mopar bikini vs. bestop

[jterp]

My girlfriend just bought me the bikini/duster/windjammer combo from mopar for my birthday. ('02 TJ) The bikini has the channel that must be drilled into place. Does mopar make a No drill channel? If not, has anyone installed the drill type channell? Can you put the regular soft top up with it on, or do you have to unscrew it to put the reg. soft top up?

Does anyone have the bestop No drill bikini? Does it work well (easy to put on/take off)
How about the duster and windjammer --- any differences between mopar and bestop?

I'm looking for pros and cons between mopar and bestop because i still have the option to return the mopar and get the bestop from quadratec.

Thanks
[addsig]

[L33TJ33P]

I haven't tried either just yet, heck the 03 channels were just released to the public. I have however heard many Cons about the No-Drill Header channels. Mostly how the Softtop doesn't seat as well witht eh no-drill.

You can leave drill channel on though. No removing it to put the top up.

Again, this is all Hear-say

[addsig]

[SkinWalker]

yes bestop does make a no drill channel also referred to as a bikini header windshield channel....but you have to buy the special bikini top to go with it...i work at discount jeeparts in johnson city, tn and i could get you them for 59.95(the no drill channel) and 69.95 for the bikini top....a regular bikini top would not work with it!!!!! of course you would probably have to pay shipping b/c i have no clue where you live.... if you call 1-800-654-5337 i could give you further details....ask for daniel 8-) [addsig]

[jterp]

thanks but i can get both for $90 total at quadratec.[addsig]

[ecor]

I run the no drill channel on mine. It has it's pro's and cons. Pro's goes on top of the windshield and does not ran in on you from being attached to the back of the windshield like the drill set up. The big con is that you need a socket with you take it off. I run mine and keep the soft top on under the duster, when I am on a long trip and it starts to ran I pull off and switch back to the soft top. If you have the drill set up you just pull off the bikini and flip the top back up with the no drill you need to get out the socket and remove the header channel. I have customers that run both kinds and they seem to like both setups for there own reasons. Just be happy that your girlfriend got them for you, it's good to have a girl friend that will buy you things for your Jeep [addsig]

[Tug-n-pull]

SkinWalker you are going to have to get real with your prices to compete with the guys around here. As they been worken the web for so long the best prices are book marked on their computers. You get $695.00 or something crazy like that for a rough country lift that can be bought for $435.00 shipping included. Just like the one you sell. I aint putting you down, being mean, or anything but you are going to have to work it to beat the internet prices. I shop your store and have bought from you, but I have yet to get a deal there on anything. Good luck tug[addsig]

[Jeeppicus]

I have the drill channel on my '97. It works fine with a hard or soft top. The only problem i had was I bent the channel one night when I was putting the soft top up in the rain. I didn't have it lined up right, but a pair of vice grips fixed that.[addsig]

[raptor_pilot]

I don't have either but have a question on the channels. I want to get a bikini top but have a hard top. Am I going to have to take the channel off everytime I put the hard top on?
Mike[addsig]

[LadyJeepFreak]

Hell,

Can you all explain this a bit better for a newbie. I find this interesting cuz I have a new jeep with a softop and would like a bikini too. I priced one at 4wdrive hardware, a bestop it was called a bikini header @ 52.95 and it did say you needed a header retainer.

Please spell this out for lil ole me. I just aint getting it. Thanks much! :-? [addsig]

[LadyJeepFreak]

Me again. Would a kind soul please explain the parts of a bikini top to me and what I might need or not need. See my post above. I was wanting to get one myself in the next couple of weeks. I have a softop but I keep reading different component names in different posts and now am confused.

Thanks for being patient with me. :-? [addsig]

[Jeeppicus]

There is the actual bikini top, and the windsheild channel. It screws into ur windshield frame. It doesn't stop a hard or soft top from being put on. You will never have to remove it. The bikini top is a simple thing, I think you're trying to make it more complicated. [addsig]

[L33TJ33P]

The Header Channel is a Long metal piece that looks like a long screw down alagator strip which has a little metal straw welded to the top of it. The little straw is then split along it's topside. The Bikini Top has a piece made into it that will fit into this straw and the cloth comes out of the slice to flow back towards the back of the Jeep. This header keeps the front of the bikini top from getting wind under it and flapping even worse than they already do. Did that help? After you see one you will laugh at how simple they are. but the 03 header channel is REALLY expensive at 50+ bucks.[addsig]

[LadyJeepFreak]

Spanks alot! Maybe I was making it more complicated than It needed to be. Sometimes these jeep parts and lingo just swims in your head when your new, especially with no mechanical experience but I'm trying!

I hope to get a garage at my next place so I can learn more myself from friends and stuff. And I'll have a place to store all my Jeep crap! lol

[addsig]

[NannookYJ]

I bought a bestop strapless on ebay for my 88 YJ with a hard top. jusy ordered screw in channel. it will fit with my hard top on? and what are the 2 snaps for on the side of the top?
[addsig]