Author Topic: Bikini Top for my 1980 Moke (Read 909 times)

Graeme · « **on:** August 22, 2020, 02:42:50 PM »

Hi All,

First post so hopefully I have this question in the right place

Interested in getting a Bikini top for my red 1980 Moke for this summer

Really like what Casper had made for his Moke (Casper at the finish line April 2009) and have tried a PM to him with no reply unfortunately so am putting these questions out there

1) Am concerned about putting to much pressure on the windscreen - Is or should there be a bar running between the windscreen and the roll bar
2) What sort of clearance did the top have to his head (apparently it flapped his head occasionally)when stopped and whether I should put a attachment bar to the roll bar to give me some more clearance
3) Effectiveness of the Bikini top in stopping wind/sun burn to my face

Lastly I have had someone mention once that the Moke I have must originally had some sort of Bikini top as it has 3 x flip clips on the roll bar (1 centre top on rear of bar and 1 each on the side to the outside halfway down)which possibly was used to secure it

The roll bar was made by KG Engineering and is aluminium

Any thoughts/help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Graeme

Terry · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2020, 07:21:59 PM »

Hi,

A link to the post from Casper with its new top.

https://www.mokeforum.com.au/index.php?topic=3342.msg38878#msg38878

My experience with this sort of roof is you should run at least a bar each side from the roll bar to windscreen to support the windscreen when the top billows. Also I would say run a short bow between each support in about the centre of the roof to give the material a bit of support and shape. It might also give you a bit of extra head clearance and the KG bars are set back a little further fromt he screen so it will help there as well.

Unless you use straps to pull the roof tight tot he rear of the car like Casper I would say that the three pins currently on the roof wont be enough and I suspect they were there for holding a full roof to stop the billowing that happens with the standard roofs. I used run a short roof held on to the roll bar using press studs and it was always tearing them out of the bar.

Terry

Terry · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2020, 07:34:00 PM »

Hi,

here are some other styles worth looking at.

From Hag, https://www.mokeforum.com.au/index.php?topic=4710.msg48961#msg48961

Another couple of soft top styles that try to address some of the issues differently.

https://www.mokeforum.com.au/index.php?topic=12578.msg155528#msg155528

And these three are the inspiration behind the hard top I built for the Beach Boys Moke.

https://www.mokeforum.com.au/index.php?topic=12578.0

Terry

Graeme · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2020, 03:52:36 PM »

Hi

Thanks Terry for your follow up thoughts and pictures - Much appreciated

Will go down the track of your suggestion to run bars from the windscreen to the roll bar with a bow between them - Has anyone done something similar that may give me a heads up on how they connected them to the windscreen and roll bar

Also still interested if anyone can confirm less windburn to my face/head by having a bikini roof

Cheers

Graeme

Terry · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2020, 04:06:45 PM »

Hi,

yes you will have less windburn and less of the 'wallop' as the air comes over and around the windscreen and smacks your head around. Definitely worth doing.

Terry

Terry · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2020, 07:01:44 PM »

Hi,

this roof is no longer attached to the rollbar but you can see the extra support bars and the fittings used for the cross bar and the front edge.

Terry

Maystro · « **Reply #6 on:** March 11, 2021, 09:45:59 PM »

Ok after lots of deliberation about what is the best roll cage design to go with the best Bikin top, I ended up just keeping my existing roll bar and welding a rear cross bar to anchor the intended bikini top.

It seems good upholsterers are a dying breed so I just thought I would dolly something up myself with some 30 year old piece of tarpaulin to see how it looks and flaps.

I reckon this will work fine.

Any thoughts are most welcome?

Brad

Maystro · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2021, 04:36:24 PM »

Finally got my new bikini top fitted.

It was definitely worth the 12 month wait to get Michael from Resurrected Auto Upholstery to do the job. Not a flap in sight and tight as a drum.

He also re upholstered the original 81 seat frames after sand blasting and painting. I forgot these seats actually had base sliders.

Brad

Terry · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2021, 08:00:29 PM »

Hi,

not a lot of clearance on the front wheel arches there.

Is there any support bar(s) beside the roll bar?

Terry

Maystro · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2021, 09:03:33 PM »

Terry, no clearance problems at all, maybe that is why I am running "rubber bands"

?

If you get a good auto upholsterer you don't need support bars. Everything is mounted to the roll bar and that is it?

Brad