When my wife was 17 in 1992 she got a Ratical convertible top kit, Ratical Ground effects and UFO under glow light kit for Christmas. Her dad was a streetrodder but she loved Mini trucks. They had bought a hardbody for her and that was to be the build. Life lives quick and the lil dream truck never got built. Fast forward to last winter in New Year’s Eve. We were waiting for The ball to drop and she saw a mini on tv. Suddenly she was like, “I have all this stuff out at my parents in the garage!” She started telling me what was there and I was in disbelief. All this stuff had been stored in in-opened boxes like a time capsule. One thing led to another and here we are present day waist deep in a custom mini build. I’ve cut the roof and everything is ready to be glued, but I’m really glad I found this video because it’s not too late to make that mod to prevent the waterfall. Thank you! For over a year I’ve looked for some kind of video explaining how these tops are done and your video has just saved me. Awesome job, wish you would do an exact step by step but I’ll take what I can get. You just got a new sub as well. Great work!!!!!
I watched tour vids on installing this top a couple years ago. My top is done now and I gotta say, had I not found tour videos, it would have been a much more difficult process. Thank you! Keep up the great content!
Been looking for a video like this since a kid . Love the info, step-by-step. Super well explained. Huge thank you!! Looking forward for more of these videos. Shout out from SoCal Oxnard #MiniTruckinIsntDead
Your solutions are fantastic! I don’t have a truck project but I want to create a removable hard top on a convertible Smart Fortwo 08. The removable roof frame is there. Just need to tack on a metal sheet to be the roof.
I was never into the ricers but me and a few buddies did a ratical tops conversion on my 87 S-10. I ended up rolling the truck and started rebuilding it but never got redone. Was a good 3 years while driving it though. I also bought an s-10 roller roadster some years ago.
So glad you posted this video. I have a OG radical kit for my 79 toyota and I really needed some of these tips . Mine did not come with latches or weather striping etc. Just the plastic. Thank you guys so much. Subscribed and 👍!
Cool Nissan Hardbody and good instructional video. I still dig old-school minis with static-dropped suspension, 15" rims and such. My brother had a magazine feature quality Nissan 720 in high school. I felt so cool ridin' with him in it. Fun stuff.
GREAT, EXCELLENT VIDEO! THANK YOU! Questions: A) The measurements you stated, for the S-10, for the cuts, same on the Nissan Hardbody? (I have a 93 Hardbody) B) Any possibility of you uploading another video on what you did for seatbelts now that your top mounting point is gone? C) Any chance of another video going into more detail of permanently mounting your cut window components to the removable roof? I seen you used self taping screws as a stopper/spacer , and longer screws to secure the two pieces. Is that all you used to line the pieces up, and to secure them to one another? Thank you!! And again, GREAT VIDEO! I can't wait to do mine. You have given me confidence that this is something I can do without ruining my truck.
Thanks for that , where was you back in the 90s lol good content Minis are making a comeback keep up the content and your channel should do well, i just subscribed
This is such a great video and information. Hope you make more. I'd love to see suicide doors on that s10. Hopefully you'll add more videos as you progress onto your build. Happy mini truckin brother!
Just came across this video! Thank you for making this! I’m 30 years old and I’ve loved the old school mini truckin stuff for the last few years. Always wanted to see how these kits were installed. Just picked up an 85 XtraCab 2WD to mess around with next to my 87 XtraCab 4x4. Would love to find an old school Targa kit for my 2WD.
Airbagit.com used to sell the kits. Now they sell the bows for the kit. Just not the removable top portion. But I think somebody handy with custom work can make that happen.
You should think about a sliding rag top for your x-cab. Looks sick! And with the x-cab, you could open up a LOT of roof, real estate, without worrying about leaking like the targa top. Just a suggestion!
Nice idea on the door window frame, i done convertible and targa tops, what I use to seal glass on door is the rubber from a 1980s camaro and it worked, i tried using both radical kit and sunshine kits. Dont know if sunshine kits still around , nice work.
I wish they made it for my truck. The "industry" completely ignored the 84 and earlier Mazda B2000's. It gets weary customizing everything from scratch.
