Even here in California, it sometimes gets a little too chilly to roll around without a top on. Having no top whatsoever is great for a portion of the year, but when the wind starts whipping around the year, but when the wind starts whipping around the windshield and starts to freeze things that shouldn't be frozen, it's probably time to get something on the roof. Driving up to Idaho and back for the Ultimate Adventure taught us that.
But in cases like our K5 Blazer, a giant fiberglass top can add some serious weight and can certainly make your rig top-heavy. Besides that, the factory hardtop really takes away from the outdoor off-road experience, so we were really looking for the option of a ragtop that we can fold up and throw in the back of the truck, just in case we wuss up and need something overhead.
Remembering back to our youth and the Blazers of yore, there was a company called Kayline that made tops for Blazers and Broncos, but we hadn't seen them around for quite some time. A couple clicks on the mouse, and we found the new Specialty Top Company, a brand of products created from the old Kayline stuff. The name had changed and so had the product, but that was something we would not fully appreciate until trying to install the top.
Specialty Top Company had also branched out to make tops for just about every open-top 4x4 you can think of. All K5s, all Broncos, Ramchargers, Zuks, all Jeeps (even the Jeepster!), and 4Runners are covered in its lineup. The tops can be ordered with a vinyl or denim finish in a variety of colors, and with snaps or STC's Fasttrac system. We went with the Fasttrac K-locks on a black denim vinyl top, as the denim gives the top more of a matte look.
Stop. Before you get bolt-on...
Stop. Before you get bolt-on happy, start grabbing framerails, and feeling like you can install this without directions, go put the vinyl top in the sun. Now, do it! Letting the top warm up makes it more pliable and stretchy, and your job will be much easier. We know because it was 45 degrees with no sun the day we did our install. Cursing was almost a must while trying to get this soft top over the top's framing. Since we had no sun, we started on the main aluminum body rails. There are holes that allow you to drive bolts through into the original hardtop nutplates in the body. After we finished the install and stretched the top on, we found we needed to go back and throw some sheetmetal screws in the corners of the aluminum rails to keep the vinyl top from bending them up too much when it was cold and the top tightened up.
We read the directions on...
We read the directions on how to install the windshield rail, took the advice as best as possible, and then started to measure to make sure that it lined up with the top since our K5's body wasn't exactly straight. The windshield framerail has a few self-tapping screws that hold it in place. STC recommends that you screw in one sheetmetal screw and see how it fits before you finish with them all. The rear tailgate aluminum strip installs the same as the windshield strip with sheetmetal screws, right below the lip of the tailgate.
The window frames have two...
The window frames have two metal rods that sit in holes you drill in the windshield frame and the body just behind the door. We found it easiest to roll up the window and use it as a guide while deciding where exactly to drill the holes...
...There are instructions...
...There are instructions included that indicate roundabout placement, and depending on how bent your body is....
There are three soft-top bows...
There are three soft-top bows that mount in place along the aluminum side rails. The front one has a hole that allows attachment to the window frame rod, while the second and third support the middle and rear of the top.
The rear bow has a swinging...
The rear bow has a swinging bracket on both sides that allows you to lock it into place after the soft top is on so you don't have to struggle while installing and stretching the top over it.
Once the bows are in, there...
Once the bows are in, there are inner bow liners sewn onto the top that hold the soft top in place on the bows using button snaps.
You can choose from snaps...
You can choose from snaps or K-locks to hold the soft top on. We chose the Fasttrac top and therefore got the K-locks. The K-lock is a plastic strip with a lip that lines up under the aluminum top rails and locks the top into place. Some people might like the old-school snap design, but we're sick of pulling sheetmetal screws out of the body when the buttonhead of the snap doesn't let go.
A really nice feature of the...
A really nice feature of the STC top is that the rear gate window and sides zip off using heavy-duty YKK zippers. If it's warm enough, this allows you to ride in the open air, while still having some shade to protect you from the sun.
After installing the top in Northern California, we drove through the night back to Southern California, the top keeping the heat in and the cold off us. Sometimes you need something in between you and sub-40 degree temperature (we know Canadians are laughing at us now). We spent the next three days wheeling, flogging the Blazer through mud, and twisting the truck up. The top's upper ribs creaked a little during some extreme twist, but no part of it ever popped off the framing (except when we hit a rock and the tailgate flew open-we're thankful the vinyl top popped off its rail then, or we could have been buying another top). The STC top kept us covered, and mud- and rain-free inside the cab.