Colorado Adventures Continued (Punk'n JLR)

[Krondor]

Neoprene Foam Tape

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G382DX4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1​

Reduced wind noise a bit by adding neoprene foam tape to the leading edge of each freedom top. I might have opted for 1" wide and 1/8" thick if I had it to do over, but it's better and I'm happy with it. No it didn't make the Jeep as quiet as a luxury sedan but it's so much better than the old Jeep.

Not that it will matter in the summer with no top, but for now I have a Jeep I can carry on a conversation in.

I also checked the window frame and rubber seals for issues and all looked good. You can see where the factory added a bit of tape of their own so I'm thinking this is a known issue.

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[rigormortis]

Nice work on the Punk'n Dash!! Love it!! I have a buddy that paints cars for a living, so I may go that route : ^ )

 

[5280Sapper]

looks pretty slick!!!

 

[Krondor]

looks pretty slick!!!

Thanks. I'm fairly happy with it. Now if Bestop and AEV would release the bits I need before summer.

(Soft top/bikini and bumpers.)

 

[WildBlue]

I enjoyed checking out all that you have done to Wanda! Terrific work! I gotta get to Colorado in the Fall to hike those colors! Cheers!

 

[Krondor]

Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop with Black Twill

This lovely demo box showed up at my door. Christmas already? Woohoo!

The box arrived with staggered hand holds that made carrying it in easy. Packaging was great with foam supports at either end with everything nicely plastic wrapped.

Foam padding protected the rails. Hardware and instructions included as expected.

Once unpacked, it’s easy to see the quality of the materials. The fabric and clamps are top notch with well thought out padding placement.

I packed the freedom tops to be stored in the basement.

First thing’s first, read the instructions. Then, check to make sure what rail goes on what side to avoid z-clip headaches. The picture in the instructions section 3 is a big clue but it’s not highlighted. Notice how the rails are attached here.

Once you have the correct rail on the correct side, pushing the z-clips into place is much easier. You will not need pliers or anything to pull a huge length out. Things fit just right with a little patience and alignment. They stay in place fairly well when correctly aligned so if you have to yank and pull or are otherwise having issues, you are doing it wrong. Watch the published install video and then get the alignment down. Once you see it, it will be easy.

I did have to spend a bit of time with the wrong rail and alignment before I found the right way to put the z-clips into place.

I was able to put the assembly into place by myself but was careful about where I set it to avoid paint issues.

As the video points out, make sure the padding all aligns to avoid issues later.

The bolts go in just as expected. Be sure the bolt to the rear goes into the plastic bucket.

Once tightened down I noticed how solid the clamps are. They are much more firm in their grip.

One odd thing, that detracts a bit for me is this white strip on the inside. Not sure why it wouldn’t be black cloth, but it’s an eyesore for me at least.

Once installed, you can really notice the build quality and finish. I really like the fit.

First impressions:

As expected the wind noise was a bit higher than the freedom tops with Hothead Headliners and added neoprene foam tape, but honestly not bad. I could still talk comfortably with my wife and she was very happy with it. We drove with it open and then the noise was noticeable but the ease of getting that open top feel was liberating.

It’s a bit chilly these days, but I will still happily use it. Already it’s opening an option that the freedom tops didn’t have. Who wants to pull over and take those two beasts off only to have to store them in the limited trunk space? This really is a great option from Bestop. I’ll be living with this a bit more and see what I can pick at but initially, I’m floored. Very well done.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Installed the Hothead Headliners.

Very well built and easy to install. I'm glad I got them.

Why the Hothead kit instead of the OEM headliner?

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Not that I know of yet. I'd seriously have thought about buying a ready set after all this...

Are you saying there's a dash panel kit that you can buy color matched to your JL? I can't find this online. Link??

 

[Krondor]

Are you saying there's a dash panel kit that you can buy color matched to your JL? I can't find this online. Link??

"Not that I know of yet."

There is another member that seems to be painting dash panels so you might look for him, but I'm sure you can also find a local shop that will paint them for you without the shipping, core charge, etc. It makes a great impact IMHO.

Good luck.

 

[Krondor]

New Recovery Goodies!

More recovery goodies arrived today.

Gotta be able to get out of the bad choices when you start to get over confident.

 

[Geos7812]

More recovery goodies arrived today.

Gotta be able to get out of the bad choices when you start to get over confident.

Nice. My recovery pack showed up from them not long ago. We certainly spend a lot of money on “just in case.”

 

[Krondor]

Nice. My recovery pack showed up from them not long ago. We certainly spend a lot of money on “just in case.”

That's absolutely true, but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

That goes for recovery gear, water, layers, extra socks, med kit, etc.

 

[Geos7812]

That's absolutely true, but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

That goes for recovery gear, water, layers, extra socks, med kit, etc.

Yep. Agreed. Plus it all looks cool.

 

[Krondor]

For those of you who have not been watching Youtube, I highly recommend the following two channels.

Great ideas for camping and exploring, and just fun.

Camping GEAR We Love & Hate - TrailRecon & Lite Brite




TrailRecon & Lite Brite Go Offroading Together!

 

[Cwu21]

What was the total time that took you to paint your dash?

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