welded vs: bolted half-cab top ***THE ASNWER***

[TERNOV <TERNOV@domain.elided>]

This is in response to a few posts about a week ago. I have been searching for
a half-cab for my '65 Scout 80 for a while. I finally found a donor Scout, a
'61 or '62 (which I was unaware of at the time) with a half-cab, and I met the
owner and asked him if he would be interested in a possible trade of his half-
cab for my travel top. I went over there today, towing my travel top illegally
on a boat trailer with no plates and no brakelights behind my brother's '80
turbodeisel, only to find that the donor Scout had a welded bulkhead. "Great",
I thought, as I was halfway through unbolting the thing. I figured I might as
well finish up and take the thing home. "Who knows", I thought, maybe it'll
fit fine. Besides, I really wanted to get rid of my junked travel top. At
least I wouldn't have that sitting in my yard anymore I figured. So I loaded
her in the back of the old '80 Scout II: almost a perfect fit. Just a little
too big. So I had to tie the tailgate and liftgate closed. When I brought her
home, and put her on my '65, she seemed to fit well. The lip fits behind the
windsheild like its supposed to, and the holes match up fine. BUT... there is
one difference, which would account for the different part numbers between
early and later Scout 80 cab tops: on early scouts (welded bulkhead) the
windsheild frame has a piece of thick sheet metal welded to the top of the
flip down windsheild. This piece extends forward, and bolts go through this
piece, then into the front/bottom lip of the top and tighten into nuts which
are welded inside the top. On later 80's (bolted bulkhead), the front of the
top bolts directly into the windsheild frame, eliminating the need for any
piece of sheet metal to extend forward. This mean that I can't bolt the front
of my top on. BUT... all I have to do is bolt a piece of thick sheet metal
onto the top of my windshield frame, drill holes where the heads of the bolts
are on top of that piece, the drill holes in the front of the piece and bolt
on the front. Its that simple. SOOOOOO... if anyone was wondering, or had a
similar dillema in finding a top, the differences are very slight, and can be
corrected with a little creativity and a couple dollars.

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot: Because of the design of the older sliding
windows, the side of the top where the window lines up will not have a very
good seal with the window frame of the roll-down windows. SOLUTION... purchase
some of that universal door seal rubber crao (you know, the stuff that's real
thick, but hollow so it compresses when the window hits it), and fasten it as
a gasket all around the rim where the window contacts. 

That's the extent of what needs to be done. If anyone has any questions, feel
free to e-mail me. I should have an update on the digest when I strip it,
prime it, fashion the sheet metal piece for the front, bolt it on, and do some
window gasket work. Hope this clears thing up.
Devin Smith
'65 Scout 80