I got the top from atlantic towers. The install actually turned out pretty good. Surprisingly it's actually pretty sturdy. Hopefully in the next couple of days i'll get the top canvas installed
finally got the new soft top installed on the grady
- Thread starter lime4x4
- Start date
reelserious
Well-Known Member
Looks great. All you need now are a few seats and you will be good to go. 
)
Kidding aside...looks like a quality job.
)Kidding aside...looks like a quality job.
wahoo33417
GreatGrady Captain
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If you don't mind, can you post some photos again when the canvas is done? And, if you would, add your impressions after you've had a chance to run with it a time or two? I'm thinking about doing the same or similar.
Tx, Rob
Tx, Rob
no problem. I was gonna install the canvas today but i have to read up on how to lace a canvas top. So i worked on the wiring today. For it being a clamp on style top it's pretty sturdy. I can grab ahold of it and i can move the whole boat side to side. I need make sure where it mounted it had alot of reinforcement behind the fiberglass. The front support tubes got mounted thru a peice of glassed over plywood. The rear supports i had to glass in some 3/4 plywood. Also the other i change was they give u 1/4 by 20 screws that are suppose to go where the support tube meets the mount. I decided to use stainless steel set screws instead. Gives it a cleaner look. I will post pics of the canvas when installed along with all the new lights i got for it
Found a decent youtube video from atlantic towers that shows how to lace the top. Doesn't look to bad. Where should i mount the vhf ant? It can only be mounted on the outside perimeter?
Got the soft top installed along with some lighting. Plans didn't work out as i planed. I was hoping to run the wires up the rear support tube then thru the main support tube for the top. Well it turns out the support tube that goes from side to side to the outer frame isn't open. I used heavy duty reuseable zip ties to get the top in position.
Looks great, I watched the video on youtube looked easy, what LED's did you go with what are your impressions of the top now that it's on? I think it looks good, I like that you went with the blue..nice work
wahoo33417
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I got the lights from light the night boat lights. The spreader lights are 18 watt led i got to for the rear and 1 for the front. Also got 20 inch multi color led bars for under the top. I got them in white or red. The only snag i ran into was i also bought new seat posts and chairs. Well with the support tubes for the top i won't be able to spin the chairs around. So far i'm happy with it. I think it turned out pretty good. The next challenge will be getting an enclosure made up for the boat.
Also made the connections to the engines nice and pretty. First 3 pics are what it looked like when i bought the boat. Still have to run the 2 stroke oil lines out yet and put the port engine harness in it's rigging yet
Those spreader lights are bright. Got them wired up and about 6 to 7 feet away and it's still dayight out yet
I didn't get to try them at night yet. I was originally gonna just install 1 in the rear and 1 in the front. But decided to put 2 facing rear and 1 facing forward
Well after a month of working on the boat i was able to finally test run her the other day. The top worked good no vibration.Having 3 batteries in where the aft fuel tank would be the boat handles pretty good.
wahoo33417
GreatGrady Captain
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Here's my opinion so far. trailered the boat 260 miles round trip to the upper cheasepeake bay area for the weekend. Was able to run the boat at higher speeds then i can at that local lake. Got into some rough water. The top held up great. Everything stayed nice and tight. No weird handling problems. Nice to have something sturdy to grab a hold of when going thru some 3 footers. Here's a shot of the red leds turned on for some night fishing