Great video with alot of info! That looks like a great kit though I would certainly do alot of modifications to some of those plastic pieces to bring in for a tighter cleaner look.
had a buddy with an s10 back in the 90s with a convertible roof kit done.his gf was driving one day and got hit by another car..........the roof came off and the bucket seats were not bolted down and one flew out. she just broke her leg luckily.after that i rolled my geo tracker in 98 and was paralyzed. be careful out there boys
I hope this can be done on 10th gen f150's. I'm a fan of you guys now! Well done video keep it up keep making them vids.. you guys are all great together. I watched this entire video n was hooked. I'm a house painter but I love working on my cars and trucks whenever I have time and I stumbled upon this video bc I just seen the new 2022 F150 stock convertible coming out later this year. Yes I said F-150 is coming out with a convertible but it's not hard top for some stupid reason they made it soft top
Great Video! I’ve been looking for a convertible top kit for my 2003 Chevy s10 but can’t find any, would this kit work for my truck? Or where would I be able to find one?
Super Cool Video , i like the look of the Convertible top on a Mini Truck oddly enough when Dodge came out with their Factory Convertible i was suprised you didn’t see many more of them on the road now i am from SouthFlorida and i’ve owned 7 different Converibles typically with Converibles the manufactures strengthen the Frame or Unibody structure to stop flexing out of curiosity why doesn’t the S10 Frames need any ?
Unibody vehicles need bracing because they don’t have an actual full frame. The body and sub sections are the frame and if you cut into that, it weakens it. Fill frames are strong enough.
Excellent video, however can you point me in the right direction? I have 99 ranger standard cab I’d love to do this to, but can’t find any kits past 92 please help
Nice video..im 54 now.i want to get a short bed mazda b2000 short bed and get the top cut off like your video.who makes a kit thats good in california area.that door leak fix is awesome.
Thanks for the kind words. The only place I know of that sells remaining leftover inventory is airbagit.com. They still have kits for select model trucks. Hit me up with any questions. And keep ‘em low my friend. 😁👍🏼
I only removed my bed because I was getting it ready for a dump bed. I cut the top on that aqua Hardbody with the bed in place. You don’t need to move the bed at all. You’re good to go.
Wow I haven't seen mini trucks done this way in years happy to see it's still alive. I would need a kit for a 2002 Dakota R/T xtra cab. Do they make a kit fir this truck?
Saw your video S15 convertible it was just what I was waiting for someone to do thank you! It is awesome. One question can that be done to a S15 extended cab to?
Thank you. It can be done sort of. They used to sell a kit that had a fiberglass top with it. But it’s no longer available. If you are handy with a cutter and welder, you can still do it without a kit. Many have been made this way.
First off, awsome video, 2nd, where can I get a kit for a Mazda B2200 3rd, my drip rails are on the outside above the door line. Would the rubber on the door still be a good barrier for water if its cut?
hey fella's I liked your custom chevy s 10 converted top model question do guys know of a kit for a early 1995 ford ranger mini truck thanks my name is omar
I love the window frame mod. Wish I had known about it 30 something years ago. What did you use for window tracks? That was a big issue when I did mine in the late 80s. Also did you reinforce the back cab wall?
I have a97 s10 ext cab iam wanting to chop the roof.. any tips before I attempt to cut the roof besides what you state in your video..I don't want the body to warp or anything considering chopping it might make it weak..any help is appreciated
When I do my Hardbody, I am. My cousins Mazda B series was convertible, and after SLAMMING the doors for years with no cab brace behind the seat, the door pillars stared to warp inward a little. Made it hard to shut the doors.
@@nemosfate My cousin used a piece of 1.5" square channel steel. The steel electricians use to hang stainless steel electrical pipes in warehouses/plants. He welded a upper and lower piece on his back cab wall. Very top, and very bottom. It looked like the (top) of a "H" welded in behind his seat, along the top and lower back wall of his cab. No more cab flex after that.
@@nemosfate No worries. In the video below (@ 1:27), you can see the 2x4 they used to keep the cab square "Before" cutting the top. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x5GCwqgAjUs.html I will most likely just weld my braces in before I cut anything as well.
You can but it isn’t necessary. Those trucks have an external rain gutter so it won’t make a difference. For those trucks you need to make sure both roof bows are siliconed up on the edges and your rubber gasket that goes on your roof sandwiched between the 2 bows extends out as far as you can go side to side overlapping your door. The rain will follow that out and down dripping past the window.
