Has anyone out there ever removed the soft top, rear seat, rear seat belts, and fabricate/weld a steel sheet/plate with a rear window in it? I've always wanted to turn a Trackick into a little hunting truck with a rear window and a short bed. It looks semi-easy to fab up but I didn't know if there are any small truck windows out there that would install in such a narrow-bodied vehicle. Maybe a Chevy Luv or a VW Rabbit window could be made to fit? I really hate plexiglass/Lexan windows. It would be nice to have a sliding-glass window.

Maybe use the rear door of a tin top Samurai! Cut out the window opening and fit it into your panel. Any glass shop will fit glass in it as it's completely flat!

OK, first off I'm really sorry to tease you with this but I have also wanted to have a different/better rear cover for my 02 tracker and one day on ebay I seen this car for sale with this custom rear cover.

It was a drink (beer or energy drink-not sure-didnt care  ) car that they used to advertize at events and they made the custom rear end with two coolers and the rack to held a big advertizing can I guess.


I have never seen another cover like this for a tracker and can only guess that they had it made custom.

I'm guessing they just made the window opening and had the glass custom cut to fit since its not a slider which would be easy enough but I had looked around and I think there are a few small truck sliding windows that would work.

I boxed mine in more for security reasons and I am very happy with it but I still may try making a fibreglass rear cover with a slider in the futue, it doesnt look to difficult.
We never use the rear seat so the rear seatbelts and seatbelt towers are out and I used the top seat belt mounting area's to hold my cargo cover.

I've seen one of the new Mini's with a Red Bull can on the back, with a fibreglass set up just like that.

I yanked the rear seats & seatbelt towers out of mine, and covered it up with a home-made vinyl/fabric tonneau cover.




There's a piece of wood screwed in to the factory holes (hidden, but in the bottom right of that pic) so the top has something to rest against when it's behind the seats.


I haven't even bothered with the rear window yet, but I had planned on half-assing a thin plastic window in there... Same idea, just velcro to hold it on.

Here's a pic that got me started on this:


I liked it so much, I'm just going to go ahead and have a guy work something up like that out of diamond plate.  It's going to bolt right in, the pickup bed part will open like a trunk, and like you, I'm hoping to find a small rear window to fit in.  I'm going to hinge it to lay back flat like a reverse jeep windshield so I can still be out in the open when it's nice, and have an easy place to stow the front half of the hard top.

I think the tiny rear window of my old '82 Toyota pickup would fit, but I haven't taken measurements.
-Al.

Stainless,

Please measure that window. Your picture of the black Tracker is inspiring. Guys, please keep it coming. My heart rate is steadily getting higher and higher.

You can make any size window you want and a window place can cut it to fit.

They will have a rubber channel that will slide onto the sheet metal and the other side will fit the glass.  You will see this style on tractors.

I was into dune buggys and this was one way to put in a windshield.

Good luck.

You can make any size window you want and a window place can cut it to fit.

They will have a rubber channel that will slide onto the sheet metal and the other side will fit the glass.  You will see this style on tractors.

I was into dune buggys and this was one way to put in a windshield.

Good luck.

Yeah but can they make it a slider like he wants ?

I'd actually like a dual slider for the same type of project.
(removeable top with sunroof - dual sliding tinted rear window -locking trunk lid)

If I could find the right window I'd make a wood plug and then the molds and make as many tops as I could out of the molds.
(maybe 4-8)

Instead of making a top I think its easier to just find an X-90.

What about just hacking up a window from an old mini-truck?  Didn't some of the older 2 door trucks have sliding rear windows?

I didn't get a change to head up to my dad's place to get that window measured yet... Should be up next weekend, though.

Here's a drawing of what I had in mind for mine, probably made out of diamond plate aluminum.



The roll bar won't really be able to attach to anything underneath, but it makes a pretty decent looking light bar.  It wasn't something I was interested in until I started playing in photoshop:



I'm not sure who's sidekick that is, so sorry for stealing your pic... It's just the best side shot I could find.

-Al.

red bull anyone?

CAUTION: may cause drooling 

so, has anyone seen the top from rally top?

http://www.rallytops.com/suzuki/sidekick-2-piece-sport-top.html
sort of what you guys are getting at...

Hey, that's pretty nice -- I've never run across that before. I may end up just getting the rear section from them if I can't get what I want made for a decent price... Although even just the back half shipped and sent through CDN customs is probably almost $1000 all-in.

The only thing I don't like about that one is how 'thick' it looks.... and that I'm really hooked on my fake rollbar/lightbar idea.

-Al.

I like that rally top also but it wont fit my 02.
The rear window is interesting I wonder if they have those made for them or if its an "off the shelf" item.

Stainless That would look pretty good if you can get it made.

I had thought about a top like that but I was looking into a small steel roll up door for the trunk but it would be easier/cheaper to just have a hinged tunk lid.

Anyone thought about/seen a slant back design like below?

I am currently providing my dimensional information to CR Laurence, a manufacturer of sliding glass windows. They are leaning toward a 1950's Chevy or Ford 4-panel replacement sliding window or maybe an older small truck like a Toyota or a Datsun 620. When I determine which is the best fit, I'll post them here.

My actual desire is to cut off the flange for the hard top seal/ soft top seal and weld in a piece of 10 to 14 guage to fill in the opening. I figure that the metal will have to be cut into two pieces, an angled top piece where the window will be to match the angled contour of the opening and a bottom piece perpendicular to the floor from the bottom of the window panel. This will allow me to remove the seat belts and convert the back seat area to a small truck-like bed with tailgate and all. Of course sometime I'll have to replace the side panels with the same guage metal.

What do you guys think???