So, the wife and I have two cars. Her car is a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier. It is silver, four-door, and has an automatic transmission. It also has nearly 100K miles on it. We will likely sell this vehicle before we move to the Netherlands next spring.
The other vehicle--mine, is a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. Now, this ride is nice. Originally, it had a factory-installed soft top with a sun roof feature. All I had to do was unhook a couple of latches above the windshield and I could fold the top back to expose the front seats. This feature was nice, when I wanted some open-air driving, yet wanted the ability to close back up in short order, if the weather dictated such a need. The top was nice. I could zip out the back and side windows. The top itself was supported by a bow or frame system that allowed me to take the windows out and fold the top down to rest just inside the tail gate, thus making the Jeep a "convertible." Unfortunately, one night I decided to be dumb and I left my iPod sitting on my dash. Some inconsiderate thief decided to cut into one of the windows (as opposed to simply unzipping the window). Well, with it being November in Colorado, I needed a quick fix. At the time, I didn't know about the different options I had for repairing this damage. I could have simply ordered a new window or even a complete window kit. I probably should have done that. What ended up happening is that I ordered a completely new top for the Jeep. The top I got was a product made by Bestop. It was called the Trektop. This top was pretty nice. It didn't have all of the features of the original factory top, but it also didn't require all of the bows and frames, either. The top mounted to the windshield and rode right on the sport bar of the Jeep. I didn't like the tail gate retainer piece, though. The factory soft top had a couple of mounts that slid onto the top of the body on either side of the tail gate opening. There was a bar that ran between the mounts and hooked onto the bottom of the rear window. On the Trektop, the mounts and bar were one piece and you had to clip them onto the body. I was attempting to clip one of the mounts, when the thing broke. Well, despite minor frustration, this turned out not to be a big deal. The factory hardware worked just fine. In fact, I prefer the factory hardware because it is easier to work with. Anyway, the Trektop did have a sun roof feature, of sorts. I could unscrew the windshield mounts and roll the fabric back and expose the front seats. The top didn't fold back like the factory top did. Oh well. If I wanted a completely open air experience, the top was very easily removed and stored. After some time, I decided to upgrade my top to a factory style hard top. The hard top is nice. It is the "Freedom Top" from MOPAR. This top has a solid shell that encloses the back of the Jeep from the tail gate to just behind the front seats. There are two panels that cover the area above the front seats from about the sport bar to the windshield. I can remove one or both of these panels, if I desire open air driving. On warm days, I do just that. I can store the panels in the back, behind the rear seats.
Other features on this Jeep include factory-installed full steel doors with power windows and locks. I also have remote start on the Jeep--very useful in the winter months, when I want to get the Jeep warm before getting in on a cold morning. The Jeep also has a CD/DVD player, hook-ups for an MP3 player or iPod, and a GPS navigation system. It did come with a one year subscription to Sirius/XM satellite radio. Essentially, when I bought this Jeep, it had all of the "fancy bells and whistles" I could want. It has huge 32" tires on 18" wheels, so I get plenty of ground clearance, if I decide to go off road. I rarely go off road, though. For one thing, the Jeep is my primary mode of transportation so I cannot afford to break something and have the Jeep down for several days. Furthermore, even though I have a full-size spare tire mounted to the back of the Jeep, tires cost about $100 EACH, so flats get expensive to fix.
Now, we are moving to the Netherlands in the spring. I cannot afford to do any major modifying of the Jeep right now. For one thing, moving is expensive. For another, we're also expecting a baby in February and babies are expensive. But, these developments have not stopped me from dreaming. Since I don't go off road that much, I've decided that any modifications to the Jeep will be largely cosmetic. I'm not planning to put a lift on the Jeep. I'm not trying to do the huge mud tires. There are no plans to beef up the suspension or to put any armor on the Jeep. Instead, I'm looking at ways to customize the Jeep's appearance. My primary means of doing that involves setting the Jeep up to run different top/door combinations. Here are my grand plans. Keep in mind that almost none of these plans will come to fruition before we return from the Netherlands in 2015.
First, I want to remove the back seat. The back seat is just a two person bench seat. It folds up in such a way that it rests against the front seats, when I want more cargo room. Well, when we get back from the Netherlands, Regina will be getting a new car that will be easier to haul kids around in. Removing the back seat will allow me to put a spray in bed-liner in the back of the Jeep. Doing this will then allow me to maximize the cargo space behind the front seats. The back seat will then go in my "man cave" to be used as a gaming seat or just a place to sit and chill out.
Second, I am looking at the newest version of Bestop's Trektop--the TrektopNX. The big difference between the original Trektop and the TrektopNX is that the NX has removable side windows. The original Trektop did not sport this feature. I was only able to remove the back window. Also, the NX has a "Sundrider" feature that is similar to the original factory soft top. I will be able to unlatch the top from the windshield and fold it back to make a sun roof. The NX doesn't allow me to fold the entire top back to make a "convertible," but that is fine. If I want to go completely top-less, removing the top is actually very simple. When all of the windows (side and rear) are completely out, the TrektopNX becomes a "bikini top."
Third, I am looking at a set of soft upper and lower doors from Bestop. The lower doors essentially have a steel frame that is encased by the same type of fabric as the soft top. The upper doors attach to the lower doors and have a similar construction, but the windows are similar to the side windows on the soft top. The windows don't completely zip out, but they do unzip and fall in so that I can drive with the windows down. Removing the steel doors will require me to get a relocation kit for my side mirrors, but that's an easy and fairly inexpensive deal.
Fourth, I am also looking at getting a "wind jammer" and "duster." The "wind jammer" is essentially a piece of fabric with a clear, plastic window that mounts behind the front seats. The "duster" is a deck cover that mounts behind the front seats and covers the rear area of the Jeep. Both of these products are also made by Bestop. When using the Trektop as a bikini top, I can install the wind jammer behind the front seats and install the duster below and behind the jammer. Using this combination will keep the elements (wind, rain, dust, etc) out of the front of the Jeep and will essentially give it the appearance of a really short pick up truck.
The ultimate goal with all of these modifications is to a)maximize my cargo space and b)allow options for different weather conditions. Maximizing the cargo space is simple. With the back seat removed, I will have the entire back of the Jeep for cargo space. As far as creating the options I desire, that too is pretty simple. I can run a hard top/hard doors combo in the winter months--when I would have very little desire for open air driving. I can run a soft top/soft doors combo in the summer, when I might have several occasions for desiring the open air experience. I may also do some stuff with my external lights as well, but that isn't too high on the priority list.
So, let me know what you guys think. As I am able to start these modifications, I'll post pictures. Since I've got a while before I can even start, I want to do a bit of a poll. So, with the Jeep being black, should I go with a black soft top and soft doors or should I go with khaki?
