M 38 Top Don't Fit

[sonny]

Is there any adjustment you can make to the windshield, bows, or ? to make the top fit better - mine will not got down over the outside corners of the windshield. Have tried hot sun, loosening straps, but it just won't go over the corners - thanks for any help - Sonny

[wesk]

This is about as far as the usually go.



If yours will not come this far even after taking the tension off the rear then the canvas is not wide enough. If it's a new top it may be a bit short on width. If it's an older top it may have shrunk. If this is the case soak it and pre-stretch it again.

[hillbilly21]

Was it a repo top or window frame ??? if so who did you get it from ???

[FrankenJeep]

This won't help you, but I had a baffling mystery with my M38. I took a metal "bikini" top off an other M38. It fit fine so I had no idea that it might not fit the other Jeep! When I transferred it over, it was (apparently) too SHORT! And I'm like.............what th' Sam Hill? I measured in several place on BOTH Jeeps and they both had the same measurements. I at first thought, somehow, there was a difference in bodies. Nope. Ah ha! OK, so the windshield has a different "rake" or slant. Nope! Now what?
After all that trouble, the top ain't gonna fit. I finally found a way to make it work. I ruled out moving the top bow brackets or drilling additional holes; better NOT to have a top than to "booger up" a good body. It worked out that the rear bows would fit BESIDE the existing brackets and all I had to do was drill a hole in each bottom bow that matched one of the existing holes. This way I could use the top should I get caught out in the rain OR remove it without having ugly damage which would ruin(?) the value of the Jeep (its TOO nice to mess up!)

It doesn't look bad at all. Only when a purist looks at the rear brackets will anyone notice it is "different". It simply sits snugly beside the brackets held by one bolt on each side. It looks like the canvas top, and the builder (homemade) was a good sheet metal mechanic and did a good job of mimicking the original top. I am thinking I will treat the aluminum top and paint it OD to look like the canvas. I won't have all that "flapping" either! :)_


FrankenJeep

1951 M38

"Go Air Force"

[sonny]

Thanks guys - it is a repo top and don't know where it came from as I got it with the jeep when I bought it - the old top fit great. I will try soaking and stretching it because it doesn't fit nearly as well as Wes' photo - Sonny