some hooks and loops to hold shovel, pick. I am not sure about that slanted rear window though. I live in a heavy monsoon area for one thing and I am worried about leakage. Also I am leary of this slant taking in too much sunlight. I might rig some sort of fabric canopy over the rear portion to take care of sun and rain concerns. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

31st July 2016, 12:45	#8
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,075 Thanked: 1,565 Times	Re: Hard Tops for Off Roaders. My 2013 Thar CRDe OEM top was disintegrating. By this May ALL the plastic windows had cracked and both rear flap zippers stopped working and refused repair. The final blow, the seam of the fabric roof at the B-pillar openned and large amounts of water leaked into the interior soaking the seats and everything else. There were other leaks, too. What to do? Bimbra and Delhi are 11 hrs away, too far for convenience. I took my jeep to Pathankot, Punjab, and found a coach builder. Twenty-seven days later it was done. I gave the talented builder many pictures of Ben Kingsley on fine Indian paper, picked up a new pair of Continental CrossContact tyres for the front and boogied back home. It is not the most eye-appealing rendition. But it is functional. The vertical rear bulkhead keeps out the heavy monsoon we have here in Dharamsala and It has a brand new Maruti Omni sliding window set in it. I moved the spare tyre upstairs to improve visibility to the rear. The mount is both heavily welded and bolted in place. This is a little ugly but the position and the angle of the spare tyre allow me to unbolt it and remove it easily. Getting a tyre back up there may be troublesome for one person but I have retained the low mount on the tailgate if it’s a problem. The spare is mounted far enough forward so I can stand in the rear easily and unbolt it. The heavy roll bar the spare is mounted on MAY give me some protection if the vehicle rolls over. Or, not. I can still change it, I am not sold on it yet. The new steel top is water tight all the way around, so far. The rear bulkhead is placed 1.5 inches rearward of the midpoint of the rear wheel hub, a little further back than most people would put it. But this creates space behind the seats for two large luggage bags and a little more. It also leaves usable space outside back to the tailgate. The added weight of the steel top relatively high on the body is barely noticeable in handling, hence not a problem whatsoever. The interior was done in genuine imitation leather, 80% virgin vinyl, 20% experienced vinyl for that professional touch. They pitched the old semi-functioning Mahindra roof light and installed a nice bright LED roof light that turns on when you switch it on and turns off when you switch it off. This amazing performance has eluded Anand Mahindra for decades. Of course, I do miss the old light that used to come on by itself in the middle of the night. I wonder how many would be thieves have had the brown goo scared out of them by that undocumented feature. Oh, Anand, you naughty boy! So, I made it into a two-seater although a couple of people could sit outside on the rear fender wells and white-knuckle it for a few kilometers. I both lowered the interior space volume and plugged a lot of holes by going with a steel half-cap. This makes the A/C and heater more effective. The steel top adds body rigidity and makes the jeep much more quiet and rattle free. It eliminates the large amounts of dirt, lizards and water the rag top let it. The half cap eliminates the need for fabricating a hard to fit rear door, keeping the costs down and eliminating a potential leak area. It is also a bit more secure than the rag top. I may yet make a removable lockable trunk to fit in the back, outside. There is room to do so. It’s done. It’s not perfect, not pretty, but it doesn’t leak. Not a bad outcome. Attached Thumbnails Attached Images
	(4) Thanks