Tonneau Cover and Bikini Top

[Blitz]

Impressive.

You Auzzies dont mess around. : )

You are sitting on a side business here.

The Quality is exceptional of the Canvas.
The Only thing I have seen, and I may be incorrect, is reinforced seams and gussets, triple or quadruple stitched would be a selling point.

I cant wait to see the Bikini Top.
I can see several designs working well.

Good Work.
Thank You for sharing your time and efforts.

When You figure out a selling price... I bet You can sell three pretty quick.

[goodo85]

We got busy at work today and ran a little late so I didn't get too much done on the top. I have the canvas cut and pre-shrunk a little.
Dad and I hashed over some plans and now they have changed... Like that's never happened
The top will mount the same as a factory hood at the front, coming down the windshield to the press stud on the front, the original plan was to then curve the sides backwards, flattening out at the rear. The back would wrap around the rear bar and get strapped to the middle bar. I have it mocked up here with some clamps:






Dad has been telling me all along to put a small back wall in it to add some thickness to the look from behind. After seeing it on the jeep from behind, I have to agree.
We also started playing with canvas scraps to add some more curves and shape to the sides and back.
This is roughly the looked we have decided on:




We were only playing with the passenger side. The drivers side is just folded up.




I won't get a chance to finish it for our day trip on Sunday. Looks like it'll be sometime next week now.

[goodo85]

Impressive.

You Auzzies dont mess around. : )

You are sitting on a side business here.

The Quality is exceptional of the Canvas.
The Only thing I have seen, and I may be incorrect, is reinforced seams and gussets, triple or quadruple stitched would be a selling point.

I cant wait to see the Bikini Top.
I can see several designs working well.

Good Work.
Thank You for sharing your time and efforts.

When You figure out a selling price... I bet You can sell three pretty quick.

Thanks Blitz.

The tonneau is about 3/4" short of being three layers thick along all the edges (I ran out of roll width). Looking back I could have added an extra piece in because it is hidden but it's a 12 ounce canvas so it's heavy enough to do the job.
The corners have a second piece on the underside that creates a chafe pad over the corner and also provides a place for me to hide the raw edge of the canvas where it is cut for the lifting lug, this will stop it fraying and makes the cut-out stronger.
The stitching along the sides doesn't take much weight. It would be pretty easy to run another couple stitches along it, although they can make the canvas gather-up a little.
The corners are the place where a lot of the stress is. It would be simple to run an extra stitch down each corner while I'm going though.

I will take a couple of pictures of the underside to give you a look.

[goodo85]

It's been a busy couple of months, work has been crazy, but I managed to get the bikini top done around late February. It has been sitting on the shelf since.
We are getting geared up at the moment for Camp Coffs. It is Australia's largest annual Jeep only event, held in Coffs Harbour NSW every Easter long weekend. It's good because it becomes the deadline for all the little jobs that you want to get done each year, problem is, they all cram together and we manage to spend the last couple of weeks working back every night trying to get them done. Each year dad and I say that we'll start earlier so there isn't such a last minute rush, but each year is the same. Haha.
Dad's project jeep would be an interesting read for this forum, I'm trying to get him to sign up and start a thread, either that or I might do it for him, if he doesn't pull his finger out.

Anyway, it's been good, I have finished a few more canvas jobs, am in the process of relocating my battery and now have power steering, a hydraulic clutch, a BJ's tail shaft relocation kit and new front wheel bearings. Plus a few more minor things. Not all of the work was done alone, my mechanical knowledge doesn't run that deep, I had one of the mechanics at work give me a hand while we had a quiet spell.

Pics to follow.

[goodo85]

I made this a fair while ago now, just a storage pocket that hangs from the windscreen vent slot.




This is another older job, I was playing around one afternoon and thought that a carpet lined pouch for the quarter windows could be cool.



This is something I have been wanting to do for a couple of years now, I made one for my CJ10 years ago and also a couple of WWII jeeps too. It has 1/2" under felt glued to the underside, it should help with a bit of the heat and transfer noise. It just clips on with 5 press studs each side.




I have some 3/8" foil lined high density foam coming that I will glue a floor mat rubber to and use in the foot wells. We have it in dad's jeep and it works well. They will just sit in like floor mats so they can be easily removed.

Another good job to get done, I covered the old tan J20 seat in canvas, it has a seating foam sewn on the back to pack and firm the seat up a bit




I also got the bikini top installed. I didn't get any good pics of it. I'll take a couple more tomorrow.

[Don Cavey]

G'day Mate! One thing that I have noticed is that you still have the steering wheel on the wrong side! Just kidding, nice work. Glad to see another M715 up and running in Australia. My daughter and family live in Melbourne, VIC.

[goodo85]

G'day Mate! One thing that I have noticed is that you still have the steering wheel on the wrong side! Just kidding, nice work. Glad to see another M715 up and running in Australia. My daughter and family live in Melbourne, VIC.

Hey Don,

That is actually one of the things I looked into when I was weighing up whether to buy it or not, along with the cost of import and getting to western Canada where I was going to be working at the time. Lucky for me, anything older than 30 years can stay LHD. I wouldn't want it any other way, that's part of the enjoyment in driving it.

Yeah I see you were over visiting earlier this year - You might have to visit your daughter for Easter one year, and just "happen" to bring them all to Coffs Harbour on holidays. After all, you weren't to know Australia's biggest Jeep event was on. haha

[hambone]

Good looking work, I thought about making an OD canvas padded cover to go on top of my battery box, maybe with cup holders.

[goodo85]

Good looking work, I thought about making an OD canvas padded cover to go on top of my battery box, maybe with cup holders.

Mine never had the battery box. When I bought it, it had an old red vinyl bench seat and the battery under the hood. I have often looked at pictures of jeeps with the factory battery box though, and wondered how your elbows go with the square edged corners?

[Blitz]

I just want to say , You do nice work.

I like the window covers that are padded, and the dash / vent pocket organizer.

I already commented favorably about the bed cover... a few weeks back

Just wanted to chime in for a second and show some appreciation for your craftmanship.
Enjoy the day, and thanks for posting the pictures.