[OFF-CHOPS]

Hey guys,

I'm looking at doing a vitara hardtop ute chop,

Bought this vitara (2L 2door 97 swb hardtop) in immaculate condition for $2500 and want to chop it!

Reason is because I do a lot of pig hunting with mates but always have to ride in their car once we hit the tracks, so I'm going to be putting on a steel tray and dog cage to even the weight out!

Anyway have any experience with hardtop ute chops, I have no idea at all on how to?

Cheers heaps fellas

[alien]

like this?



viewtopic.php?t=41698

[atari4x4]

if you have to ask, it's probably well out of your skill set & to pay someone to do it you'd easily blow the purchase price & probably even more... and i'm not sure how cutting the back off a hard top & adding a dog cage & tray is going to even out the weight.

FYI alien pretty sure that's a SWB soft top on a LWB chassis from memory

[alien]

yeah it is, and its a 1.6 - but the theory is similar.. kinda sorta.

[atari4x4]

have you seen the B pillar of a vitara hardtop?

[OFF-CHOPS]

Would I be able to just cut the top off, all the way down to the bottom of the back window on the door of the hardtop, and then remove carpet so the dogs can sit there! And also add a wind blocking canvas thingo?

[Marko_SJ]

OFF-CHOPS wrote:

Hey guys,

I'm looking at doing a vitara hardtop ute chop,

Bought this vitara (2L 2door 97 swb hardtop) in immaculate condition for $2500 and want to chop it!

Reason is because I do a lot of pig hunting with mates but always have to ride in their car once we hit the tracks, so I'm going to be putting on a steel tray and dog cage to even the weight out!

Anyway have any experience with hardtop ute chops, I have no idea at all on how to?

Cheers heaps fellas

My honest opinion is this:

Clean it up, sell for profit and buy a hilux or sierra ute. More room for your gear and dogs on either and they were made just for this sort of work, plus its not a huge project.

[Gwagensteve]

^ this. Chopping a hardtop into a ute is going to end up a mess.

[alien]

OFF-CHOPS wrote:

Would I be able to just cut the top off, all the way down to the bottom of the back window on the door of the hardtop, and then remove carpet so the dogs can sit there! And also add a wind blocking canvas thingo?

If you did that you'd lose the rigidity in the body.

[OFF-CHOPS]

Yeah just reviewed the idea and im just going to remove the back glass window on the hardtop!
but still need to find a way the dogs can easily get in and out without myself having to jump out and open the back door up.

Cheers all,

[Jezza86]

Remote rear boot release, gass struts to swing it open, piece of rope to shut it

[alien]

or just unbolt the rear door entirely?

[Jezza86]

alien wrote:

or just unbolt the rear door entirely?

then the dogs will jump out anytime, and be too buggered to actually chase anything.

[vet 180]

Sell and get a hilux

[lost]

in new Zealand the pig hunters when they get to there hunting area let the dogs out of the box then they get them to jump up onto the bonnet drive around at about 20 to 30 kmh when the dogs wind something they jump off and into it they glue a bit of carpet on the bonnet for the dogs to stand on