Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Downside to running without windows most of the time

AndyG said:
I’ve been caught in some ungodly downpours, more water on the inside of the windshield than out.

At the same time, I absolutely love it too. I’ll go home at the end of the work day and get a jeep and go out and do appointments and errands just to get to drive around with the top off.

And this :

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That's the type of rain we get in the summer where I live. It's almost always sunny in the morning, then the clouds start building over the Rockies in the afternoon. At about 4:00 or 5:00, the thunder storms arrive and dump a bunch of water (and occasionally hail) in a short period of time. Then, it over.

I keep a small hand towel in my center console to wipe the inside of the windshield and rearview mirror if needed. I will say that if I happen to be on the freeway during one of these downpours, it's about the only time I'm not loving the open Jeep. Not because of getting wet, but because it gets very hard to see lane lines and traffic. When I'm in this situation, I usually take the next exit and wait it out.

I also keep a rain jacket in a duffle bag in my instatrunk. If I'm on the road and have a safe place to pull over when the first few drops fall, I'll stop and put it on, but that only keeps me half dry. Call me a lunatic (or worse), but I really don't mind being wet at all.
 
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John Cooper said:
Been there, done that!!!!!

It was still a great day!!!!
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100%.

The only difference is that unlike that dude in the first picture, I have a smile on my face. I can only imagine what other drivers think when they see the idiot in the open Jeep grinning from ear to ear as he drives down the road in a downpour getting soaked.
 
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Superjay5 said:
Hahaha, uppers go on for winter storage. Yea. It’s stored all winter. One thing about the TJ is its amazing heat! Can’t be said about all the CJ’s I had back in the day.
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I'd preserve my jeep in a garage too if I still lived in northern Ohio because the road salt is pure evil in the winter.

I don't know much about CJs, but I imagine those were harsher times requiring clothing like thermal underwear and full Carhartt gear.

Superjay5 said:
I view jeeps sorta like a motorcycle. The joys of it are being in the elements. Good bad and indifferent.
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I agree...the configuration makes me super happy and removes 99.9% of my desires to want another motorcycle. I didn't expect it to replace that need, but I'm happy with things as they are.

Steel City 06 said:
However, the brilliant part is that you dress for skiing at home and just wear everything on the ride except the boots
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Oh yea. I kept snowboard pants and some other winter emergency gear in the back after installing netted half doors soon after purchasing the rig. I've driven for hours in 27-32* temps many times without discomfort because the snow boarding pants cut the wind so well and are super comfortable.
 
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Steel City 06 said:
I've seen a few doorless/topless jeeps at the ski slopes around here when it's 10 degrees and snowing. Must suck when all that snow on the seat melts and becomes wet
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OK, this is where I draw the line.

When the highs drop below 50 or the snow starts to fall (usually late October or early November) my soft top, windows, half doors and window curtains go on. But, there is usually a fall transition where my safari top is still on, but the half doors go on. If I leave in the morning and it's cold, I'll put the window curtains on. It's amazing how well the heater keeps the driver compartment warm in this semi open configuration. if I'm still out later in the day and it warms up a bit, I'll take the door windows off and put them in the back.
 
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MikeE024 said:
I'd preserve my jeep in a garage too if I still lived in northern Ohio because the road salt is pure evil in the winter.

I don't know much about CJs, but I imagine those were harsher times requiring clothing like thermal underwear and full Carhartt gear.



I agree...the configuration makes me super happy and removes 99.9% of my desires to want another motorcycle. I didn't expect it to replace that need, but I'm happy with things as they are.



Oh yea. I kept snowboard pants and some other winter emergency gear in the back after installing netted half doors soon after purchasing the rig. I've driven for hours in 27-32* temps many times without discomfort because the snow boarding pants cut the wind so well and are super comfortable.
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My first CJ the heater core started leaking. I pulled the whole assembly out and never put it back in. I was 18 and at the time it seemed like more hassle than it was worth. So for about 3 winters I drove with no heat. Plus side of the CJ it would throw off a lot of engine heat into the cab.

I had an old blockbuster VHS tape I never returned. I would use that to scrap the inside of the windows in the winter of frost.

Why I always did the Jeep wave back then, we all sorta suffered in jeeps, but still loved every minute of it.

I drove my TJthe first winter I bought it, it was mint, and after that first winter I started storing it.

The only reason I got out of the CJ’s was the rust!!! Hate everything about rust, and every CJ I every bought or worked on had it.
 
hear said:
I did McKinney TX to Hot Springs one summer night. Narrowly missed a storm, and then the humidity shot up, and it got quite cold with the wind. NGL, it was miserable. And I'll drive my stuff around in the 100F heat all day around town so I'm no stranger to misery. But that was horrible and I'll never do it again if I can avoid it.
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That sounds terrible lol
 
JustDandee said:
When I had a Miata, everwhere was top down. Boise to San Diego multiple times.
Took a little time for hearing to adjust to normal after 15 hours of wind and tunes…. Now it’s ear plugs for anything more than 1/2 hour down the interstate.l or the tennitus acts up.
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Welcome to old age
 
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Murf926 said:
That's the type of rain we get in the summer where I live. It's almost always sunny in the morning, then the clouds start building over the Rockies in the afternoon. At about 4:00 or 5:00, the thunder storms arrive and dump a bunch of water (and occasionally hail) in a short period of time. Then, it over.

