I have a 98 Isuzu Amigo with a soft top. Hard tops are extremely hard to come by and very expensive. I thought it would be cheaper to make my own. I have never used fiberglass before but was thinking of using a base of plywood and then fiberglassing over top of that. Has anyone done anything like this or have any ideas?
Here is a link of what I am trying to replicate.
Rally Top
I would use the plywood only as a former/mold for this project. I would build a frame using metal pipes that have a good diameter for the round areas. Then stretch a thin polyester cloth (speaker grill cloth is perfect) and lay resin into that. Then I would reinforce the inside of the shell with FG mat until it is strong enough to hold.
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That would be greatly appreciated! I have just posted two pictures with the cloth part of the soft top removed. I wasn't sure if I could somehow use the frame for making the hardtop.
Side view
Rear view
It can be done but i wouldn't do it personally. It would require framing for the glass(Hard part)and ribs for the structure. You would also need to fabricate or duplicate mounting for the top. Then you would stetch your material over the frame and glassing it. Then you would need to add layers of actual fiberglass mat to the frame to increase it's strength. Last thing would be sanding and paint prep.
All for all it would probably be easier and maybe cheaper(if you factor labor into it) to buy.
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The top looks very boxy in that picture you posted. I would make the majority of it out of some thin plywood and then cover it with fleece/fiber for a more rounded look.
it's a lot more work to make a large flat fiberglass panel than you are anticipating. if you have never worked with FG before i wouldn't even waste all the money on the materials if i were you. that much material isn't as cheap as you might be thinking to do it the right way. something like that is difficult for even experienced glass workers. just buy one
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