4x4Review Off Road Magazine
Summer approaches in Dallas, TX. People are spending more time outside and the days are getting longer and hotter. Sunny and hot may sound great to sun worshippers, but not so much if you are on a first name basis with the dermatologist. It’s time to start thinking about protection from the glaring sun. No more peeling burned skin off of this fair skinned Texan. While Project Over Easy already had a great Bikini top from Bestop, we plan to add rear seating in the months ahead and want to have solar protection for the backseat passengers. This meant a full-length top rather than a traditional Scrambler half-cab. There are several manufacturers of full length hardtops for Scramblers, but we wanted to keep the flexibility and the look of a quality soft top – not to mention the ability to go convertible on demand. Bestop makes just such a solution with their Supertop line of high quality soft tops. A Few Details on the Bestop Supertop for the Jeep Scrambler CJ-8:
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| Get over it: Important: You will be drilling holes in your Jeep. For some Jeepers this is a rite of passage… Making the Jeep your own. For others of us, particularly those that come from a car restoration background, cutting holes in your vehicle is something that is avoided at all costs. Well, if you fall into the second category, get over it. You are about to improve your Jeep with the installation of this Bestop Supertop. |
  “Measure Twice, Cut Once”:One of the first things that the Bestop instructions have you do is to measure the distance from the top lip of the windshield to the top outer edge of the body. This distance must equal 97-3/4”. This is a very exact measurement that is key to the proper fitting of the Bestop SupetTop soft top and doors. Adjustment can be made at the windshield to dash hold-downs. Once you have this measurement set on both sides of your Jeep, you are ready to move on to soft top hardware mounting. |
 Windshield Retainer installation:The drilling begins with the installation of the Bestop Supertop windshield retainer. This two piece retainer (right and left) serves as the front anchor for the length of the Supertop. |
   Belt rail installation:This is an area where the quality of the Bestop components begins to shine. The Bestop Supertop belt rails are a series of black crinkle-finish channels designed to be mounted on the top of the Jeep tub beginning at the back of the door and running around the rear corners of the tub. These attractive components provide a secure and weather-sealed anchor point for the Supertop side curtains and rear Supertop soft-top corners. They also provide the anchor points for the bow assembly. Once installed the belt rails add a degree of fit and finish, especially due to the quality of the hardware, that can not be equaled by simpler button-snap soft-tops. |
   Bow assembly installation:The Bestop Supertop bow assembly is made up of vertical and horizontal rods providing rigidity around the upper door opening of the soft-top as well as the two top bows spanning the top from driver’s side to the passenger side of the Jeep. These components form the skeletal structure of the soft top and provide the Scrambler with a handsome profile once the full Bestop Supertop is installed. |
 Soft top installation:Timing and temperature are key to the Bestop Supertop installation on a Scrambler. As stated in the instructions we made sure that we waited to install the soft-top until we had a day with temperatures exceeding 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, we took advantage of the warm day by laying the top out in the sun while we performed the hardware installation. We learned how important this was to do as well as to accurately adjust the windshield angle when installing the top. The Bestop Supertop is made to exacting tolerances (perhaps more so than this 30 year old Scrambler) as the top was a tight but secure fit. With help from a friend, we installed the Supertop beginning first at the windshield and then working our way back to the rear bow (see snaps) and then the rear corners of the tub. The new look of Project Over Easy was really taking shape now. |
  Side and rear curtain installation:The final components to be installed for Part 1 of the Bestop Supertop installation were the rear and side curtains. The side curtains were a snap to install through use of the high quality Bestop zippers and lower channels. The rear curtain took a bit more time as it is necessary to align three zippers (top, left and right) along with the rear curtain retainer. This retainer spans the tail-gate expanse and is secured by the two tub corner belt rails and then by closing the tail-gate. Note: If you are still using the traditional CJ-style drop-down tail-gate, the only way to open the tail-gate will be from inside the Jeep. |
| Installation – Bestop Supertop® Doors; Jeep CJ8 Scrambler |
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| Time: | 2 hours | |||
| Tools Needed: | Phillips screwdriver, 7/16” wrench, 1/8 allen wrench, awl (for making holes in door fabric for Bestop latch assemblies) and safety glasses | |||
| Difficulty: |  |
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Installation
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The Verdict
Project Over Easy has a great new look and the additional sun protection that we wanted for rear seat passengers. This Bestop Supertop has really transformed Project Over Easy. It looks less like a truck and more like a full-length SUV. Project Over Easy now sports a few new specifications with the addition of the Bestop Supertop:
- Top length (windshield to rear bow): 85” or greater than the wheelbase of a CJ-5
- Total Top length (front of door to rear tub corner): 104.5” or greater than the CJ-8 wheelbase
- Added height (at center bow): 3.5” height increase adding character to the Scrambler profile
During our installation of the Bestop Supertop, we were impressed by the effort that Bestop put into documentation. The instructions were well written and quite thorough (with one exception noted below). All components, even the included fasteners, were of the highest quality. We were thoroughly impressed by the fit and finish of the Bestop components and are confident that they will last for years to come.
The only points of note for future buyers of a Bestop Supertop for the Scrambler CJ-8 are the following:
- During our installation, we would have benefitted from Left-to-Right measurements for the mounting of the windshield brackets that receive the horizontal rods (running above the doors). This would be a key addition as it important for proper door sealing.
- After our installation we experienced a new parking challenge. As noted above, the new top adds nearly four inches of height, which when added to our 4.5” of lift and 35” tires, makes getting into and out of a standard garage a challenge – Certainly no fault of the soft top, but something buyers might consider before charging into their garage at full speed. We handle this by pulling down on the center bow each time we go in or out of the garage.
Other than these two points, we are very pleased with the new form and functionality of the new Bestop Supertop soft top and doors. The Jeep now has the full sun protection that we wanted, not to mention protection from the rain, cold and snow for all occupants. The tinted side and rear curtains windows are a great touch and they can easily be removed and stored for open-air wheeling. We also really like the Wrangler-style paddle actuation for the Supertop Two-Piece doors. It is great to have a simple but effective latch mechanism and the added convenience of locking handles.
In summary, we are impressed with our new Bestop Supertop soft top and two-Piece doors for Project Over Easy. The quality of the material, fit and finish of the components and level of detail provided in the instructions are second to none. This is particularly impressive as Bestop is the only manufacturer of full-length soft tops for the Jeep Scrambler as of the writing of this article. Some manufacturers may have been tempted to ease-up on quality or features when maintaining a monopoly, but this is certainly not the case with Bestop.
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