As well as some built 4x4s may work on the trail, they're sometimes a pain in the rear to drive on the pavement. Whether it's the constant hum of the big mud-chucker tires, the lockers chirping while cornering, or the lack of a set of doors and a top over your head, enduring the noise and the elements gets old after a while. Eager to bring back some peace and quiet to the cab of our '73 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, we looked to Bestop and its full line of easy-to-install soft tops.
The Bestop Tigertop includes all of the necessary items to cover your topless 4x4 and effectively seal the cab from excessive wind and road noise. A powdercoated, adjustable bow assembly supports the top, which is secured in place using reinforced snaps and Velcro. The top fabric is sewn with industrial-strength thread and offers roll-up side and rear windows made from heat-sealed vinyl. Along with the Bestop Tigertop, we also installed a set of Bestop's two-piece soft doors. The doors function as half or whole doors and also feature zip-down windows and durable paddle handles. Tigertops are available for many makes and models of vehicles equipped with factory removable hardtops or soft tops.
Before we were ready to install the top on our FJ40 Land Cruiser, we still required a key item that would allow the top proper fitment. Since the FJ40 was a well-used trail rig, it had experienced its share of rollovers, and as a result the stock windshield was tweaked beyond recognition. Since stock FJ40 parts don't just fall out of trees, we contacted the Toyota Land Cruiser specialists at Cruiser Solutions in Hampstead, New Hampshire. Cruiser Solutions has a huge selection of new and used Land Cruiser parts and accessories and also completes custom work and full restorations. To assist with our top installation, the company shipped us a '73 FJ40 windshield frame from its used-parts inventory. The frame was straight and in good condition, and we bolted it up to the 'Cruiser using custom 1/4-inch steel plates. The windshield frame would also allow the FJ40 back on the streets, since it had been relegated to trail use only since having its stock frame destroyed.