I keep a small hand towel in my center console to wipe the inside of the windshield and rearview mirror if needed. I will say that if I happen to be on the freeway during one of these downpours, it's about the only time I'm not loving the open Jeep. Not because of getting wet, but because it gets very hard to see lane lines and traffic. When I'm in this situation, I usually take the next exit and wait it out.

I also keep a rain jacket in a duffle bag in my instatrunk. If I'm on the road and have a safe place to pull over when the first few drops fall, I'll stop and put it on, but that only keeps me half dry. Call me a lunatic (or worse), but I really don't mind being wet at all.
Click to expand...

I just remembered I took a video last summer of one of these storms where I pulled off the freeway and took shelter under an overpass. I was actually the second car under there. Many more followed including that genius who blocked both lanes by pulling in perpendicular in front of me. Notice the sideways rain? This video didn’t capture it, but the reason I started recording was that I saw debris blowing by, so I grabbed my phone and started recording. I later learned that there was a tornado directly overhead at the point of this video that touched down about 1/4 mile up the road.

 
MikeE024 said:
Drove 7 hours to Riverside in July and 7 hours back to Tucson a few days ago. I'm not tempted in the least to install windows. It's been without windows 99% of my ownership. The top is there for sunshade and to add rigidity so the cover doesn't pool when it rains.

View attachment 552879

I installed the full doors for the Moab trip last October so my passenger would feel less wind...worked great and then I took the doors off at the Air BNB.
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Which half doors are those? Been looking everywhere for OEM halfdoors but its been too dry since October 23'


Those ones look nice and would probably suit my needs.
 
Murf926 said:
I just remembered I took a video last summer of one of these storms where I pulled off the freeway and took shelter under an overpass. I was actually the second car under there. Many more followed including that genius who blocked both lanes by pulling in perpendicular in front of me. Notice the sideways rain? This video didn’t capture it, but the reason I started recording was that I saw debris blowing by, so I grabbed my phone and started recording. I later learned that there was a tornado directly overhead at the point of this video that touched down about 1/4 mile up the road.

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My video was taken on Ericsson Blvd under C-470 which is about 1/4 mile west of 470 and Lucent.

This is the news report of that tornado.
 
Now that I think of it, maybe half doors and no top are the way to go on the ice roads. Punch through the ice and you have 30 seconds to float but you can easily jump out before it sinks...
 
Steel City 06 said:
Now that I think of it, maybe half doors and no top are the way to go on the ice roads. Punch through the ice and you have 30 seconds to float but you can easily jump out before it sinks...
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Back when Texas froze over, I drove my 04 Solara around with the top down… people called me psychotic at every stoplight.
 
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Yesterday the girls wanted a jeep ride to the top of the mountain, but they didn't want to listen when I said it'd be cold and they needed to dress warmer. So they half froze to death. Lots of loud exclamations about how cold they were but they still insisted on going all the way to the top. I even got a "I should have listened to you," which is rare.

Stopped for hot chocolate on the way back and they said they want to go again tomorrow but they'll dress right next time. Good times and lessons learned.

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Webcams showed a dusting of snow in the morning but it was gone by the time we got there. Got a glimpse of Shasta poking through the clouds and covered in snow.

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freedom_in_4low said:
Sometimes you load up and throw the windows on to go across Oklahoma and New Mexico in August without realizing your AC isn't working as well as it should be.

View attachment 552845

Most of the trip will be up high and won't call for AC and it'll be cooler on my way home next week, so I guess I'll wait until then to deal with it.
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How about, no doors, no side curtains, just a bikini top: Hampton Roads Va running the coastline, up over Canada to Old Quebec, down to Key West and back to Hampton roads. Mountain bike hung in front, SCUBA gear in the back. Waterproof suitcase with my Uniforms in there for my meeting with my folks and taking classes at MIT, attending Annual IT conference in Boston...

TIP: Little towns on the upper seaboard have 'All you can eat Lobster & Oysters on weekends raising money for Schools, Volunteer FD and other stuff.

6 weeks, every year Aug/Sept for 7 years.

Twice I got caught in the rain. Once in NYC and sat on the freeway for 9 hours before the traffic moved. Floor wells filled up with. rain water but no wind and I never got wet! 2nd time was Tampa and sat under a I 75 overpass for about 1 hr. Rest of the time it was sunshine and fun.
 
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