Who manufactured this all steel cab?

[Daeldo]

Hey guys and gals. I bought a nice garage find 68 cj5 that has been sitting unused for 10+ years. Im having a hard time identifying the hard top cab on it. Here is a photo, i have more pictures on my flicker that are larger if it helps.

Now the inside of the top has what looks like aftermarket paneling. i didnt want to pull it out to see if it had a plate from the manufacturer, like a kelly would. thats what i think it is. Where the top meets the sides it has a metal lip that rolls out, you can see in the photos, I saw this same lip on a steel half cab in town, that is for sale as well. Im looking to sell the hard top possibly. Can anyone provide insight as to what this full top, or a half top which i know is rather rare is worth to someone that A. wants one or B. needs one for a full resto.

As far as details which we all love this 68 has a 225 dauntless, which still has the valve covers with the jeep dauntless graphic, a 3 speed which is either a t-90 or t86. dana 18 without the overdrive sadly, dana 27a with manual lockers, and a 44 rear. has a nice western plow mount from the era, and came with a amazing manual angle western plow with all the original hardware in near perfect condition, with 95% tread tires. The tub is shot, beyond practical repair, but she fired right up with a few drops in the carb, still has the oil bath, and i got her idling nice off a lawn mower gas tank gravity fed to the pump, all the gears work i drove it off the car dolly and up to the garage. Not bad for 450$

 

[jps4jeep]

as far as I know, Willy's, AMC, who ever was the factory manufacturer of the CJ5 never equipt them with a factory hard top, all hard tops were, at best, a dealer installed item. that said, I have run across some older people that are original owners of mid 50's-mid 60's CJ 5's that swear they ordered a CJ with a factory top. so I honestly do not know. A LOT of CJ5 steel hardtops were sold through Sears and Roebuck (sp) I can't recall the exact supplier though.

 

[Daeldo]

with a suggestion from the guys at jeepforum that suggested meyers, i did some photo searching, sure enough, thats what it looks like

 

[jps4jeep]

that sounds right

 

[Robert_Stephens]

That is a pre-1965 Meyers Full Metal Cab (Meyer Cabs were available from 1953 to 1975 for al models of Jeep CJs), and they are great and when insulated they are a real treat though a little heavy. I had and ran two of these in Jeep #2 and Jeep #13 and they were excellent. I sold my 2nd one in 1974 to get the remarkable and stylish Whitco tan colored soft top as I was in the arid reaches of the Earth so much and needed a top I could take off quickly and store inside the Jeep or Army Trailer.

Strangely, then, Bestop was not a wet dream in anyone's brain......yet!

Details: I paid $522 for my Meyer Cab, new, then and it was the gold standard of tops then since it had actual real car type opening doors and latches and could be locked like a car. The windows in the doors only came down half way but the doors could be lifted off the hinges like Jeeps had starting in the CJ7 type from '76 onward. Meyer then disappeared shortly thereafter.

Hope that is helpful and that top in your photo is quite a find.

Robert

 

[Crazy4diesels]

That does look like a Meyers cab. And a really nice specimen - a good find. Yes, they were a bit heavy. My Dad bought a few of those in the '60s and '70s to run on his CJ5 plow Jeeps. Back then you bought the Jeep "naked" and bought the cab seperately. The only bad thing was rust. The Meyers cabs rusted quickly (surface rust, really) and would get all rust streaky under the windows. Dad also bought Meyers plows because they were light weight. The little CJ5 could fit into the tightest places and, with chains on all four wheels, was quite a snow plowing beast.

One note... If I recall, the door handle on the inside gets pushed DOWN to release the latch and open the door. So, the unsuspecting passenger would lean on the handle with their elbow and the door would pop open. We nearly lost my Grandfather one day going around a left turn.
-John

 

[Daeldo]

yes, the handles press down to unlock. It doesnt have keyed locks, but the inner latches also say kelly on them. mismatched screws on them though, so maybe somebody swapped out the latches/handles

 

[Robert_Stephens]

That does look like a Meyers cab. And a really nice specimen - a good find. Yes, they were a bit heavy. My Dad bought a few of those in the '60s and '70s to run on his CJ5 plow Jeeps. Back then you bought the Jeep "naked" and bought the cab seperately. The only bad thing was rust. The Meyers cabs rusted quickly (surface rust, really) and would get all rust streaky under the windows. Dad also bought Meyers plows because they were light weight. The little CJ5 could fit into the tightest places and, with chains on all four wheels, was quite a snow plowing beast.

