[kenzook]

Hi fellas, i have a sierra and i want a mariti top and back and ute lid/tonnau, i work in a place that produces fiberglass products and am thinking about making a few to sell to support my "factory wages" that i earn week to week.

but doing a search on here finds a few that have been interested but didn't eventuate??

want33 ?? what happened
tanshi?? no roofs??
tasierra took a mould but what happened??

all these threads died without a sale?? why??

so anyway i haven't actually laid my hands on a set yet so don't know how they fit or how they hold down etc, so can u buy genuine hold downs/latches or best to use aftermarket?? if so what have people used? what rubbers moldings are used??

the glass man at work gave me a rough estimate for toughened glass which is not exactly cheap for the curve and rounded edges but its a start.

id appreciate pictures on fitment and front to back relationship and fittings if someone has a genuine back and top.

any other tips or info i would greatly appreciate.

cheers.

[whincup]

i agree, there seems to be so much interest but no one ever goes through with it. id like to see someone do it so i hope this helps:

kenzook wrote:

so can u buy genuine hold downs/latches or best to use aftermarket??

I've used these to replace broken ones:
http://www.suzistore.com.au/four-wheel- ... etail.html
http://www.suzistore.com.au/four-wheel- ... etail.html

probably a bit expensive since you're already at over $100 build cost just in latches (not including the rear latch, different type that i dont think they sell), worth trying genuine so heres a link to the maruti parts number book. any suzuki dealer should be able to look them up for you to at least get a cost.
http://catalog.mdetali.ru/suzuki/?st=60 ... EwMw%3D%3D

(sorry, i dont know how to shorten this crap)

as for the rear window, its not curved. rounded corners yes but its a flat sheet... mine is anyway. I wouldnt worry about toughened either, save cost and weight.

[Gwagensteve]

I'll play.

I'm pretty familiar with the Maruti cab backs - I owned one myself and The trolley tug runs one.

The roof section fits MUCH better than the flexiglass etc versions. Yes, the factory clips are pretty important to get the correct load and a tight fit. Additionally, the factory roof section uses unique and complex shaped seals. I believe there's $150 or so in those from Suzuki.

The rear section fits over the B pillar and does so with some accuracy. Obviously there is also a steel bulkhead from waistline downwards. It attaches to the B pillar with a number of small self tapping screws. On the Trolley Tug, we replaced these with rivnuts. It's reasonably quick to remove.

The rear window will need to be toughened glass or it won't meet roadworthy requirements. Yes it is flat.

Going rate for a second hand cab back and roof is circa $450. Obviously to do the job properly you'd need to add latches, the rubber seals and a bulkhead. I suspect that remanufacturing the cab back alone with a properly fitted toughened window will cost that. The roof section is the same as the one used for the factory optional hardtops. It's a very complex moulding in FRP, not regular fibreglass. It has moulded in gutters etc too. There is also a black plastic liner inside the cab back that hides the rough fibreglass finish of the internal surface.

I think a realistic price for a quality copy of the factory roof, cab back including latches as seals would be over $1000.

My experience of the Flexiglass/tourertop roofs isn't good. All the ones I've seen have been noisy/ loose/ leaky/drafty.

I think it's very difficult to make a good, neat roof section without access to the FRP moulding techniques the factory used.

[kenzook]

thanks guys,

whincup, those links were great shows that there are a lot more components than i realised,as for the glass it would have be toughened, lay it on its side and damage to the b pillar and twist the maruti back would probably break normal glass.

gsteve, a thorough and in depth reply as usual.

Regular fiberglass comes in under the FRP banner, fiber reinforsed plastic OR fibre reinforced polymer - in this case fiberglass is the fibre and epoxy/polyester is the polymer and as such most often referred to as GRP. but of coarse there are lots of different fibers and polymers can be used. do u know which ones were used?? also complex moulds wont be a problem.

Quote:

the roof section is the same as the one used for the factory optional hardtops

original sizuki sierra tops the same as maruti tops, thanks thats good to know.

Quote:

There is also a black plastic liner inside the cab back that hides the rough fibreglass finish of the internal surface.

was thinking boot liner type stuff,, but what protects the b pillar from rub marks from maruti top??

