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Any 2-Door, Manual Rubicons out there?

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Edslittleworld

Edslittleworld

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It's funny that many of your JLRs only have the soft top. Is that by your choice? I upgraded to a hardtop and while it's better, it cost me well over $4K with the wiring and such.
 

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It's funny that many of your JLRs only have the soft top. Is that by your choice? I upgraded to a hardtop and while it's better, it cost me well over $4K with the wiring and such.
I started with a soft top because that’s the one I could find on the lot that had the other options I wanted. I have since picked up a hard top for $1k and still need to get the wiring kit installed.
 

SH556JL

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It's funny that many of your JLRs only have the soft top. Is that by your choice? I upgraded to a hardtop and while it's better, it cost me well over $4K with the wiring and such.
I wanted the soft top and was not willing to pay extra for the hardtop. I have the top down as much as possible when driving it. Sometimes take the doors off.
 

en480c4

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I love my 6-speed JLR. Didn’t mind it was soft top only considering it had everything else I wanted.

That said, I was on the lookout for a hard top. 2 doors didn’t pop up much, and when I just missed out on a few in the $1200-1500 range, I was pretty disappointed.

Fast forward a few months, and I found perhaps my best Facebook Marketplace deal ever. I picked up a hard top with a smashed rear window for $200. The seller had traded his 2 door for a Gladiator, and knowing a Mopar rear window was $800+, figured he’d get what he could. A few hours away I found another hard top, this one with a badly smashed corner but rear glass and freedom panels and for $100 at a body shop. They were getting ready to cut off up and throw it in the dumpster and figured they’d try to get something for it. They threw in a JK hard top shell as well, which I grabbed for my father’s Jeep. Picked them all up the same day, got the good glass installed in under an hour and was able to sell the extra set of freedom panels for $150. So I’m enjoying my $150 hard top. Not too worried about the harness… I figured the soft top does have rear defrost or a rear wiper, so I can manage without it.
 

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It's funny that many of your JLRs only have the soft top. Is that by your choice? I upgraded to a hardtop and while it's better, it cost me well over $4K with the wiring and such.
I never viewed the hard top as an "upgrade", per se, more like a preference. I got the soft top because I like being able the fold the whole thing back on a whim. Had nothing to do with cost
 

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The novelty of the full fold back wore off quickly for me. I have the Bestop Sunrider for Hard Top that I can pop open and closed while in motion and without leaving my seat. Best of both worlds. More insulated for sound and temperature than soft top, and still easy access to open air if I want it.

EDIT: I should also mention that big part of it for me was more security. I was always worried when leaving the vehicle unattended with a soft top. Of course any vehicle can be broken into, but with a soft top it's really quick and easy to get your hands inside.
 

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Anu2g

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The novelty of the full fold back wore off quickly for me. I have the Bestop Sunrider for Hard Top that I can pop open and closed while in motion and without leaving my seat. Best of both worlds. More insulated for sound and temperature than soft top, and still easy access to open air if I want it.

EDIT: I should also mention that big part of it for me was more security. I was always worried when leaving the vehicle unattended with a soft top. Of course any vehicle can be broken into, but with a soft top it's really quick and easy to get your hands inside.
I didn't know they made that for the 2 door. That does seem like a good compromise
 

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I didn't know they made that for the 2 door. That does seem like a good compromise
The Freedom Panels are the same for the 2 Door and 4 Door. It's just the rest of the top that's a different size.

IMG_0529.jpeg


IMG_0536.jpeg
 

Anu2g

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The Freedom Panels are the same for the 2 Door and 4 Door. It's just the rest of the top that's a different size.

Jeep Wrangler JL Any 2-Door, Manual Rubicons out there? IMG_0536


Jeep Wrangler JL Any 2-Door, Manual Rubicons out there? IMG_0536
Looks great. I do like having the safari mode option, though. But I definitely see the appeal for this top
 

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I chose the soft top for my 2nd time around because of the cost, ease of lowering the top. My last jeep had a hard top and found I left it on more than taking it off due to the lazy factor. There was a lot of beautiful days I should have had the top off but was like meh...I dont feel like it. No excuses now!.....
 

AcesandEights

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It's funny that many of your JLRs only have the soft top. Is that by your choice? I upgraded to a hardtop and while it's better, it cost me well over $4K with the wiring and such.
As some others have posted, I didn't look at the hard top as an upgrade. I ordered my Jeep (2021 JLR), and I specifically ordered it with soft top. I ordered another one just like it, but a year newer (2022 JLR). For me the soft top offers so many opportunities to run without the top or with the "safari" top that I couldn't see the hard top as an advantage in any way. I don't know if it insulates better or is quieter, because the soft top isn't cold or loud (in my opinion) so it would be an answer without a question. I didn't realize I "saved" $4,000 and got what I wanted, but that makes it even nicer to know, and makes me think my winch, bumper, radio, etc. were "free", haha ;)

BTW, my 2022 JLR will be my third Wrangler with a soft top.
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