One note... If I recall, the door handle on the inside gets pushed DOWN to release the latch and open the door. So, the unsuspecting passenger would lean on the handle with their elbow and the door would pop open. We nearly lost my Grandfather one day going around a left turn.
-John

All true. Great report and invokes so many memories for me. I was mistaken on the type though as it is a SEARS cab as the Meyers was much cooler looking and more shaped to the Jeep body.

The Meyers "Full" Cab offering.

Its been so long and so many years I now remember the SEARS cab was not as popular with that huge squared off door and opening compared to the sleek, cool Meyer cab. The Meyers was more expensive though at $600 verses the SEARs at about $400.

I never got used to the squared off style of the SEARs verses the Meyer cab.

I would always drool over the JC Whitney catalog when it would arrive by mail and wish upon a Jeep, all the cool stuff for Jeeps then.

Here is the CJ5 with the Meyers Half cab also. I loved that half cab. Too cool.

Meyer Half Cab offering as well. Had both and loved the half cab better.

Hat is tipped, but invokes anger at OP for posting that photo--Reason: That brings back memories of over 48 years ago for me--YIKES--how can a pirate look down the barrel of 60 now......Heaven forbid. 26 Jeeps ago. But its all been soooooo.......fun!!!!!! And it got here so fast.........

Oh well......its a dry heat.

Robert

 

[Robert_Stephens]

And in that lower photo of the red Jeep, look at those corn-ball "Selectro" hubs! I remember those and hated them and never had them. Those that did were always tearing off the little handles that would come out and fall open from the hub center and then render the Jeep either in 4WD High or low. They truly sucked camel dicks big time.

Hilarious back then--1965.....More memories.

Robert

 

[kman]

Thats a Kelly hardtop (hence the "Kelly" on the door handles) Kelly Jeep Cabs on The CJ3B Page

The Meyers tops switched names to Orville and there was a second generation top available from 1976-1979. I had one off a 1979 CJ5 on my 1983 and loved it!! Unfortunatley 2 summers ago I left it on my Jeep due to such a rainy year and it was destroyed when I rolled it. In this picture it doesn't have the windshield filler plates on it.

 

[John Rankin]

Your cab looks very much like my cab. There's slight differences mostly cosmetic to me. I know the cab on my jeep was bought in 1962. If you jeep is 6 years newer slight changes would no be hard to imagine. I do have some paper work on the cab I think if I can find it I'd copy and send to you if yo post an address. Thank you John

 

[Desert Rat 1960]

Koening also made metal tops for the CJ5's. I have a 1959 with the original hard top. The original owner ordered it thru the dealer with the hard top according to the paperwork that came with it. With the long oval windows on either side of the opening in the rear, I would say that you have a Koening hard top.

 

[walt mikolajcik]

While this top is similar to a Myers top it is not . It is a Kelly all steel cab. The Kelly tops are the only ones with the inset in the door and sides, the myers have the two ribs on the door, if I can figure out how to upload a photo I have the factory Kelly cab book here in front of me with a photo of your cab. Walt Mikolajcik WCW#1

 

[superj]

someone in one of hte south texas craigslists is selling a hard top and door uppers for a cj5. i saw it yesterday while being bored.

 

[0III0forlife]

Yep, I go with the Kelly as well. My dad, bought a new willys cj in 1959, and it had a Kelly full hardtop on it. Ovals in the doors and under the rear windows.

Came from the factory with a plow frame. First one in the area. Painted Battleship gray. Hard top was a dealer installed item. But it was definately a Kelly hardtop.