Ok, i am trying to decide if i should chop the top off of my 82 dodge 4x4 and buy a canvas top for it. I have found a place in town that does it for a reasonable price, i am just not sure i want to yet. If i do it i am putting a roll bar in the bed so i dont die if i roll it, but i am just not sure it would look good, any input would be great on this one. I need to decide before it gets cold out because it is going to take a little while to finish and i dont want to drive around with the heater on and no roof.

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Hey Buddy,
If it were up to me, I would leave it alone. It is a very nice old truck. And besides, when u
start messing around with that chopping and stuff, it usually makes it worth much less.
Dodge4Life, I restore old cars for a living. Believe me, It will be a much better project if you just keep it all original.(OEM) TTYL, Oh, just remember, its just my opinion. I just believe that it is worth a lot more left alone. See 'ya. R.V.

 

Very nice looking truck. I would leave it alone. It looks real good the way it is. Too hard to find cabs for these old beasts to go cutting a good one up.
Phil

 

I wouldnt cut it. If you've ever ridden in a Jeep Wrangler in the winter....or a convertible softtop....you know its super cold in the winter. Not to mention you'd have to worry about the top cracking/tearing.

Those old Rams are nice trucks and I used to enjoy seeing them while being an Army brat.

If you truly want to "chop" the truck....look at doing a hard top chop...where they take and cut it off...but you can still put it back on as your top... here's an example of what I mean... sorry for the Chevy pictures, but you at least understand the idea...

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forgot all about that kind of chopping. interesting. R.V.

 

If I were to chop the top, i wouldn't use this truck in the winter, plus i live in new mexico, they think 30 is cold here, i used to live in indiana, and it was cold there... We would have -20 with the wind chill, thats not a fun time. I wouldn't mind having to wear a coat when i drove in the winter, with the way gas is, i wouldn't drive the truck farther than the 15 min into town. I am planning on buying a little gas efficient car for the winters and cruizin, the truck is strictly for playin. I am also trying to find a place to buy roll bars, not those crappy light bars, a real roll bar to mount in the bed, If i can find one of those i like, i prolly wont chop the top, just because it would look weird with it off.

 

I'm with everybody else on this one. When you get into cutting the roof off something and having a top made by someone other than the vehicle manufacturer you asking for leaks. Besides....why would you want to cut up a nice truck like that?

 

I dont think i am going to do it, too much work, and apparantly too much trouble, i just saw a pic of a ramcharger with the top cutoff, and it looked pretty cool, so i thought about doin it myself, but it doesn't sound like its worth it. Thanks all.