want to make xj soft doors

gboroxj

Active Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Location
Greensboro
okay i have tube doors on my xj for the summer and it is a hassel to put the real doors back on everytime it rains. any advice on how i could make some removable skins for my tube doors and something for a window to go up to the roof. dont need it to be air tight but i want it so i can drive my car if it rains and not get soaked with out puttin my real doors back on. trying to keep this pretty in expensive. thought about cutting up an old leaky wrangler soft top maybe but cant find one for free or cheap. any advice? here is my tube door
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I would do like the TJ soft doors and make a frame out of some 3/8"-1/2" tube/rod and then wrap it wth fabric and have them slide down into the bottoms.
 
Use lexan on the bottom and get a canvas maker to sew the top around a thin frame. that way you could have a window that zips out.
 
i like yalls ideas. i was thinking on the tubing for the top to keep it cheap use pvc with elbows. also for the window i found a heavy duty clear shower curtain at lowes. im not trying to make these things perfect. now two problems. one where do i find canvas or something like canvas for the bottom of the door and the trim around the window? and how much would that run me. when i said keep it cheap i meant it. also how could i attach the pvc upper to the existing tube door. keep in mind im trying to make this a quick alternative to the real doors
 
gboroxj said:
i like yalls ideas. i was thinking on the tubing for the top to keep it cheap use pvc with elbows. also for the window i found a heavy duty clear shower curtain at lowes. im not trying to make these things perfect. now two problems. one where do i find canvas or something like canvas for the bottom of the door and the trim around the window? and how much would that run me. when i said keep it cheap i meant it. also how could i attach the pvc upper to the existing tube door. keep in mind im trying to make this a quick alternative to the real doors
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You could weld receivers of tube with a slightly larger OD than the PVC to the top tube of the door and drill them and the PVC to accept tractor pins or bolts or something to act as a keeper.

In fact looking at your doors, the rear tube's mouth is pointed upwards, maybe you can make the PVC fit in there and only put one up front?.
 
are you talking about temp use, as in upto an hr or so, or are you planning to wheel all day with it? if just a short time, i would skip making them zip open, and just attach the clear vinyl to the frame. with pvc you'll need cross bracing as I think it will flex.
 
im talking just like throw them on for an hour or so if we have a summer thunderstorm. i dont want to have to worry about getting home to put it under a tarp if its about to storm i would just like it so i can drive around in the rain. but yes it is for temp use only. i am prolly just gonna hot glue everything together so no zippers. and yeah i see where i would need to cross support it and i could. and im liking the ideas for mounting. now only problem is what material to use for the bottom half of the door and trim.
 
oh and yeah i want the pvc cause i need to to flex a bit because of the contour of the body. the bottom is in about 2 inches out from the top. i was gonna run some velcrow along the top of the door and the roof line to flex the door a bit so that it will keep the rain out a little better.
 
built frame from pvc worked great cause heat it up and it bends well here is what i have also bought canvas tarp im gonna water proof for doors and shower curtain for windows. here is some pics so far
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ha ha ha yeah the john deere is an ongoing theme on it. it also is the colors of my quater pannels. but i think for now im skinning them with canvas. might paint the canvas one day this summer if i get bored. i kind of like having it completely open with the tube doors though thanks for the advice though
 
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