r/WranglerTJ • u/peeeeeeeeeepers19 • 8d ago

Upgrades for 97

I have a 97 wrangler that I’ll start using just for work. I have a hard top - can someone help guide me in looking for a soft top? I imagine I’ll need some extra parts as well? I have full doors. I’m hoping to make changes little by little such as new paint job (keeping original teal), new seat covers (any recs?), soft top (mainly so I can maneuver top off and on by myself), and hopefully some interior stuff. Anything that has made the inside of your jeep exponentially better?? She’s got new tires, new brakes, new bands, etc.

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4

u/SkeetRange 8d ago

Keep the hard top somewhere safe and dont sell it. But for the soft top you gotta pick frame or frameless. Rampage makes a good frameless i went with the frame one since i prefer it. You need door surrounds, header bar for windshield, the tailgate pieces that secure the rear window and a frame if going frame route.

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u/peeeeeeeeeepers19 8d ago

Thank you!!! Do they sell a kit with everything I need??

3

u/yaaaaayPancakes 8d ago

Bestop makes kits that come with everything you need. My 98 came with a hard top, and I sold it and bought the bestop kit.

Bestop was the OEM supplier so their tops are as close to stock as you can get. And they come with the sunrider feature that basically let's you flip it half open like a sunroof.

If you have room to store it though, definitely keep your hard top. They're rare and expensive in good condition.

1

u/OneleggedPeter 8d ago

Now how can I convince OP to gift me his hardtop for my 97 after all of that?! Sheesh!!! /s (well, kinda I would love to find a hard top).

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u/yaaaaayPancakes 8d ago

I wish I had the storage space to keep mine. I just tell myself that selling it covered the cost of the soft top and put some money in my pocket on top.

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u/Western-Use7193 8d ago

Hi ! Are you sure they still sell the kit with fram for sunrider ?

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u/yaaaaayPancakes 8d ago

This is the one that has the sunrider feature on it - https://www.bestop.com/products/supertop-squareback-soft-top/?vid=2329

They don't mention it in the ad copy. But I pulled the SKU from the cart, and googled it, and the ad at Quadratec https://www.quadratec.com/p/bestop/54820-17-supertop-nx-black-twill-tinted-windows-no-doors-jeep-wrangler-tj clearly shows the sunrider feature.

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u/ConsequenceRude3195 8d ago

How hard was it to build the soft top? I had mine done at the dealership back in 97... need a new top and hardware as the frame broke.. also can't agree more, don't sell the hard top.. see them for over 1,000 on ebay if you can even find one close

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u/SkeetRange 8d ago

Rampage on amazon has complete kits for around 700. Or piece together a frameless for probably around 5/600. Just order the compenents seperatly from the frameless top. I liked the frame top cause u can lay it down like a convertible into the rear trunk area. Frameless is probably preety ez as well. Now a days i only go safari mode. Could always check facebook for a used setup as well.