Repairing Hardtop Damage?

[SunburntJeeper]

I’ve seen a few threads of people repairing their hardtops where the fiberglass is all intact, just broken/separated. Has anyone tried to repair a freedom panel with corner pieces missing entirely? The inner front and rear corners of my drivers side freedom panel are completely gone at this point.

There’s no water leaking in, but the wind noise isn’t ideal and this damage can’t be good long-term…

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[Terrymo]

Maybe take it to a small surfboard or boat repair shop and see what they think. But inquiring minds want to hear the story on this damage.

 

[SunburntJeeper]

Maybe take it to a small surfboard or boat repair shop and see what they think. But inquiring minds want to hear the story on this damage.

Surfboard repair shop is a really good idea, hopefully the cost will be under $100…

My best guess as to how they were damaged is that someone dropped them. I guess this comes with the territory of buying a used rental jeep

 

[Malyk]

Honestly it would be better and cheaper to replace than fix, labor isn't cheap

 

[TrentYoung]

Not a chance in the world that will cost even less than $500. To even recondition a surfboard would cost more than that. Your asking for a reconstruction of a chunk.

 

[lowmpg]

Brand new panels for $528, passenger side is $670. Out of stock now but wait on that. Just buy one.
Especially if it isn’t leaking and is just annoying.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/targa-panel-textured-black-jl-jt

 

[BXFXJeep]

Maybe consider a Sunrider for Hardtop

 

[SunburntJeeper]

Maybe consider a Sunrider for Hardtop

Sunrider for hardtop is the best solution, I just hate how expensive it is.

 

[BXFXJeep]

Sunrider for hardtop is the best solution, I just hate how expensive it is.

Check out the buy and sell section, and Facebook marketplace

Someone offered one for sale here for $100 a few weeks ago ?

 

[AndySpill]

I’ve seen a few threads of people repairing their hardtops where the fiberglass is all intact, just broken/separated. Has anyone tried to repair a freedom panel with corner pieces missing entirely? The inner front and rear corners of my drivers side freedom panel are completely gone at this point.

There’s no water leaking in, but the wind noise isn’t ideal and this damage can’t be good long-term…

If anyone could answer this, IMHO, it would be Jeff Scherb @jscherb....

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/hardtop-summer-storage.44894/post-988733

 

[jscherb]

If anyone could answer this, IMHO, it would be Jeff Scherb @jscherb....

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/hardtop-summer-storage.44894/post-988733

Pretty much anything made of fiberglass or fiberglass variants like the SMC the factory hardtops are made of is repairable, even if pieces are missing. Here are two examples of repairs...

This first pair of photos shows a hardtop that someone had dropped on its corner, which cracked the inner and outer skins and separated them. Nothing was missing, but both inner and outer skins were cracked pretty badly. The right photo shows the hardtop after being repaired:

And speaking of pieces missing entirely...

This next pair of Freedom Panels were in a bad accident and large chunks of the rear side of the inner skins were missing. The left photo compares the damaged panels (top) to undamaged ones, you can see what's missing. (BTW if you look closely at the undamaged panels they've been modified to have pop-up skylights, but that's another story). The right photo shows one of the two panels after being repaired, you can see that the missing section has been replaced:

With more detailed photos of the damaged Freedom Panel (both inside and outside) I can offer suggestions on how to do a repair.

 

[Bandit59]

Surfboard repair shop is a really good idea, hopefully the cost will be under $100…

My best guess as to how they were damaged is that someone dropped them. I guess this comes with the territory of buying a used rental jeep
[/QUOE. Can’t do anything for a Hundo anymore. Those days have passed

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