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Black Hard Top vs. Body Color Hard Top

Karl_in_Chicago

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I test drove a JL with a body colored top a couple day ago and the sales guy told me the top was aluminum and much lighter. I took the drivers side panel off and it seemed lighter, but I had not taken a top off for years. The sales guy at Bill Luke in Phoenix claims that 1 person can lift the entire top off without any help.
Not sure if the standard black hardtops are aluminum as well.
I am sure one person can. Who that one person is, of course, is probably important.
 

Spank

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I test drove a JL with a body colored top a couple day ago and the sales guy told me the top was aluminum and much lighter. I took the drivers side panel off and it seemed lighter, but I had not taken a top off for years. The sales guy at Bill Luke in Phoenix claims that 1 person can lift the entire top off without any help.
Not sure if the standard black hardtops are aluminum as well.
It's a polycarbonate material. Unless they've snuck something into the framework of the window, there's no aluminum in it at all.

That being said, take everything a sales guy at a Jeep dealership says with a grain of salt. I have yet to encounter one that knows anything about Wranglers.
 
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WranglerJLU4Greg

WranglerJLU4Greg

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I am pretty sure they are plastic, but I would not swear to it.
Thank you for that information. I guess I am going to have to go to one of the bigger dealerships in my area and see both black and painted tops. If the painted top is aluminum, the head liner would make more sense for retention of inside temperature and some sound insulation.
 

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WranglerJLU4Greg

WranglerJLU4Greg

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Does anyone know the price difference between the standard hard top and the body color top?
Still waiting for the JL's to hit here on Long Island. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
$1,095.00 for black hard top; $2,095 for painted hard top.
 

Man-of-methods

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Speaking of the headliner on the hard top, can anyone confirm that the headliner goes down the sides of the rear windows just like in the pictures on the build a Jeep site? I saw a JK with a headliner and it didn't come down the sides of the rear.
 

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I am sure one person can. Who that one person is, of course, is probably important.
Saw a guy do this for a JK (can't locate the video now) and basically after removing all the bolts, he placed a 2x8 board as a ramp onto the rear. Went inside, obviously with the door open and glass up, leaned over while standing in the middle and picked the whole thing up on his back. Casually walked down the plank and placed the top on the ground. He did seem like a decently large guy....
 

Billy

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Saw a guy do this for a JK (can't locate the video now) and basically after removing all the bolts, he placed a 2x8 board as a ramp onto the rear. Went inside, obviously with the door open and glass up, leaned over while standing in the middle and picked the whole thing up on his back. Casually walked down the plank and placed the top on the ground. He did seem like a decently large guy....
I've done that several times with my TJ, and I'm certainly not a huge man. 6'1", 175.
 

Smarrtazz

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I test drove a JL with a body colored top a couple day ago and the sales guy told me the top was aluminum and much lighter. I took the drivers side panel off and it seemed lighter, but I had not taken a top off for years. The sales guy at Bill Luke in Phoenix claims that 1 person can lift the entire top off without any help.
Not sure if the standard black hardtops are aluminum as well.
Perhaps this is the guy that lifts the entire top without help
AA35902D-B0DC-45FD-A06C-0B4F133445C1.gif
 

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Badasssuperdad

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I test drove a JL with a body colored top a couple day ago and the sales guy told me the top was aluminum and much lighter. I took the drivers side panel off and it seemed lighter, but I had not taken a top off for years. The sales guy at Bill Luke in Phoenix claims that 1 person can lift the entire top off without any help.
Not sure if the standard black hardtops are aluminum as well.
It takes 2 people to lift the entire back portion off.
 

cobra

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Speaking of the headliner on the hard top, can anyone confirm that the headliner goes down the sides of the rear windows just like in the pictures on the build a Jeep site? I saw a JK with a headliner and it didn't come down the sides of the rear.
It does go around the rear windows
 

kholding

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I'm pretty confident the top is not aluminum. It appeared to be some type of hardened styrofoam composite.
 

TopPinArcher

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I was on the fence when ordering my JL but when looking back at my JK's theres simply no way to justify the paint match top when i guarantee it'll get scratched, if not when removed for sure off-roading. Now it's a waiting game. I literally changed my mind 25 times, cold weather group...yes then no, NAV..no then yes, leather or cloth...leather..etc etc
 

u00bgg2

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Jeep roof are glass reinforced composite, they are NOT fiberglass. The technical term for the material is SMC, or sheet molded composite. The material type is virtually the same on the JL vs JK, the difference is the design of the inner portion you see and the texturing on the inside verse what was on the JK. Both tops come out of the molding process with out texture, the black roofs are textured during the painting process, the solid ones are not.
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