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Would you buy oem or aftermarket hardtop?

25K views 37 replies 26 participants last post by  custom-classic 
#1 ·
I am going to buy a hardtop and have heard that some of the aftermarket tops are junk. Can anyone recommend a good aftermarket top or should I try and hunt down an original top ? Thanks for your time
 
#3 ·
I guess I will jump in first. I would only buy an oem top. I have done my share of keyboard research and the general concensus is such. I was able to find two hardtops fairly recently, lj and tj. They fit great. Finding a good LJ top with no damage and correct color is like trying to find unicorn teeth. Tj tops are still plentiful. Not sure what your looking for. My recommendation, check Craigslist daily. Not just your area but all over. A road trip may be in order. Oh and patience. Good luck jeep friends.
 
#4 ·
Back in my YJ days, I bought a Best Top hard top. It was a great purchase. The top was fully lined which made it much quieter, the rear side windows were lexan or something... which meant I had t take care not to scratch them, but they also made the top MUCH lighter. (mine was a one piece, I see they make a two piece now)

If you're going to go aftermarket, just make sure you do your research and get a good one.

Conclusion: I never regretted the purchase at all.
 
#6 ·
I was in the same boat with my LJ. There are tops for sale on Craigslist for 2K...but they have been up there for a while. I was about to order a aftermarket top since they were even cheaper than the ones I could find. Thanks to the forum guys were telling me that I should spend about $1k-1200 for a decent one and just wait. Sure enough three days later about an hour away I found one for $1,200.

I really liked the two piece top option just to make it easier for removal and install. I hear the back sliding windows are nice but tend to rattle.
 
#18 ·
If only they ever answered their phone or replied to voice mails

I looked for some time for an OEM top on local sites and ebay. They are hard to find in the north. Places like texas and florida had more.
I found this after market place, but never pulled the trigger
Jeep Hard Top in San Diego - Camper King USA
Very frustrating. The most you get is a two day window to respond via e-mail to inquiries. :rant:
 
#12 · (Edited)
#14 ·
Hey man- nice to see you here- there are real opportunities with this community, as I know the decent used hard tops are hard to come by up here in the northlands.
It'd sure be nice to have a dealer network that could sell FOB here (wherever that might be) for $1,195.00
Best regards,
eff_in_Idaho
 
#19 ·
Stick with OEM. Around here, if they are in good cindition they all pretty much sell for about $1100, regardless of maker. The aftermarket ones are just not as well made as the OEM one, even if they offer more features. If I were shopping for a hard top right now I would not even look at an aftermarket one, especially a used one. I would look for a used, perhaps mildly beat up (but not leaking!) OEM top and put in the work to make it look good. Last month I saw a really nice one (functionally) for only $600. It was butt ugly, though. I went to look at it and there was NOTHING "wrong" with it. It just needed to be painted and could have used a new set of weatherstripping. Despite my not really wanting it I thought I could buy it, make it look like new and flip it. It was sold during the hour it took me to drive home from this guy's house. OEM tops sell within a few hours of being posted around these parts. Aftermarket ones take months to sell. There must be a reason for that. Happy Thanksgiving!
 
#20 ·
In hindsight you're probably right.



I've been searching searchcraigslist.org daily for several weeks now and would be willing to drive five hundred miles for a good top. Meantime, Camper King never answers their phones, takes 2-5 business days to respond to web-based inquiries for e-mail reply and there is NO visibility into the process of your unit's inventory, construction, shipping or tracking.

Right now, given the amount of merchandise I've purchased on-line over the years from dozens of providers, Camper King gets a #epicfail. :atomic:
 
#22 ·
I'd go OEM. You can grab one on craigslist or ebay for sub-$1000. I see them on there all the time (in Texas). I once drove 300 miles to get a hardtop for an old TJ. Drove there with no top on the jeep and drove back with the top on.

For me, I prefer OEM, in case a windows gets broken or you need some small parts (windshield washer parts, wiring, etc.).

I was recently looking for a hardtop for my LJ. Everyone wanted $2K or more around Dallas (one guy had his listed for $4K, get real). I was able to find a hardtop in good condition about an hour away that just needed windows and a wiper motor (it was basically just a shell). I paid $500 for it, even though it needed parts. But all in, I only spent $1300 on a factory LJ top in the color I wanted with all new windows and new wiper motor.
 
#23 ·
Yes, we've had several posts here the last year where the rear lift-gate glass needed to be replaced but it was no longer available for the aftermarket top that was on their jeep.

NIce work on your top. LJ tops seem to go for around $1800 is decent condition (when available)
 
#28 ·
ive got an after market bestop hard-top for mine, PO musta done it. it came with rag top from factory , but ,, that SOB is heavy as balls, is carpet lined and quiet, and looks good. but windshield latch hooks are bit light duty and the PS window don't fit right (missed this tidbit at purchase), hangin in the garage now.........it's necked season
 
#29 ·
Just make sure if you are dealing with an individual that it is a TJ top not a YJ top. There is a difference in the length of the top over the doors as the YJ windshield does not have as much rake as the TJ (doors don't fit either).
 
#33 ·
WHEN I bought the LJ it had a tired ragtop on it.

I live in northern Michigan and winters can tend to be a little cold.
My first Jeep a 5, was soft and CCCCCCOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDD.

Then when I picked up the YJ it had a hard top on it and even though that little 4 banger was not a heat demon it was still better than it would be with a rag.

SO
with the LJ I looked at after market and tried also to find OEM hartop.
ME
I went with an OEM though I could have gone after market cheaper. I liked that it had the defroster washer and wiper on it and all I had to do was get the kit and then wire it in. Running sandy roads the rear washer wiper is nice, and even nicer when frosted up and icy.

for my $5.00 (since my opinion is worth way more than $.02) worth I say go with OEM and get the defroster wiper washer in the bargain.
 
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