Quote:

The rear window will need to be toughened glass or it won't meet roadworthy requirements. Yes it is flat.

yep i would only do toughened glass and yep i know it was flat glass but for some reason i thought the upper edge was slightly curved. ive only seen one in the flesh and it was a mismatch, the top had sanded out dimples/stipples which is aftermarket or so i believe.

Quote:

I think a realistic price for a quality copy of the factory roof, cab back including latches as seals would be over $1000.

was hoping for a little less because people are cheap these days (me too) and want a bargain. but ya cant put a price till you've made the second one and see how long it took and cost. after all making the mould and working through the first one is all R & D.

so for now id better keep looking for an original set with everything intact and get it in front of me and on the car and re assess what will be involved.

thanks all.

[Gwagensteve]

If you compare the finish of the roof section to the cab back, they're fundamentally different. I don't know all the compositions, but the roof has a very "plastic" feel. there's no evidence of fibres close to the surface or the normal fibreglass gelcoat feel. If you were told it was 100% ABS you'd believe it. When I say complex mould - it contains webbed bosses for all the latch screws, the gutters are a reasonable copy of a steel gutter, the external surface has a very fine texture moulded in - much like the accuracy of moulding of a dashboard, miles from the finish associated with a fibreglass canopy, for example.

The Maruti/factory SWB ute (like the trolley tug) B pillar is slightly differently profiled, and lacks the black plastic trim at the base of the pillars on each side. I recall the B pillar on the trolly tug had some soft adhesive foam on it to prevent damage/corrosion.

You can see the rebates in the top corners of the B pillar on the stock ute cab version here.



Yes, the window has a radius on it, but it's a flat window.



You can see some of the fit etc of the roof section here.





I think latches and stock seals will run $300+ Window + the actual parts you'll be making will have to be a few hundred dollars?

Steve.

[tanshi]

no one did them for the same reason that people struggle to sell anything Suzuki.

cos customers think that stuff is over priced even when its reasonable.

suzukis are cheap cars and convincing people that $200 isn't too much for a bash guard or a body lift is tough.

if its not financially viable people aren't going to put their time into it.

[henno]

Tanshi is on point. My mates have both spent $4500 on a bullbar winch and lights for their $50,000 Hiluxes, which seems semi-reasonable to them compared to the cost of the car itself.

Convincing a P-plater to spend $500 on a car that cost him $2000 is all but impossible.

[Chop]

henno wrote:

Convincing a P-plater to spend $500 on a car that cost him $2000 is all but impossible.

Yeah but will spend mega on a sik stezza!

[pete_79]

But apparently a bull bar, a tow bar, a fuel tank and a bash plate aren't even worth $250 altogether. Confused

[jonno_racing]

Having put a roof on with no factory seals and just sticky back foam, it sealed 10x better than my current factory maruti cab.
I also used some form of polycarbonate window as it was seen to absorb impacts (snatch strap etc) much better, eg safer and was also about $30.
Latches are under $100.
Its all about looking at things properly. This could be feasible to be made. Also look at making the cab square in a extra cab style like my maruti! Its the tits!

[Gwagensteve]

The buyer of a new roof will look at things "properly" - they will expect a complete product that doesn't leak or rattle and is comparable or offers an advantage to the $400-$450 maruti roofs. I wouldn't want to try and make an entirely new roof and cab back, seals and latches for that, but regardless, customers are tough and it will need to be a properly sorted product.

Look at the number of threads about poor instructions/what parts do I need to complete/why am I waiting so long/is this supposed to fit like this/this seller is rubbish/whinge whinge etc.

[pezz]

cheap shyte suzuki's are the bottom feeder of the 4wd world dollars wise..
so its natural that they attract low budget dreamers

make parts for a new g-wagon or range rover... you can charge more

[tanshi]

pezz wrote:

cheap shyte suzuki's are the bottom feeder of the 4wd world dollars wise..
so its natural that they attract low budget dreamers

make parts for a new g-wagon or range rover... you can charge more

it is difficult but it can be done. granted not enough to live on though

[just_cruizin]

I don't know about that Pezz, a GQ is cheaper then a Sierra these days